A survey of textbooks and official Ministry of Education programs of study for the Province of Ontario, Canada, revealed three stages in the history of teaching English language in intermediate and secondary schools. Prior to the mid-1960s language study was fundamentally the study of formal grammar and standard usage. From the mid-1960s until the early 1980s language study was broadened to include descriptive grammars, the history of the English language, dialect study, and inquiry approaches. By the mid-1980s, however, interest in teaching writing--particularly "the writing process"--pushed language study into the background and writing mechanics and standard usage once more became the central focus. Suggestions for putting the "revolution" (the "inquiry" period of the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s) back on track include: (1) a careful analysis of the textbooks and other materials developed in the 1960s and the 1970s to determine why they failed to meet the ongoing needs of teachers of English; (2) taking stock of materials available, paying particular attention to gaps which must be filled; and (3) a national survey of current language teaching practices and an assessment of teacher backgrounds and student knowledge. (Contains 77 references.) (RS)