In USA public K-8 schools in the 1970s this term came into use instead of "English" as the title of courses in the usage of English. I do not believe that the artistic use of language is at all more emphasized in "Language Arts" than it was in "English"...it just seems like so much Orwellian newspeak to me. Perhaps some Everything educator will come along and explain why this isn't just mindless jargon?