Reflecting the increasing interest in language by teachers of English, articles in this collection: (1) describe and attempt to justify the exploration of living language as it is actually used--"Learning to Evaluate the Spoken Word" by M. C. Dobson, "Exploring the Language of Persuasion" by Sandra Williams, and "Language at Work" by J. H. G. Jones; (2) explore linguistic interaction in the classroom, in the light of works by Barnes, Flanders, Bellack, and B. O. Smith--"Students' Questions and Teacher's Questions" by John Alcock, "Language to Communicate" by Alan Cousins, and "Total Communication" by Andrew Wilkinson; (3) draw from the theories and empirical findings of the London Institute Writing Research Unit--"A Lesson for the Teacher" by Bill Messer and "The Process of Writing" by Glyn Thomas; (4) evaluate some important characteristics of young children's speech and implications for teachers--"Saying It Without Sentences" by Maureen Shields; and (5) discuss experiences and language outcomes of special concern in the classroom--"Language and Experience: Thoughts on a Rationale for the Teaching of English" by Leslie Stratta. (MF)