The American Association of Teachers of French has proposed professional standards of competence for French teachers based on three principles: (1) teacher development is a continuum beginning in graduate study and extending throughout the professional career; (2) accreditation and evaluation of teacher education programs should take into account what is needed for teacher development; and (3) the foreign language should be used to the greatest extent possible in the teacher education program and in inservice education. Two levels of competence are distinguished: basic and superior. For each of five general areas, guidelines are provided concerning the role of that area in language teaching, the meaning of competence in that area, and the components of competence at both levels. The areas are culture, language proficiency, linguistics, literature, and methodology. Two additional chapters present guidelines relating to a variety of professional concerns (including class size and composition, workload, professional development opportunities, and student placement) and implications of the proposed standards for teacher education curricula in each of the five areas. (MSE)