Humans use talk a lot, often successfully, to get things done. Sometimes, however, this is less effective: people misunderstand others, and some may be or feel excluded. This is where an intentional view to how we use talk, individually and together, becomes paramount. Substantial research advocates the value of talk for learning. In this chapter I will review research and share examples of ‘exploratory talk’—known to support collaborative and critical engagement with learning—and ‘ground rules’—as foundations for how to use talk to work and learn together—in the classroom and beyond.