Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 November 2008
In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the way native speakers (NSs) of a language address nonnative speakers (NNSs). Indeed, research of NS-NNS conversation has become a point of convergence of a number of language research interests. Various claims have been made regarding the nature and significance of the characteristics of speech between NSs and NNSs, most important among these the notion that there exists an identifiable linguistic register which NSs consistently select for addressing less than fully proficient NNS participants.