Prefabricated Patterns and the Emergence of Structure in Second Language Acquisition¹

In order to test the hypothesis that the second language learner possesses a series of structurally cohesive learner systems, speech samples of a five‐year‐old Japanese speaking learner of English were elicited over a 15 month period. Three types of “prefabricated routines” were analyzed in detail: (1) patterns using the copula, including all allomorphs of be ; (2) the segment do you as employed in questions; (3) the segment how to as in embedded how ‐questions. The analysis supported the contention that the subject was operating within a simple learner system involving prefabricated routines.