In a review of this length, it is impossible to do justice to the many ways in which language is used in and about education. This article therefore presents only a personal view of some of the key issues. Chief among these, in my opinion, is the lack of a concensual view about the role that language plays in education and, in particular, about the importance of dialogue in learning and teaching. This state of affairs is hampering the many efforts that are being made to reform public education so that it can provide an equitable and effective induction of students into the ways of knowing and acting necessary for life in the post-industrial “information age”; it is also confusing, to say the least, for the teachers who have the responsibility for engaging students in the processes of knowledge construction. As will become apparent, I do not adopt an impartial stance, for I am convinced that students' interests are best served when they are actively involved in a dialogue in which their voices contribute, along with those of teachers and recognized “authorities,” to the continuing attempt to make sense of the human predicament and our relationship with our physical and social environment. The key question, then, is: How can this dialogue be extended?