A study underscored the potential of whole language philosophy as a framework for secondary English teachers and students as they move away from strictly traditional methods. Research methods included case study, grounded theory, and qualitative inquiry. Participants included 2 veteran teachers who taught in a predominantly white, suburban high school which housed 1,000 students in grades 7 and 12. Data collection spanned 1 year and included interviews with the teachers, anecdotal field notes, lesson plans, assignments, student work samples, and teacher learning logs. By the end of the second semester, one teacher who taught 7th and 11th graders regretted having stalled in using dialogue journals. Though she had primarily held to traditional ways of insisting upon required readings of common texts, she had found students read more willingly and more carefully when engaged in dialogue journal activities which enabled them to verbalize opinions in writing and then share ideas with peers. The other teacher, who taught 8th and 12th graders, introduced dialogue journals differently: she used three forms of dialogue journals and quickly recognized the potential for students to grapple with words and ideas. The teachers approached change warily, yet found the results edifying. The students reacted strongly to restraints imposed by required readings and study guide questions; they much preferred the freedoms of selecting their own reading, exploring their own ideas, and consulting with one another to construct meaning. (Contains 20 references.) (RS)