ABSTRACT
The present chapter reports on an empirical study that replicates and extends an investigation by Gurzynski-Weiss, Al Khalil, Baralt, and Leow (2016), which addressed the strands of textual enhancement (enhanced vs. unenhanced), learner awareness (low vs. high), and type of linguistic item (lexis vs. morphology vs. syntax) in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) via the use of recasts and think-alouds. Low-intermediate adult L2 learners of Spanish completed three story retell tasks via iChat with an interlocutor while thinking out loud. Interlocutors immediately provided either an enhanced or unenhanced recast for each target error. The present study employs the same research design and participant population with 40 adult L2 learners of Spanish, while additionally addressing immediate and delayed learning outcomes. The findings indicate that learners tend to be more aware of recasts targeting lexis than grammar. Furthermore, recasts, whether enhanced or unenhanced in SCMC, aid in L2 development, particularly of lexis.
