Three years after a General Accounting Office review found that the Department of State and the U.S. Information Agency were not meeting their overseas language requirements, opportunities were still identifiable for improving this situation. The Department of State met the problem largely by lowering required proficiency levels rather than by increasing language skills. The Information Agency's percentage of appropriately filled language-desiqnated positions actually decreased, although language-designated positions represented a larger percentage of the Agency's overseas staff than they did in 1972. To improve language capabilities, it is recommended that: (1) assignment procedures allow adequate time for language training before the assumption of posts, and that strict criteria be developed for granting training waivers; (2) the system for determining language-designated positions be based on actual job requirements and the positions be periodically reviewed; and (3) a system be developed to ensure that persons who have the greatest need for post language training are identified and given priority training. (JB)