The Role of Non-Negotiated Input and Output: A Case Study of L2 Development via Web Chat

The present paper aims to explore the role of non-negotiated input and output in language acquisition in the context of free Web chat. In order to examine how input and output contribute to language acquisition, with or without meaning negotiation, the present study examined a Korean EFL learner's chat data collected over 6 months. Chat texts across 43 chat sessions were analyzed, along with her comment notes and interviews. The input and output negotiated for meaning were traced throughout all sessions to find evidence that they were linked to acquisition. Other input and output in the interaction were also traced to ascertain if they contributed to acquisition. The chat text analysis, comment notes, and the interviews revealed that the opportunities of meaning negotiation in a free Web chat context was quite limited and that the learner acquired language even in the absence of meaning negotiation. The findings suggest that input and output via Web chat, whether negotiated or non-negotiated, play their respective roles, contributing to different aspects of acquisition.