Eastern European and central Asian nations gain their independence from the Soviet Union. The fall of the Iron Curtain creates the need for fourteen new languages to be taught to American foreign service officers.

The Foreign Language Assistance Act is passed, and a grant program for support of innovative K–12 language education is created.

The first Center for Business and International Education is established. Later named Centers for International Business Education and Research when they are incorporated into Title VI programs.

Richard Lambert is editor of a special issue of The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science entitled “Foreign Language Instruction:A National Agenda.”

Cultural Literacy by E. D. Hirsch is published as an attempt to specify core knowledge for educated American citizens. The book stimulates controversy but sets off an energetic rethinking of language and area studies training for State Department foreign service officers.

The NFLC’s Institute of Advanced Studies is established, made possible by an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to support research to improve the teaching of foreign languages.

The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, adapted from the government ILR guidelines, are developed and published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

Points of Leverage: An Agenda for a National Foundation for International Studies is published by Richard Lambert. This publication presented the argument for establishing the NFLC.

Government-wide Language Proficiency Skill Level Descriptions are finalized and approved by the federal Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR).

“The Tongue-Tied American:Confronting the Foreign Language Crisis”, written by Rep. Paul Simon, galvanizes American educators by presenting “a convincing case for strengthening our national security as well as our economy by eliminating our linguistic wasteland.” [Publisher’s Weekly.]