This book is the first attempt to provide the Italian teaching scientific community with an approach based on the communicative approach, while most literature about mothertongue teaching is based on the analytical, formalistic approach. After providigin a model (in the snese of the theory of models) of communicative competence, its different components are described and teaching aims and procedures are provided. Although the focus in on Italian as the mothertongue, reference to Italian as a second language is made, as the teachers of L1 Italian are often Italian L2 teachers as well.