This article describes briefly the history of foreign language teaching (FLT) in Brazil, as seen from the perspective of different laws and the impact they cause on the curriculum. It is shown that the prestige of FLT has been constantly diminished over the years, reaching the lowest point in the law passed in 1971, when many students finished secondary school without ever getting in touch with a foreign language in the classroom. It is suggested that the new law published in 1996 remedies the situation to a certain point. The new parameters (Parâmetros Curriculares) and the prospects for the future are also discussed.