A collection of six essays focuses on second language instruction for adult learners. In "Modern Languages and the Adult Student" (David Smith), the motivations of adults taking evening classes are examined and the ways in which language teachers need to adjust to this population are discussed. "Language Learning Theories and Their Implications for the Classroom" (Shelagh Rixon) outlines and discusses theories in two categories: those developed from the late nineteenth century to the early 1970s (grammar translation, direct, and audiolingual methods), and those appearing since the early 1970s, based on the communicative approach. In "Syllabus Design and Multi-Media Course Organisation" (John L. M. Trim), models for curriculum design are reviewed, and multimedia language instruction is recommended as offering a more complete range of learning situations to the student. Specific classroom techniques appropriate to adult student needs and attitudes and the constraints and pressures faced by their instructors are offered in "In the Classroom" (John Langran). Special considerations for language teachers and administrators of adult education language programs are analyzed in "The Tutor, the Head of Centre, and Inservice Education" (Duncan Sidwell). "Public Examinations and Achievement Tests" (Lynn Jones and Alan Moys) outlines the types of examinations available and suitable for adult education in foreign languages and provides some guidelines for their selection. (MSE)