The effects of topic familiarity on emotionality and linguistic complexity in EAP writing

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110335
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Abdi Tabari ◽  
Gavin Bui ◽  
Yizhou Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Automatic Assessment ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Topic Familiarity ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
International Graduate

Focusing on the relationship between linguistic, cognitive, socioemotional factors in writing English for academic purposes (EAP), this study investigated whether topic familiarity as an important cognitive factor of task complexity influences different levels of emotionality and linguistic complexity in EAP writing and whether there are relationships between emotionality and linguistic complexity. To do so, 64 international graduate learners enrolled in EAP writing courses participated in the present study. Each wrote on familiar and unfamiliar topics determined via a questionnaire at the onset of the study. Their writings were then measured for textual emotionality and linguistic complexity using automatic assessment tools. Results showed that EAP writings differed systematically in terms of both emotionality and linguistic complexity due to the influence of topic familiarity. Unfamiliar topics led to writing performance with a significantly higher level of emotional negativity and significantly lower linguistic complexity levels as compared to familiar topics. A follow-up correlation analysis also revealed significant relationships between emotionality and linguistic complexity measures, indicating complex interactions between linguistic and socioemotional factors. Implications of these findings are discussed relative to deploying writing topics with varied levels of cognitive complexity for encouraging classroom engagement and improving L2 learners’ writing performance by effective task sequencing.

You’ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette. Linguistic complexity and instruction in SLA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick De Graaff
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Instructed Second Language Acquisition ◽  
The One

In this epilogue, I take a teaching practice and teacher education perspective on complexity in Instructed Second Language Acquisition. I take the stance that it is essential to understand if and how linguistic complexity relates to learning challenges, what the implications are for language pedagogy, and how this challenges the role of the teacher. Research shows that differences in task complexity may lead to differences in linguistic complexity in language learners’ speech or writing. Different tasks (e.g. descriptive vs narrative) and different modes (oral vs written) may lead to different types and levels of complexity in language use. On the one hand, this is a challenge for language assessment, as complexity in language performance may be affected by task characteristics. On the other hand, it is an opportunity for language teaching: using a diversity of tasks, modes and text types may evoke and stretch lexically and syntactically complex language use. I maintain that it is essential for teachers to understand that it is at least as important to aim for development in complexity as it is to aim for development in accuracy. Namely, that ‘errors’ in language learning are part of the deal: complex tasks lead to complex language use, including lexical and syntactical errors, but they are a necessary prerequisite for language development.

Language typology, task complexity and the development of L2 lexicalization patterns for describing motion events

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 245-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Cadierno ◽  
Peter Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Motion Events ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Language Typology ◽  
Linguistic Study ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Thinking For Speaking ◽  
Ways Of Thinking ◽  
Motion Constructions

The present paper focuses on the acquisition of L2 constructions for the expression of motion from a typological (Cadierno, 2008; Talmy, 1985, 1991, 2000) and a psycholinguistic perspective with implications for pedagogy (Robinson, 2003a, 2007; Robinson & Gilabert, 2007a, 2007b). Specifically, we report the results of a cross-linguistic study which examined the extent to which the manipulation of pedagogic tasks in terms of cognitive complexity can facilitate the development of target-like lexicalization patterns and appropriate L2 ways of thinking-for-speaking for the expression of motion by adult L2 learners with typologically similar and typologically different L1s and L2s, i.e., Danish vs. Japanese L1 learners of English. The results of the study show that level of L2 proficiency, assessed using a cloze test, predicts more target-like reference to L2 motion across both L1 groups. Typological similarity between the L1 (Danish) and L2 (English) results in greater use of motion constructions incorporating mention of ground of motion compared to their use by Japanese L1 speakers. More cognitively complex tasks lead to production of more target-like lexicalization patterns, but also only for speakers of the typologically similar L1, Danish.

The role of task sequencing in fluency, accuracy, and complexity: Investigating the SSARC model of pedagogic task sequencing

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 642-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Malicka
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Simple Complex ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Complex Sequence ◽  
Task Sequencing ◽  
Sequence Versus ◽  
Individual Task

This study set out to test the theoretical premise of the SSARC model of pedagogic task sequencing, which postulates that tasks should be sequenced for learners from cognitively simple to complex. This experiment compared the performance of three tasks differing in cognitive complexity in a simple–complex sequence versus in the absence of any other tasks. There were two groups in the study: (1) participants who performed the three tasks in the simple–complex sequence, and (2) participants who performed either the simple, the complex, or the most complex task. The participants’ speech was analysed using fluency, accuracy, and complexity measures. The results indicate that simple–complex sequencing led to a higher speech rate, greater dysfluency, enhanced accuracy, and greater structural complexity, as compared to individual task performance. The results are discussed in terms of the SSARC model and pedagogical implications of the findings are presented.

