THE INTRODUCTORY LITERATURE COURSE AT THE JUNIOR COLLEGE LEVEL CAN BE TAUGHT IN A MANNER COMPATIBLE WITH THE AIMS OF BOTH THE GENERAL EDUCATIONIST AND THE SPECIALIST. THE BASIC FUNCTION OF THE INTRODUCTORY COURSE IS TO INCREASE THE VARIETY, LEVEL, AND DURABILITY OF THE STUDENTS' READING PLEASURE. AS A MEANS TO THIS END THE COURSE ALSO SHOULD DEVELOP THE STUDENTS' CRITICAL ABILITIES AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. TO HELP THE STUDENT ACQUIRE SOME SENSE OF CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN WESTERN LITERATURE, FOR EXAMPLE, A MOVEMENT FROM CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE BACKWARDS OR A DELIBERATE PAIRING OF NEW AND OLD BOOKS MIGHT BE A BETTER ARRANGEMENT THAN THE CONVENTIONAL ORGANIZATION. ANOTHER IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE INTRODUCTORY LITERATURE COURSE IS THE EXERCISE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE STUDENTS' WRITING THROUGH THE WEEKLY OR AT LEAST REGULAR ESSAY. THIS SPEECH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE "ILLINOIS ENGLISH BULLETIN," VOLUME 52, NUMBER 1, OCTOBER 1964, PAGES 1-10. (BN)