Materials for acquiring minimal communicative competence have to serve a double purpose: learning of comprehension on the one hand and of expression on the other. Because there is so little available data on the exact nature of the communicative function of language, it is difficult to construct authentic communications. CINAO (a beginning course in English for adults) uses brief excerpts from video and sound recordings that are motivating in content and that can serve the double purpose mentioned above. Practice with these "texts" leads to the acquisition of rules of language function in verbal communication and to the ability to use these rules in order to understand the communication. Because they lack necessary vocabulary, beginning students would have difficulty using these internalized rules to produce their own communications. Therefore, CINAO divides production and comprehension activities. In a first level, students use the recorded excerpts to learn and use rules for each activity separately. In a second level, they learn to use the rules internalized during the first stage, not from existing documents but by constructing their own situational dialogues under the guidance of a native speaker. Use of such materials would be facilitated by a network for the exchange of materials, availability of the proper equipment, and provision for usage by students outside of class. A two-part lesson outline completes the essay. (AMH)