This piece, a preface to a reprinted 1971 article on communication practice, focuses on the need for real communication in the language classroom. In this article, the author drifts back to inspiring times in the 1960s and reflects on some events that prompted him to write the article in the first place.

A language course has two components: (1) the course content; and (2) the presentation of that content. This article deals with the presentation component. Its main thesis is this: Since the ultimate goal of language learning is communication, classroom presentation should, from the outset, be directed toward the development of communication…