The development of a method for teaching oral comprehension in a second language depends on an understanding of the nature of comprehension and on an analysis of the problems that arise in the learning process. These issues can be approached by a theoretical investigation of comprehension from a psycholinguistic point of view and by the observation of students in situations requiring oral comprehension. Both approaches were used in research at the University of Nancy to determine: (1) what hypotheses can be defined concerning the development of comprehension; (2) at which point in the communication process comprehension takes place, and what the variables influencing the development of comprehension are; (3) what the specific problems associated with the development of oral comprehension in a second language are. (Author/CLK)