If an ESL student has his learning time largely devoted to the study of linguistic form, taking an essentially passive role and rarely speaking English in any interactive context, he is experiencing the excommunicative approach. If what he actually requires is the communicative approach, his time should be devoted to using and manipulating whatever English he has, with support, to get his message across. The skills required of the teacher in this approach involve producing material that will stimulate the student to talk to someone. Classroom activities would include exercises that give students roles and topics, and the center of attention would shift from the teacher in the front of the room to the students. However, the problem facing teachers is not developing materials or moving around the classroom, but the required mental transfer from language form to language function. Keeping in mind the essential properties of a communicative activity, teachers can develop activities and exercises that encourage students to manipulate whatever linguistic resources they have rather than spend their time searching for precise structure or vocabulary. (Author/MSE)