THIS STUDY REPORTS AN INVESTIGATION OF CURRICULAR AND CLASSROOM PRACTICE IN TEACHING ENGLISH IN 42 SECONDARY PROGRAMS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES, SELECTED AS OUTSTANDING BY A PANEL OF BRITISH SPECIALISTS. THROUGH SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM VISITATION, INTERVIEWS WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, QUESTIONNAIRES, AND RELATED CASE STUDY METHODS, 10 AMERICAN SPECIALISTS ON ENGLISH AND ENGLISH EDUCATION COMPARED PRACTICES WITH THOSE PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED BETWEEN 1963 AND 1965 IN 158 SELECTED AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS (COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT 1994). THE FINDINGS, INTERPRETED IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BRITISH EDUCATION, COMPARE BRITISH AND AMERICAN PRACTICES IN SEVERAL AREAS--THE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF SECONDARY ENGLISH PROGRAMS, LITERATURE, COMPOSITION, LANGUAGE, SPEECH AND ORAL ENGLISH, DRAMA, AND TEACHER EDUCATION. AMONG MAJOR DIFFERENCES REPORTED IN BRITISH SCHOOLS ARE A LACK OF CONTINUITY AND STRUCTURE IN OVERALL CURRICULUM DESIGN, EMPHASIS ON CREATIVE AND EXPRESSIVE ACTIVITY, DE-EMPHASIS ON ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE, INCULCATION OF FAVORABLE PUPIL ATTITUDES, AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS FOR NONACADEMIC PUPILS. (POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS FOR AMERICAN PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED THROUGHOUT THE REPORT.) (AUTHOR)