This paper presents a method for making foreign language learning meaningful and interesting through using language as a tool for communicating about the self and others. Drawing from techniques developed by behavioral scientists, the foreign language was used to develop students' self-awareness and confidence. Learning activities were created, based on a sequential development of grammatical difficulty coordinated with a corresponding development of trust among students. For advanced levels, mini-units were created, based on a theme such as fantasy, death, or career education. These were offered every two or three weeks during the year. Another technique developed was the intensive Spanish or French class, which met for two and a half hours each day from September to December, then culminated in a "homestay experience" in a foreign country during the first three weeks in December (a "Cultural Awareness Project"). Appendices contain: (1) a sample mini-unit; and (2) a sample Cultural Awareness Project experience. (AM)