Procedures used in foreign language teaching are discussed from the point of view of developing communicative strategies in students. Literature on communicative competence is reviewed and the implications for foreign language instruction are discussed. It is shown that: (1) from the very beginning of language instruction, the classroom setting, exercises, language activities, and tests should lead toward the objective of attainment of communicative competence; and (2) teaching methods must take into consideration sociolinguistic factors. In this context, an English teaching situation in Polish secondary schools is described and its inadequacies, especially in the area of grammar instruction, are indicated. It is noted that the teaching techniques used do not lead to a functional knowledge of grammar and so do not result in the development of communication skills. Therefore, a description is provided of a sequence of exercises consisting of four phases that aim at a functional mastery of a grammatical item. In connection with grammar exercises the problems of error correction and testing are dealt with. Finally it is observed that the teacher's most important task is to get students to talk and that this objective must be central in all classroom activities. (Author/AMH)