The primary purpose of this study was to describe the linguistic behavior exhibited by a female subject (age 2 years, 4 months) during naturally occurring social interaction with children of different ages. Verbal and nonverbal behavior were studied; of additional interest were variables influencing the emergence of linguistic behavior. Data were gathered through a case-study approach involving participant observation. Interactions observed were limited to those occurring with members of the subject's social network. Videotape equipment was employed to record interactions in a variety of settings. The data analysis, using elements of the ethnographic research cycle described by Spradley (1980), generated results in the form of hypotheses. These hypotheses suggested that the subject displayed communicative competence characterized by a wide range of verbal and nonverbal behaviors and situationally specific adaptations to the immediate context of the social interaction. Nonverbal components were found to variously substitute for, complement, and support verbal behaviors. It additionally appeared that proximity to older children resulted in maximal amounts of communicative behavior. (Author/RH)