A study was conducted to determine the extent to which listening comprehension is impaired when students are confronted with the colloquial use of French, as opposed to its formal use. It was found that amoung 128 prospective French teachers who participated in the study, there existed a low comprehension level of colloquial French, a discrepancy between comprehension of colloquial and formal French, and a general lack of awareness of the relationship between speech styles and social situations. Some strategies are suggested as a remedy to this situation: (1) increased emphasis on listening comprehension, (2) practice in listening to authentic colloguial French, (3) developing students' awareness of the role and socio-cultural parameters of the various speech styles, (4) helping students to identify and interpret significant features of colloquial French and their relationship to traditional syntax and phonology, and (5) integrating all these activities into all levels and types of French language and culture study. Several authentic speech documents that might prove helpful in implementing these strategies, such as tape recordings of native speakers, radio and films, are reviewed. Colloquial French is discussed in terms of its linguistic aspects, socio-cultural setting, and implications for second language instruction in particular, the development of communicative competence. It is suggested that attention to all these factors will give students the opportunity to become truly educated speakers and discriminating listeners. (AMH)