Two ideas about language as communication that can guide teachers' thinking about language, their observations of their pupils' language, and their curriculum planning activities are that (1) language is a social enterprise, and (2) language provides the means of distancing oneself from the here and now. When teachers make use of these two ideas, children can begin to understand the necessity of considering their audience and the ways such consideration can be accomplished. Along with becoming aware of audience, children may come to appreciate contextual elements of language use such as time, place, and purposes of communication. Teachers can appraise a child's language use to see whether or not audience has been considered. When the audience is neglected, corrective exercises can be provided. Children's use of language to distance themselves from the here and now also has a number of implications for teachers' thinking. Ways of incorporating spatial, temporal, and imaginative distancing into the curriculum include using fairy tales, fables, and myths, and encouraging all types of writing. Teachers should realize that they are models of language use and that, in order to help children understand the relationship between language and places and times at a distance, children need to hear teachers using language beyond the scope of the curriculum. (RH)