This paper explores the relationship between formulaic language and creativeconstruction in SLA by examining the production of interrogatives in an extensive naturalisticcorpus of L2 French produced by early classroom learners. The paper first analyzes theproduction and breakdown of such formulaic language over time, before exploring thedevelopment of more creative structures. The interaction between the two processes “rotelearning of formulas and creative construction” is then investigated. This interaction isshown to be a dynamic two-way process, with learners being driven forward in the developmentof their L2 system by their attempts to resolve the tension between structurally complex butcommunicatively rich formulas on the one hand, and structurally simple but communicativelyinadequate creative structures on the other hand.