Noting the discrepancy between what is advocated and what is practiced in language arts classroom, this Digest synthesizes the existing problems, reviews the research supporting language arts integration, and proposes a rationale for integrating the language arts. The Digest points out that these new initiatives in language arts focus on the learner and the processes that the learner uses to comprehend the written word or to write a composition and that this shifts the instructional focus from gaining language proficiency to using language as a tool for learning desirable content. Contains 12 references. (NKA)