This paper presents a proposal for a new approach to the fundamental problem of illiteracy existing among the Indians in the northern prairie provinces of Canada. It also suggests several ways in which the use of native language can be strengthened. The approach to be used in solving the language problem is the Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL). The learner's mother tongue is never or rarely used during instruction; automatic language habits are developed through repetitions of sentence patterns, substitutions of vocabulary, in real or realistic situations. The TESL Literacy Course will include a variety of oral language approaches and activities, such as: (1) direct oral teaching with a small group of students, (2) language laboratory practice, and (3) daily"mini-visits" or other group activities. Proposed course content includes most of the tenses, modals, and many conjunctions. (CK)