This paper explores the whole language approach to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in the context of gender issues. More specifically, this study is focused on teaching ESL to university freshman in Taiwan. The whole language approach is used for two reasons: language can best be learned when it kept as a whole--especially with Taiwanese college freshman who have weak listening and speaking skills and little practice in writing; students learn to read best by engaging in reading full texts (of literature), rather than just completing worksheets. Gender issues are very salient in the Taiwanese context, because it is at the university level that students first come into regular contact in school with the opposite sex since they were young children, most having gone to single sex high schools. Also, because many women in Taiwan are highly educated, and less likely to be economically dependent on a husband, many are choosing not to marry or to divorce their husbands as a way of solving marital problems. The case for why whole language education is most effective is made, and how literature can be integrated into a whole language classroom is described in detail. The paper is divided into 7 sections titled: "Getting Started"; "Gender and Socialization"; "Gender and Fairy Tales"; "Gender and Communication"; "Gender and Media"; "Gender and Workplace"; "Celebration and Evaluation." Also included are annotated bibliographies of selected readings and reading to be considered, 29 references, and three appendices containing worksheets. (KFT)