This is a study of how children in a small community called Rosepoint, in the vicinity of New Orleans, acquire speech. The author provides essential contextualization for her problem, dealing with family composition, life space, means used to control children, and interaction between members of the household. The author made intensive observations as a participant-observer and interviewer in seven families. Her research strategy was to take advantage of her almost complete access to her families to participate in the daily routine, taking notes and asking questions casually rather than formally. The author focuses on the child's linguistic contacts--to whom the child talks, who talks to him, what they talk about, when they need to talk--in an effort to define the range of linguistic opportunities. In this community, where adults do not regard children as people to talk to, the author finds what might be called a "restricted code." The burden of the role of "teacher" of language falls to older children who often communicate misinformation. Any theory of language learning would have to explain Rosepoint, in which the children appear to receive little formal instruction, and even less practice in their emerging skills. (Author/JM)