This report describes initial steps taken in a research project aimed at gaining insight into the nature of effective foreign language teaching. Two systems for observing and describing classroom behavior of teachers and students were developed in this experiment. These systems were used to observe university-level French classes. Data collected from the observations are analyzed to produce profiles of typical classroom behavior and also to attempt to differentiate between behaviors of more effective and less effective teachers. The authors comment on the potential application of the systems in teacher training programs. More than 20 statistical tables are included and serve as the basis for concluding remarks. A bibliography is provided. (RL)