This document presents the rationale and overview of an elementary English language project in which innovative linguistic materials were introduced in the classroom and an in-service teacher training program was provided to prepare teachers to use these materials. Language--its nature and children's use of it--provides the basis for articles dealing with (1) language as a code, words as symbols, and word connotations, including sample lesson plans for grades 4 and 6, (2) the teacher's role in early childhood language development, (3) the structure of the English language--identification of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and derivational suffixes--including sample lesson plans for grades 1, 2, and 5, (4) "standards" in language usage and its application to the improvement of language usage, including sample lesson plans for grades 4 and 6, (5) phoneme-grapheme relationships in the language program, (6) language concepts in an integrated K-6 language-literature-composition program, including lesson plans for reading poetry in grade 6 and for using verbs effectively in grade 4, (7) a description of in-service courses, and (8) new trends in elementary English. (JM)