"Talking Science" does not mean simply talking about science; it means doing science through the medium of language. This is a book about communication, scientific, and technical education. Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the specific themes and methods of the book. Each analyzes a brief classroom episode, looking from two different points of view at how teachers and students talk science. Chapter 3 is about the unwritten rules of the classroom: the social situations that occur in classrooms and teachers' and students' strategies for attempting to control each other's behavior and the course of classroom events. Chapter 4 describes how the semantic resources of language are used in talking science. Chapter 5 ties the language of the classroom to larger social issues of attitudes, interests, and values. Chapter 6 is a brief discussion of the similarities and differences to be expected when applying the arguments of this book to subjects other than science. Chapter 7 summarizes many of the arguments made throughout the book by providing a list of practical recommendations for changing the methods of teaching. An overview of social semiotics is given in chapter 8. Appendixes include five transcripts of lesson episodes as well as summaries of teacher and student strategies of control, thematic development strategies, and methods used in science classroom research studies. (Contains over 100 references.) (PR)