scholarly journals Perfectionism and Writing Performance of Chinese EFL College Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Lijing Lin
Keyword(s):  
Negative Relationship ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Parental Criticism ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Personal Standards ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Significant Negative Relationship ◽  
College Learners ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
The Relationship

In the second language acquisition domain, researchers have devoted tremendous efforts to studying the relationship between L2 learning and some socio-affective factors, such as anxiety, motivation, etc. However, little research has been done to examine whether and how perfectionism, a psychological trait, affects L2 learning and L2 performance. The present study aims to fill this gap and investigate the relationship between the level of perfectionism and L2 performance among Chinese EFL college learners. Two specific questions are raised: (1) What is the relationship between perfectionism and L2 writing performance in terms of linguistic complexity, accuracy, and fluency? (2) What is the relationship between the six dimensions of perfectionism (Concern over Mistakes, Personal Standards, Parental Expectations, Parental Criticism, Doubts about Actions, Organization) and L2 writing performance in terms of linguistic complexity, accuracy, and fluency? To answer these questions, forty second-year students from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies majoring in English participated in the present study. The participants were required to compose a piece of English argumentative writing on the online system and then complete a 35-item Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale online immediately. The collected data were then processed and analyzed through SPSS (v. 17). The results of the analysis revealed that: (1) one of the measures of syntactic complexity has a significant negative relationship with perfectionism; (2) Personal Standards, one of the six dimensions of perfectionism, has a significant negative relationship with the participants’ L2 writing performance; (3) both Parental Expectations and Parental Criticism are found negatively correlated with the fluency aspect of the writing performance and the relationships have a significant effect. The implications of the findings are suggested for pedagogy and L2 learning.

Object-Oriented Cognitive Complexity Measures

2017 ◽  
pp. 917-940
Author(s):  
Sanjay Misra ◽  
Adewole Adewumi
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Object Oriented ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Cognitive Informatics ◽  
Validation Criteria ◽  
Object Oriented Metrics

This chapter presents the analysis of ten recently proposed object-oriented metrics based on cognitive informatics. The metrics based on cognitive informatics use cognitive weight. Cognitive weight is the representation of the understandability of the piece of software that evaluates the difficulty experienced in comprehending and/or performing the piece of software. Development of metrics based on Cognitive Informatics (CI) is a new area of research, and from this point of view, for the analysis of these metrics, it is important to know their acceptability from other existing evaluation and validation criteria. This chapter presents a critical review on existing object-oriented cognitive complexity measures. In addition, a comparative study based on some selected attributes is presented.

Analysis of Existing Software Cognitive Complexity Measures

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 51-71
Author(s):  
Sanjay Misra ◽  
Adewole Adewumi ◽  
Robertas Damasevicius ◽  
Rytis Maskeliunas
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Tool Support ◽  
Software Measurement ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Cognitive Informatics ◽  
It Complexity ◽  
Insight Into

In order to maintain the quality of software, it is important to measure it complexity. This provides an insight into the degree of comprehensibility and maintainability of the software. Measurement can be carried out using cognitive measures which are based on cognitive informatics. A number of such measures have been proposed in literature. The goal of this article is to identify the features and advantages of the existing measures. In addition, a comparative analysis is done based on some selected criteria. The results show that there is a similar trend in the output obtained from the different measures when they are applied to different examples. This makes it easy for adopting organisations to readily choose from the options based on the availability of tool support.

The effect of task complexity on handwriting kinetics

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-168
Author(s):  
Yu-Chen Lin ◽  
Yen-Li Chao ◽  
Chieh-Hsiang Hsu ◽  
Hsiao-Man Hsu ◽  
Po-Tsun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Task Complexity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Force Ratio ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
And Control

Background. Knowledge regarding the relationship between writing kinetics and the difference among writing tasks is limited. Purpose. This study examined the differences in handwriting performance when doing tasks with different levels of challenge from both temporal and kinetic perspectives among children in four different age groups. Method. The cross-sectional design introduced a force-acquisition pen to detect differences of pen grip and writing kinetics among 170 school-age children doing writing tasks at different difficulty levels. Data were obtained on the force information of the digits and pen tip and the kinetic parameters to examine the coordination-and-control mechanism between the digits and pen. Statistical analyzes were carried out to indicate the differences in writing performance among groups and tasks. Findings. Statistical differences in the pen-grip forces, force fluctuation, and force ratio between grip and pen-tip forces were found when performing different writing tasks and among different age groups. Implications. The study provides an alternative method to explore how writing performance among school-age children can vary according to the difficulty of the writing tasks.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document