The modern view suggests language be approached through speech. It is therefore customary that the first stages of language learning are spent on oral drills in order to make the sound system and the basic structures automatic habits. In countries where classes are big and the time spent on foreign language learning is limited, spending too long a time on oral drills is not very effective. The non-English environment does not offer a chance of any repetition of classroom drills. The case illustrated in this paper is taken from Indonesian schools where English teaching is begun in high school and the students are bilingual in the sense that they speak their vernaculars and the national language with great ease. Oral drills in the classroom have to be kept to the minimum. Since the students can already read and write well and books are the privilege of only the very few, reading is proposed to be given early. Therefore, proposals have arisen to modify the Oral Approach, especially because the ultimate aim of the average student is reading ability and not the spoken language. This report considers the following points: (1) the ultimate aims of teaching English in Indonesian schools, (2) the Oral Approach, and (3) proposals for supplementary materials and future course design. (Author/AMM)