Greater emphasis is placed upon communication in today's foreign language classroom. Various definitions of communicative competence are considered; basically, it is the ability to understand and make oneself understood in real-life situations. In teaching for communicative competence, meaning (what is being said) becomes the focal point of attention, and form (how, linguistically, it is being said) becomes secondary. Recent findings and theories that are pertinent to the question of how to develop communicative competence are summarized. First language versus second language learning, meaning with situational referents versus manipulative practice, learner factors, error analysis and error correction, and pedagogical implications are discussed. Published and teacher-made materials that suggest specific classroom activities are reviewed, including guided conversation, guided composition, and simulation. Testing communicative competence and some directions for future research and materials development are covered. Foreign language study appears to be becoming more humanistic as a result of the emphasis upon communication and the growing recognition of the individual's right to express freely his thoughts and feelings in the classroom. (SW)