When preparing for a language teaching career, very few of us thought that advocacy for language programs would be a critical part of our job. However, as we moved into our first year of teaching, our role as language teachers has invariably required us to quickly become articulate spokespeople for our field and to learn to speak up for language education. So critical is this for all language teachers that the accreditation process used by well over half of the teacher education programs in the United States, published by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), includes a standard on professionalism, as outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). This standard requires new teachers to demonstrate knowledge and active involvement in the language teaching profession, including the ability to advocate for language programs. Likewise, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) requires that candidates for certification as accomplished teachers demonstrate that they possess the knowledge and skills to be effective advocates for language programs.