A fact-finding survey based on a questionnaire answered by 418 Illinois English teachers examined the teaching of language arts in grades 7, 8, and 9 in Illinois. It showed that teachers get very little supervision, that they feel that they need improvement in teaching composition, reading, and the "new grammar," and that composition should be emphasized more than it is. In their preparation, the majority of the teachers had courses in methods but only about half had any preparation in reading methods and in literature for young people. Less than a third had courses in advanced composition. Half held the secondary certificate, and a little more than a third held the elementary. Seventy-one percent held bachelor's degrees; 21 percent, master's; six percent had no degree. About half had majored in English. The survey indicated that there was little interest in in-service or continuing education. Most teachers taught in a departmentalized situation, but there was a rather sizable group who taught in self-contained classrooms. In some instances grade 9 was considered to be a part of the junior high school and in others a part of the high school. At least half of the schools represented had block courses. The results of the survey led to seven recommendations on the teaching of English in junior high school. (The questionnaire is appended.) (Author)