BECAUSE AVERAGE AND BELOW-AVERAGE STUDENTS DO NOT FIND THE WRITTEN WORD ESSENTIALLY MEANINGFUL, AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO THAT OF THE TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE-AND-LITERATURE ENGLISH PROGRAM IS NEEDED. SUCH A PROGRAM BEGINS WITH AND FOCUSES ON THE STUDENTS' OWN PAST AND PRESENT EXPERIENCES. STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH VIVID AND SIGNIFICANT SENSE-EXPERIENCES WHICH STIMULATE AND FREE THE IMAGINATION AND FURNISH THE STARTING POINT FOR "PERSONAL WRITING"--THE ARTICULATION OF THE STUDENTS' OWN RESPONSES. STUDENTS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO USE THEIR MEMORIES TO ANALYZE, EXAMINE, AND RECAPTURE IN WORDS LESS IMMEDIATE EXPERIENCES AND INTERESTS. LITERATURE IS INCORPORATED INTO THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ANOTHER DIMENSION TO THE STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO BECOME MANY MEN, YET REMAIN HIMSELF, AND THUS BECOME A MORE HUMANE INDIVIDUAL. SUCH MATTERS AS PUNCTUATION, SPELLING, AND VOCABULARY STUDIES ARE NOT IGNORED, BUT ARE PART OF THE WRITING AND REWRITING PROCESS ITSELF. THIS APPROACH SHARPENS THE STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF EXPERIENCE AND ENABLES THEM TO ENGAGE ACTIVELY IN THE PROCESS OF MEANINGFULLY ORDERING AND ARTICULATING THAT EXPERIENCE AND ITS RAMIFICATIONS. (THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN "THE RECORD" (COLUMBIA UNIV.), VOL. 69 (DEC. 1967), 223-241.) (DL)