Professional standards for the teaching profession have received considerable attention over the last decade in Australia and internationally. Teachers of languages and cultures in Australia have been active in this period in developing their own professional standards, supported by a series of nationally funded projects arising from federal government initiatives aimed at increasing engagement with Asian languages and studies in schools, and in promoting schools' languages programs in all languages (see Babel 44,1). The "Professional Standards for Accomplished Teaching of Languages and Cultures" (the "Standards") were developed in 2005 by the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA). The "Professional Standards Project" (PSP), initially running from 2007-2008, and now extended into a second phase from 2009-2010, followed up on the writing of the "Standards" with the development and implementation of professional learning materials and training for teachers of languages aimed at enhancing their professional learning and practice through intellectual and practical engagement with the "Standards". This paper traces the historical context for teaching profession standards in which these "Standards" arose, the series of projects that has, and continues to, support teachers in engaging with the "Standards", and the processes of implementation of the projects that have already seen in excess of 600 teachers of languages engage with the professional learning materials, nationally, in the first phase of the project, and a further 400 currently involved in the second phase.