FOR WANT OF LEADERSHIP OR CONCERN COLLEGE ENGLISH DEPARTMENTS HAVE PERMITTED HALF OF THE NATION'S ENGLISH CLASSES TO BE TAUGHT BY TEACHERS WITHOUT ENGLISH MAJORS AND HAVE GRADUATED VAST NUMBERS OF COLLEGE ENGLISH MAJORS PLANNING TO TEACH WITH LITTLE OR NO PREPARATION IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OR COMPOSITION. IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENTS OFTEN HAVE BEEN UNWILLING TO ASSIST THE SCHOOLS IN EVALUATING OR PLANNING CURRICULAR AND TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS. NEEDED CURRICULUM REFORM AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF TEACHING WILL OCCUR ONLY AS SPECIALISTS IN COLLEGE ENGLISH LEARN TO WORK LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY WITH ALL INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS THAT INFLUENCE THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH--ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS OF ENGLISH, ADMINISTRATORS OR EDUCATION GENERALISTS, SUPERVISORS, SPECIALISTS IN SOME ASPECT OF TEACHING ENGLISH, AND ENGLISH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS. THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS IN BRINGING TOGETHER COLLEGE ENGLISH AND COLLEGE EDUCATION, BUT THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENTS SHOULD EXAMINE THE QUALITY OF THE LEADERSHIP THEY HAVE PROVIDED BEFORE CRITICIZING PROFESSIONAL WORKERS IN OTHER FIELDS. THE RESPONSE OF COLLEGE ENGLISH DEPARTMENTS, AND PARTICULARLY THE CHAIRMEN, TO THE PRESENT CRISIS IN ENGLISH TEACHING WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM. THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN "THE SITUATION OF ENGLISH, 1963," PUBLISHED BY THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK, 1963, PAGES 36-38. (BN)