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In current theoretical work on second language learning there is virtually universal agreement that some form of engagement with input acts as a necessary foundation. Beyond this, notwithstanding much debate and disagreement, many scholars have for long been arguing for a form of communicative engagement with language as the one most likely to stimulate a focus on language form for learning purposes. This paper challenges such a view, arguing that at least in the initial stages of learning a new form and its associated functions, communicative needs and learning needs are fundamentally opposed. What is needed instead is an orientation to language which is based on prior familiarity with specific forms and meanings which can be used in discourse as 'anchors' to facilitate making sense of new language. In such a discourse learners are oriented to target language as an object rather than as a communicative resource. The characteristics of such a 'learning discourse' are outlined, and some of the key concepts often associated with input processing – 'relevance', 'choice' and 'input' – are considered and reappraised in light of the arguments raised.
