Language is the medium through which children express their identities, make sense of the world, and participate in learning. It is not simply a collection of words but a dynamic, social process that shapes thought and experience. As Krishna Kumar (2006) notes in The Child’s Language and the Teacher, classrooms often restrict children’s talk to impersonal or predetermined exchanges, which risks silencing their natural curiosity and voice. In this article, I want to explore why talk matters in education, drawing not only on Kumar’s work but also on insights from other scholars of children’s language development, while reflecting on everyday classroom experiences.

In his opening chapter, Kumar asks a fundamental question: What is language? He reminds us that language is not merely a formal subject to be mastered but a living, evolving form of communication that allows children to interpret and share experiences. This aligns with Paula Menyuk’s (1971) observations in What Young Children Know about Language, where she shows that children bring to school a surprising depth of linguistic awareness. Even at a young age, they demonstrate an understanding of grammar, sounds, and meanings that cannot be underestimated. I often notice this in my own class when children play with rhymes, invent words, or correct each other’s speech playfully; they are already aware of language’s patterns long before formal teaching begins.

Yet, when children are denied opportunities to use this knowledge meaningfully in school, they disengage. Kumar argues that classrooms often privilege impersonal talk. I have seen this in practice when children are asked only to repeat textbook sentences; their responses are mechanical, and their eyes drift elsewhere. But when invited to talk about themselves, their........

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