Proposes concept of the Teacher Value System as explanation for the phenomenon of students in foreign language classroom producing nonsensical utterances. Argues that these statements are product of particular patterns of teacher behavior. Believes this explanation affords insight into some prerequisites for communicative teaching. (Author/BK)

This study analyzed complimenting behavior in French between French native speakers and American advanced French learners in seven dinner party conversations. Data are found to provide a rich source of lessons in politeness for both sociolinguistic and pedagogic descriptions of French speech acts. (Author/MSE)