Research suggests that oral language development is directly related to literacy, and is crucial for success in learning to be literate. This topical bibliography and commentary discusses language acquisition theories, components of language, phonology in literacy, and a first-grade classroom study that explored "literate talk" in the classroom context. It concludes that in the activities literate talk was involved in, the class was enhancing their social skills as well as developing their ability to understand written language. (Contains 3 Internet addresses and 16 references.) (RS)