A study investigated beliefs about language learning held by two groups of students studying Arabic: 41 students in conventional classroom language instruction at the University of Wisconsin in 1992 and 1993, and 27 in an immersion program at the Yemen Language Center (Yemen). The survey instrument consisted of 47 statements in a Likert-type scale and 5 demographic items. Comparison of the two groups revealed both similarities and differences in beliefs about respondents' own language ability, language ability in general, language learning processes, and the value and utility of language learning. It is noted that the two groups were not heterogeneous; there were differences in age, levels of language instruction, and program design. The findings are seen as support for foreign language learning. Teachers and students are encouraged to identify, organize, and exploit positive beliefs and to use knowledge of beliefs to modify course content, lesson sequence, selection of teaching methods and materials, and articulation across levels of instruction, and to create a mode of instruction satisfying student needs and goals. Contains 50 references. The questionnaire is appended. (MSE)