A study investigated common discourse features in the Spanish of six novice-level Spanish second language learners, as evidenced in oral interviews by two interviewers. Features examined included use of cohesive devices, use of the first language, whispering to self, scaffolding with the interviewer to express themselves, and negotiation. Results in each of these areas are discussed, illustrated with excerpts from the interviews. Results indicate that novice-level learners do attempt to produce cohesive discourse and use cohesive devices increasingly as proficiency increases; learners did not readily transfer first-language rules regarding pronoun usage, but exploited the Spanish pro-drop feature to promote cohesive discourse; as proficiency increases, learners attempt to use more conjunctions and similar devices; and scaffolding and negotiation were important features of novice-level discourse. Revisions to the ACTFL Novice Oral Proficiency Guidelines are recommended, based on these findings. Contains 17 references. (MSE)