A balanced view of ethnic variation in a multilingual, multicultural classroom is imperative in the context of maximizing learning potential in the second/foreign language classroom. The study reported here supports the hypothesis that the rules and norms governing L2 classroom interactional patterns will take on new dimensions depending as much on the teachers' pedagogic orientation and practical management of turn allocation as on the learners' disposition and motivation to participate in classroom communication ; as much on interactional opportunities created by the teacher as on interactional opportunities utilized by the learner. The study cautions against forging any hasty linkage between ethnicity and styles of classroom interaction.