Whole language is an approach to, or attitude toward learning that sees language as a whole entity, and writing, speaking, reading, and listening should be integrated when learned. It is not a teaching method. Each whole language teacher implements the theories of whole language as he or she sees fit for a particular class. Whole language techniques help both children and adults learn a second language much in the same way they learned their first languages. Whole language activities in the elementary whole language classroom include individual and small group reading and writing activities, ungraded dialogue journals, writing portfolios, writing conferences, and student-made books. Much research also demonstrates the effectiveness of the whole language approach in adult ESL classrooms. The whole language approach is an attractive approach to adults for several reasons: adults respond well to a classroom environment that asks them to actually do something; adults look for a purpose or usefulness in a lesson; whole language activities are applicable to daily life; and the materials used in whole language are authentic, not contrived for the lesson. While no approach to teaching is foolproof, the whole language approach has successfully created readers, writers, and language users in a variety of classroom environments. (Contains 12 references.) (RS)