An experiment in teaching French in Sweden was based on a version of a Council of Europe proposal for a core language curriculum consisting of basic needs for language functions, notions, topics, vocabulary, and grammar. The model targets a variety of learning and age levels, but the Swedish program concerned secondary level teaching of French as a second or third language. Teachers and students working together to develop lists of typical situations in which French skills would be needed produced 36 dialogues based on that information. An analysis of the experiment concluded that, while the approach produces a high level of interest and motivation among students, it has several disadvantages. Some disadvantages are: it can be used in only a limited way because most students do not know what their linguistic needs are; the method addresses primarily productive rather than receptive skills; the vocabulary used is elementary and based on the learner's own limited experiences; the content tends to be self-centered; and there is the potential for producing lists of phrase-book utterances, the kind of material the method is trying to avoid, rather than creative linguistic competence. (MSE)