The academic characteristics and language skills of foreign born Asians at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, were studied in 1981. The 694 respondents were polled concerning factors that contributed to their knowledge of English, their current proficiency with English, and whether their ability with English influenced their choice of either a college major or a career. Additionally, attention was directed to students enrolled in English as a Second Language instruction and to a comparison of the foreign born and native undergraduates. Findings include the following: the middle 50 percent of the respondents first learned English between the ages of 4 and 11 and entered the United States between the ages of 7 and 16; a higher percentage of respondents majored in engineering, chemistry, and physical and biological sciences than undergraduates in general, and more are choosing careers in computer science, engineering, and medicine than undergraduates in general; most of the respondents (92 percent) plan on staying in the United States after graduation; 21 percent claim that their lack of ability in English limited their choice of major, while 18 percent claim it limited their career choice; respondents have cumulative grade point averages and academic course loads approximately comparable to those of undergraduates in general; 68 percent of the respondents have jobs versus 41 percent of undergraduates in general; the two main sources of financial support are the families (39 percent) and UC financial aid (30 percent); English as a Second Language (ESL) students are more interested in further training in technical writing than in any other ESL subject matter. A questionnaire is appended. (SW)