This paper examines some reasons why American firms often have difficulty in conducting business overseas. The importance of language and culture in developing the marketing skills needed to penetrate international markets effectively is discussed, as are a variety of mistakes which U.S. corporations have made in international trade with respect to language, culture, and values, with examples of such mistakes culled from the past few decades. What U.S. corporations can and should be doing to become more effective in the global marketing of goods and services is the focus of most of this paper. It is pointed out that the assessment of a country's culture for marketing purposes involves the analysis of its people's attitudes, motivations, perceptions, and learning processes, and information is provided that specifically summarizes such cultural determinants. The clear implication for American business practitioners as they review their record of cultural/linguistic mistakes in the global marketplace is that financial and placement support for academically and professionally trained individuals in multinational business and modern languages are sorely and critically necessary to improve the United States' approach to marketing across cultures. Contains a seven-item bibliography. (GLR)