Non‐Native Speakers' Production of Modified Comprehensible Output and Second Language Learning

This study investigated the ability of NNSs to modify their output toward comprehensibility in the contexts of NS‐NNS and NNS‐NNS interactions and the degree to which such modified comprehensible output (MCO) was other‐ or self‐initiated. Picture‐dictation and opinion‐exchange tasks were used to collect data from 8 NSs and 24NNSs of English representing 13 different L1 backgrounds. The 2 tasks were performed in pairs (NS‐NNS and NNS‐NNS) and were audiotaped. The results showed that most repairs were self‐initiated and that NNS‐NNS interactions produced more other‐initiations and other‐initiated MCOs on the picture‐dictation task. The frequencies of these MCOs support the importance of modification toward comprehensible output as a process of second language acquisition.