This study investigated the differences in language patterns in classroom conversations between university students of English for academic purposes and two native speakers: the teacher and a native English-speaking student selected to provide English speech practice. Transcripts of role-play interactions in two groups (one assisted by the teacher, one by the student native speaker) over a 6-week period were analyzed for patterns of error correction, metalinguistic talk, and misunderstandings and resulting negotiation of meaning. Results suggest that interactions between learners and native speakers were different in several respects. The group with the instructor spent more time talking about the role-card text itself, both language and content, and roughly equal amounts of time strategic and language aspects of the role-playing task. The group working with the native-speaking student focused mainly on the task they faced and how they should approach it strategically rather than on what they would say. (Contains 9 references.) (MSE)