Since 1960, when the need for the examination by specialists of the problems of teaching English as a second language was voiced by the majority of Commonwealth countries and the first specialist conference was organized by the Commonwealth Education Liaison Committee, member governments have agreed that such conferences represent a very valuable form of Commonwealth co-operation in education. Successive conferences of Commonwealth Education Ministers have identified areas of concern in which this method of studying a subject could assist member states in clarifying concepts and identifying practical programmes of co-operation. The reports containing the proposals of Commonwealth Specialist Conferences are given detailed consideration by the subsequent Ministerial conference at which programmes for action by the Commonwealth Secretariat are adopted.