A counselling service to facilitate foreign language instruction for students desiring it was undertaken as an experiment at Cambridge University during the 1980-81 academic year. Its aims were twofold: (1) to provide a mechanism whereby students could be heard and their needs responded to, and (2) to insure that alternatives to the already available laboratory tape programs would be available for those who needed such programs. With regard to the organization of the service, it is noted that 20 languages were requested; the users represented both undergraduates and graduate students and staff. Seventy-five percent of the counsellor's time was taken up with behind the scenes activities, which included research work and report, feedback, administration, information gathering, and creation of materials. Contact time with clients included giving information and providing psychological help. There were three stages in the method, corresponding to changes in the notion of counselling. One of the negative characteristics noted for this particular counselling service is that it was too closely connected with the language laboratory. One positive aspect discussed has to do with non-native speakers on the post-graduate level. In this situation, the relationship with the counsellor was very important, particularly at the beginning. (AMH)