A study investigated patterns of interaction in college classroom discourse involved in small group work. Specifically, it looked at two discourse sequences: Question-Answer-Comment (Q-A-C) and Question-Counter Question-Answer-Comment (Q-CQ-A-C). Instances of the latter are closely considered in the context in which they occur, and an attempt is made to link the nature of classroom talk to the larger concern of classroom dynamics. Data are drawn from two transcribed university-level English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. An opinion is that despite the fact that students in small group are able to self-select freely, the exchange structure characteristic of this interaction remains traditional in nature. Examination of one case within the data in which the counter-questioning move in Q-CQ-A-C sequence is generally absent, and the resulting classroom discourse becomes markedly less traditionally pedagogical in nature. Contains 12 references. (Author/MSE)