We use language constantly--to communicate our desires, to show our competencies, and to present who we are to the world. In American classrooms, White and wealthy ways of using language often dominate. These ways of using language are sometimes considered right, standard, and professional. Yet our students bring a rich diversity of language use to our classrooms, a richness that often goes undervalued in educational settings in which teachers feel they must, and do, emphasize dominant ways of using English. The ways in which teachers interact with students about their language use can influence the linguistic belonging of students from nondominant linguistic backgrounds--their sense of being valued, included, and recognized in positive ways for how they use language. This study explores the instantiation of linguistic belonging for students in two Bay Area elementary classrooms, including examining teachers' plans and perspectives, interactions about language use themselves, and students' reactions to these interactions. I find that the ways in which teachers give feedback to their students, the perspectives teachers hold about students' language use, and instances in which teachers instruct dialogically--that is to say when they value student input and accept multiple answers from students--influence the linguistic belonging of students who speak in nondominant ways in these two classrooms. Additionally, I find that conversations about the relationship among language, race, and power hold untapped potential in terms of linguistic belonging in these settings. The findings of this study develop the construct of linguistic belonging, contributing to theoretical work in educational linguistics and social psychology. They also suggest practical classroom applications--ways that teachers can enhance the linguistic belonging of their students in real classrooms on a daily basis. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]