This study was undertaken to determine some of the effects of role change on children's language production. The questions to be answered were: (1) To what degree is the language of a 6th grade child more conplex in the tutor role than it is in the role of student?; (2) Is there a significant difference in the variety of basic language patterns used in the two roles?; and (3) Does the tutorial role elicit greater variety of use of declarative, imperative, and interrogative modes? The corpus of language consisted of samples of the language production of 45 sixth grade children in two settings, the first a 6th grade classroom, the second a tutorial session where the 6th grade student tutored 3rd grade children. Results of the study showed that the language production of the children in the tutor role was more complex than the language they used in the classroom setting in the student role. The children used the same basic patterns in both roles. Role change most significantly affected the use of functional mode, indicating that the tutorial role facilitates the use of a greater variety of declarative, imperative and interrogative modes than does the student role. (Author/DB)