This talk will focus on a 5-week module on "Theories of Communication" which aimed at stimulating students to talk about theories in English and to take a less reverent, more critical attitude to theories. The course was part of an MA in Communication Studies. In the discussion, it is hoped that participants will share their thoughts on questions such as the following: How do you encourage your students to look critically at the assumptions they have had until now, about language learning or other theories? What vocabulary is needed for students to be able to read and speak about theories of communication? Is historical perspective essential for them to understand the development of research in a historical context? How can we stimulate students to make their own theories boldly and evaluate them rigourously? Given that all this seems to connect with Arjun Appadurai's work on "The Right to Research", to what extent should one position research as activism? Are there other ways to articulate the relationship of these?