A study investigated beliefs about language learning held by American adult students of Arabic studying in two programs, one in Morocco and one in Yemen, and compared them with beliefs held by the teachers. Subjects were 44 students and 10 teachers from the Morocco program and 27 students and 7 teachers from the Yemen program. Subjects were surveyed on the first day of classes, before placement tests were conducted. Some demographic differences were found in the two program populations. Survey questions concerned language learning strategies and patterns, personal motivation for language learning, language aptitude, and the nature of language learning. Results indicate that the student and teachers did hold differing beliefs about language learning. Implications for classroom instruction, curriculum design, and evaluation are explored. The questionnaire is appended. Contains 39 references. (MSE)