Drawing on data from three New Zealand worksites, an analysis of transcripts suggests a pattern of regulation, compliance and resistance, in which small talk aids the exercise of power. To consider the implications of workplace dialogues for L2 workers, the study looks at recorded conversations in the light of Gee’s (1999) concept of “building tasks” in discourse analysis, revealing the importance of “language and beyond” — language that carries constant reference to social realities, inside and outside worksites, that construct interactions among workers. The paper derives conclusions for language instruction, language learners and the personnel of workplaces, arguing that language instruction (e.g., teachers and curriculum developers) can benefit from an awareness of the above issues and include attention to social realities in language courses. Despite debate in the literature, the argument supports the analysis of authentic texts, “battered texts”, and the findings of linguistic analysis in L2 teaching, and proposes consciousness-raising in workplaces.