Previous research has underscored the role of negotiation in providing appropriate
conditions for second language acquisition. Varonis and Gass (1985b), in a study of English as a Second
Language (ESL), found greater amount of negotiation in non-native–non-native interaction than in native-non–native
interaction. Given the increased interest in computer mediated communication and in its applications to language
learning, this investigation explores whether those results are obtained when using an electronic written medium.
This study compared the negotiations generated by dyads of non-native speakers (NNS–NNS), native
speakers (NS–NS), and non-native and native speakers (NNS–NS), in the oral and written modes. The results
revealed that the NNS–NS group negotiated in the oral mode significantly more than in the written mode; this
group also negotiated significantly more than the other two groups in the oral mode. Learners' shared social and
linguistic background seemed to have facilitated the comprehension of input. Conversely, lack of familiarity
with native speaker's pronunciation seemed to have caused more breakdowns in the oral conversations of the mixed
dyads. Though the results of this study suggest that negotiation is not the main resource to obtain modified
input in a foreign language context, other learning strategies that may be beneficial in the language learning
process were at use in learner-learner interaction.