The five essays in this collection examine the ways in which language functions in the lives of children, particularly in contexts outside the classroom. The first essay attempts to relate the actual language of children and adolescents to the rather different language characteristic of teachers and schools. The second essay examines the language of the child culture, in particular, the patterns and traditions typical of interaction between adults and children; these contribute both to the child's acquisition of linguistic skills and to more general socialization. The third essay examines the characteristics of the language of the mother/child relationship, looking for the events and experiences which contribute to the acquisition of linguistic and communicative skills. The fourth essay examines the language of teenage groups, illustrating the ways in which the rules, language, and system of values of the teenager's life outside of school are closely intertwined. The final essay considers the ways in which teenagers discuss pop music, analyzing their conversational strategies when they are talking about something they want to discuss. (AA)