Reexamining the role of recasts in native-speaker/nonnative-speaker interactions

This study examines the occurrence and use of recasts in adult native-speaker/nonnative-speaker interactions in a nonclassroom setting. The study focuses on native-speaker recasts in three types of negotiations: one-signal negotiated interactions, extended negotiated interactions (Pica, 1988), and nonnegotiated interactions, and on recasts in response to nonnative speaker levels of grammaticality (single vs. multiple errors) resulting from four conversation tasks. The results show that recasts occur in different patterns than those reported in earlier research, but that these recasts are nevertheless used at rates consistent with previous research. These findings raise questions concerning current criteria for determining the existence of negative evidence in patterns that can be used by learners.