Language is a form of behavior, used daily by people as a tool for communication and creation of meaning (Green, 2006). Children learn a language when its use is functional, useful and meaningful (Green, 2006), so teachers must recognize this and be explicit about the purpose and context of their teaching. How teachers talk with children is also important (National Literacy Institute, 2010). From a behaviorist perspective, children will imitate heard language as a means of learning (Campbell and Baker, 2006). It is therefore important that teachers ensure that their interactions with children are of high quality. It has been said (Vygotsky, 1978) that a teacher will be most successful when working in a child's zone of proximal development, that is, the zone of understanding. just beyond what the student understands but not so far as to be inaccessible. Teachers must understand this and opt for lessons that do not have a predetermined direction, but rather must remain aware of each child's individual needs and adapt their methods and resources to meet these diverse learners. Without this knowledge of the language development process, learning will not be optimized and some children may be left behind. Speech serves several purposes in the classroom and teachers must be aware of this if they wish to optimize oral development. It is essential that they plan their communications more deliberately than other adults in order to provide the supportive learning environment required. This means taking into account their own cultural context and adapting to the needs of the child (Cazden, 2001). Understanding the process of language acquisition will enable the teacher to make a more conscious and deliberate decision...... middle of article ......e language of teaching and learning ( 2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. OnlineEwing, R. (2001). What is a functional model of language? Primary English Teaching Association, 95, 1-6.Green, D. (2006). Understanding language and language learning. In R. Campbell and D. Green (Eds.), Literacy and learners: Current perspectives 3rd ed. (pp. 1-23). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Education Australia. National Literacy Institute. (2010). Learning to speak and listen: an oral language resource for early childhood educators. Washington, DC: Author. Stevenson, J. (2007). Giving meaning to the workplace. In M. Osborne, M. Houston, & N. Toman (Eds.), The pedagogy of lifelong learning: Understanding effective teaching and learning in diverse contexts (p. 77). New York, NY: Routledge. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). The mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.