Noting that language minority and culturally different students are the fastest growing group of students in the public schools, this Digest offers practical strategies for language arts teachers to use when working with language-diverse students in the classroom and discusses some recent research on the subject. The Digest points out that attitudes regarding the education of such students have changed rapidly during the past few years, and that even if teachers speak only English, they can still provide a warm and supportive atmosphere in which their limited-English-speaking students can learn to communicate by speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The Digest presents several classroom case studies of coping strategies used by teachers and students and advocates particular care in choosing reading materials for the class and judicious use of resource persons from the surrounding community. Contains 10 references. (NKA)