In the field of second language acquisition (SLA) and use, learners' gestures have mainly been regarded as a type of communication strategy produced to replace missing words. However, the results of the analyses conducted here on the way in which Dutch learners of Japanese introduce Ground reference in speech and gesture in narrative show that the two modes of expression are closely related in L1 as well as in L2. First, cross-linguistic variation is observed in both modes of expression, with a tendency for native speakers of Japanese to allocate on-line attention to Ground in both speech and gesture. Second, Dutch learners of Japanese prefer to adopt rhetorical styles more similar to their L1 than the L2 target, and the accompanying gestures are more L1-like. Transfer of L1 to L2 in narrative and the relationship between speech and gesture will be discussed.