THIRTY TEACHERS OF RUSSIAN FROM THE UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE 1966 NDEA (NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION ACT) INSTITUTE SPONSORED BY INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN THE SOVIET UNION. THE PROGRAM OF 5 WEEKS OF INTENSIVE STUDY ON CAMPUS FOLLOWED BY 5 WEEKS OF TRAVEL IN THE SOVIET UNION OFFERED PARTICIPANTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND GAIN INSIGHTS INTO THE FOREIGN CULTURE. THROUGHOUT THE 10-WEEK PROGRAM THE PARTICIPANTS WERE UNDER PLEDGE TO SPEAK ONLY RUSSIAN. THE TOUR PHASE ENDED IN HELSINKI, WHERE THE TEACHERS TOOK PART IN A TESTING PROGRAM. THEY SHOWED AN INCREASED PROFICIENCY IN ALL LANGUAGE SKILLS, ALTHOUGH READING AND WRITING WERE NOT STRESSED IN THE INSTITUTE. FOR MOST PARTICIPANTS, HOWEVER, A MORE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR WAS THE CONTACT WITH SOVIET CULTURE AND THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE, AND A BYPRODUCT WAS AN INCREASED APPRECIATION FOR THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE. APPENDIXES GIVE THE LIST OF PARTICIPANTS AND THE INSTRUCTIONS SENT TO PARTICIPANTS IN PREPARATION FOR TRAVEL IN THE SOVIET UNION. (AUTHOR)