Since the audiolingual forms of a foreign language (hearing and speaking) must be controlled before the graphic skills (reading and writing) are taught, exercises in a language laboratory, which affords students intensive, active, individual drill, ought to precede written exercises on the same material. The three major forms of language laboratories are the broadcast system, the library system, and the combination system. The types of laboratory installations within these forms fall into six categories: conventional, remote, dial, electronic classrooms, mobile , and portable. Whatever the form, the relationship between classroom and laboratory should be one of a simulated foreign environment to a learning and practice ground. The four-phase drill, consisting of recorded stimulus, student's response, recorded correct response, and student's corrected response, is best suited to laboratory purposes; however, many other drills can be performed within the laboratory. Monitoring, the checking of students by the teacher in the laboratory, is the recommended mode for evaluating and improving a student's work. Critical to effective laboratory use are an understanding of magnetic recording and well organized administration of the laboratory and the tape library. Extensive technical and systems information for the edification of the teacher or student teacher confronted with using the language laboratory is included. (JS)