The following is a slightly revised version of an address delivered to the Spanish Section of the Ontario Modern Language Teachers' Association at the Fall Conference, October 14, 1972. There are, of course, many arguments that have been offered in the past in favour of the study of foreign languages, when I was asked to talk to you about reasons for studying Spanish, I began to look through what literature there is on the subject, and I was struck, as others have been, by the fact that many of the articles published bore titles, such as "The Singer and Foreign Languagesm or "Spanish for Business? Yes, Indeed!"' indicating that the authors were intent upon offering suggestions concerning careers in which prior acquisition of Spanish would be useful; in other words, attempting to show that the study of Spanish would be 'relevant' to the student's life in the sense of bringing immediate rewards in terms of employment. Such arguments no longer hold the same attraction as they did, even as recently as five years ago. We are all aware of drops in enrolment at the universities and colleges, and of the decrease of interest in the study of foreign languages at both the high school and college levels. Today, the high school diploma and the B.A. degree are not perceived as offering a form of insurance in the job market. Students are still looking for courses which will lead to good career opportunities, but the market is much more limited than it used to be for those with specific qualifications, especially in the humanities. We must, therefore, once again place the greatest possible emphasis on learning for learning's sake; and, in the case of foreign languages, on an aspect of learning which is truly life-enhancing.