Second Language Acquisition and Second ... - Stephen Krashen

not exist and performers rely solely on patterns and routine to
communicate.
2. Prefabricated routines may evolve into patterns, but at the same time,
independently, the creative construction process develops. This
implies that in some situations propositional language may "catch up"
with automatic speech--that is, the language acquisition process may
"reanalyze" patterns and routines as creative constructions.
3. Prefabricated routines may evolve into prefabricated patterns (as in
position 1) and these patterns may evolve directly into creative
language. In other words routines and patterns may be ingredients of
the creative process.
The following sections will briefly review the literature on routine and patterns in
neurolinguistics, child first language acquisition, child second language acquisition, and adult
second language. We interpret this literature as fully consistent with only position 2.
Neurolinguistic Status of Automatic Speech
Van Lancker (1972, p.25) defines automatic speech as "conventional greetings, overused and
overlearned expressions (such as 'be careful' and 'first things first'), pause fillers such as 'you
know' and 'well', certain idioms, swearing, and other emotional language, perhaps stereotyped
questions and answers, commands, ...". Automatic speech (AS) thus appears to share some of
the characteristics of routines and patterns.
The most striking neurolinguistic fact about automatic speech is that AS, as contrasted with
propositional language, which is lateralized to the left hemisphere (see Krashen, 1976b, for a
review), may be represented in both sides of the brain. That is, automatic speech is localized
in both the right and left cerebral hemispheres.
The primary evidence for this is the fact that routines and patterns are often preserved in case
of nonfluent (syntactic) aphasia and after left hemispherectomy. Patients who have suffered
left brain damage, who have lost the ability to speak, can often use automatic speech, as can
those who have undergone removal of the left hemisphere during
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