This paper explores apologies generated by Greek native speakers and English learners of Greek as a foreign language in two informal and two formal situations. The latter differed notably from the former with respect to their evaluations of the contextual parameters (power, distance, insult rigor) comprised in each apology situation, and with respect to strategy use preference for apologies in Greek. It is asserted that learners' interlanguage apology behavior is affected both by their native cultural values and (negative) politeness orientation, and by their lack of fit socio-pragmatic evolution derived chiefly from their foreign language learner status.