Verb argument construction complexity indices and L2 written production: effects of task complexity and task repetition

ABSTRACT

This study examines the extent to which verb argument construction (VAC) based indices of syntactic complexity could predict four different writing task conditions: a simple task with no repetition (S + NR), a simple task with repetition (S + R), a complex task with no repetition (C + NR), and a complex task with repetition (C + R). Ninety-six high-intermediate second language (L2) learners of English performed two argumentative writing tasks and repeated them at one-week intervals, with the order of the tasks counterbalanced. The 384 essays collected at four different time points were analyzed in terms of VAC sophistication measures using the Tool for the Automatic Analysis of Syntactic Sophistication and Complexity (Kyle 2016). Results indicated that S + R as well as C + NR and C + R conditions led to more lower-frequency VAC-verb combined structures used in the essays. Further analyses revealed a significant average association strength between verbs and VACs for the C + R group, showing the superiority of this condition over the others in developing syntactically complex argumentative essays. The implications for L2 writing pedagogy and assessment will be discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Task complexity
• task repetition
• verb argument construction
• syntactic sophistication
• L2 writing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mahmoud Abdi Tabari

Mahmoud Abdi Tabari is teaching assistant professor of TESOL and Writing Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he teaches classes on writing pedagogy and multilingual writing. His research interests include second language acquisition, second language writing, and task-based language teaching.

Sima Khezrlou

Sima Khezrlou is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of English and American Studies at the University of Vienna, Austria. Her research interests include instructed second language acquisition, form-focused instruction, task-based language teaching, and CALL.

Yu Tian

Yu Tian is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Linguistics at Georgia State University. His research interests include second language writing, natural language processing (NLP), and psycholinguistics. He is particularly interested in using keystroke logging and NLP to study both the writing processes and written products of second language learners.