In the hospitality industry there are three major needs for study of a foreign language: (1) the need to communicate with non-English speaking employees, (2) the need to assist foreign travelers; and (3) the need to work in a non-English speaking country. The strength of the need to know a foreign language depends on the employee's level within the organization and the reason for using the language. There is a limited need for foreign language skills in the food service industry. In the lodging industry, the need for foreign language skills resides mostly with "front-desk" employees and less at upper levels, except in foreign countries. Travel and tourism administration is the area to benefit most from improved foreign language skills in the United States, and while the demand for foreign language skills is great, the supply is poor. If a language requirement is reinstituted in American higher education, the insitution must be willing to ensure that what students learn will be useful in the students' chosen careers, and the programs must be motivating. A matrix of needed language proficiency levels correlated with occupational group, level in the organization, and specific job tasks in the hospitality industry has been developed as a guide for program development in four-year hospitality degree programs, and further research on the need for language skills in the industry is recommended. (MSE)