The research project reported in this chapter consists of three studies in which syntactic complexity, lexical variation and fluency appear as dependent variables. The independent variables are task complexity and proficiency level, as the three studies investigate the effect of task complexity on the written and oral performance of L2 learners of different levels of linguistic proficiency. Task complexity was defined according to Robinson’s Triadic Componential Framework in terms of the number of elements to be dealt with (Robinson 2001a, b, 2003, 2005, 2007). Linguistic performance was assessed by means of both general and specific measures of syntactic complexity, lexical variation and accuracy. In the final section of the paper, the results of the three studies, which seem to contradict Robinson’s predictions, are compared and discussed, both with respect to the Triadic Componential Framework and the proficiency measures used.
2024. Verb argument construction complexity indices and L2 written production: effects of task complexity and task repetition. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching 18:1 ► pp. 1 ff.
Tabari, Mahmoud Abdi, Sima Khezrlou & Yu Tian
2022. Task complexity, task repetition, and L2 writing complexity: exploring interactions in the TBLT domain. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 0:0
Abrams, Zsuzsanna & David R. Byrd
2017. The effects of meaning-focused pre-tasks on beginning-level L2 writing in German: An exploratory study. Language Teaching Research 21:4 ► pp. 434 ff.
Biber, Douglas, Bethany Gray & Shelley Staples
2016. Predicting Patterns of Grammatical Complexity Across Language Exam Task Types and Proficiency Levels. Applied Linguistics 37:5 ► pp. 639 ff.
2018. Task Complexity and Modality: Exploring Learners’ Experience From the Perspective of Flow. The Modern Language Journal 102:1 ► pp. 162 ff.
De Clercq, Bastien & Alex Housen
2017. A Cross‐Linguistic Perspective on Syntactic Complexity in L2 Development: Syntactic Elaboration and Diversity. The Modern Language Journal 101:2 ► pp. 315 ff.
2023. Effects of task complexity on the learning of genre specific rhetorical moves and linguistic forms: the case of contrast and argumentative essays. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 61:2 ► pp. 571 ff.
HWANG, HAERIM, HYEYOUNG JUNG & HYUNWOO KIM
2020. Effects of Written Versus Spoken Production Modalities on Syntactic Complexity Measures in Beginning‐Level Child EFL Learners. The Modern Language Journal 104:1 ► pp. 267 ff.
Kuiken, Folkert
2023. Linguistic complexity in second language acquisition. Linguistics Vanguard 9:s1 ► pp. 83 ff.
McDonough, Kim & William J. Crawford
2020. Identifying effective writing tasks for use in EFL write-to-learn language contexts. The Language Learning Journal 48:4 ► pp. 469 ff.
Mäkilä, Mari
2021. Syntaktisk komplexitet och korrekthet i finska universitetsstudenters skriftliga inlärarsvenska: en jämförelse mellan två färdighetsnivåer. Nordand 16:2 ► pp. 134 ff.
Panagopoulos, Panagiotis, Maria Andria, George Mikros & Spyridoula Varlokosta
2024. Writing in L2 Greek: Exploring the effect of L2 proficiency and learning context on complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Journal of Second Language Writing 64 ► pp. 101111 ff.
Rahimi, Muhammad
2019. Effects of increasing the degree of reasoning and the number of elements on L2 argumentative writing. Language Teaching Research 23:5 ► pp. 633 ff.
Rahimi, Muhammad & Lawrence Jun Zhang
2018. Effects of Task Complexity and Planning Conditions on L2 Argumentative Writing Production. Discourse Processes 55:8 ► pp. 726 ff.
Rahimi, Muhammad & Lawrence Jun Zhang
2019. Writing task complexity, students’ motivational beliefs, anxiety and their writing production in English as a second language. Reading and Writing 32:3 ► pp. 761 ff.
2023. Task-based explanation for genre effects: Evidence from a dependency treebank. PLOS ONE 18:8 ► pp. e0290381 ff.
Xu, Ting Sophia & Lawrence Jun Zhang
2023. Effects of cognitive task complexity and online planning on second language learners’ argumentative writing. Frontiers in Psychology 14
Xu, Ting Sophia, Lawrence Jun Zhang & Janet S. Gaffney
2022. EXAMINING THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF TASK COMPLEXITY AND COGNITIVE DEMANDS ON STUDENTS’ WRITING IN A SECOND LANGUAGE. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 44:2 ► pp. 483 ff.
2021. Effects of manipulating writing task complexity on learners’ performance in completing vocabulary and syntactic tasks. Language Teaching Research► pp. 136216882110243 ff.
Zijlmans, Lidy, Marc van Oostendorp & Roeland van Hout
2020. Studying in a foreign language: Study performance and experiences of German students at a Dutch university. Language Learning in Higher Education 10:1 ► pp. 25 ff.
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