Measuring Syntactic Complexity in L2 Writing Using Fine-Grained Clausal and Phrasal Indices

2018 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
KRISTOPHER KYLE ◽  
SCOTT A. CROSSLEY
Keyword(s):  
L2 Writing ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Fine Grained

Calling for More Consistency, Refinement, and Critical Consideration in the Use of Syntactic Complexity Measures for Writing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaochen Deng ◽  
Lei Lei ◽  
Dilin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Critical Consideration

Abstract In the past two decades, syntactic complexity measures (e.g. the length or number of words per clause/t-unit/sentences and number of clauses per t-unit/sentence, and types of clauses used) have been widely used to determine and benchmark language proficiency development in speaking and writing. (Norris and Ortega 2009; Lu 2011). However, the results of some recent studies (e.g. Lu 2011; Bulté and Housen 2014; Crossley and McNamara 2014) have raised questions about the earlier findings regarding the use of such complexity measures in assessing L2 writing. While a couple of plausible explanations have been proposed for the conflicting findings, they have failed to look at the syntactic measures themselves as likely sources causing the discrepancies in the research findings. In this forum piece, we would like to argue, with empirical evidence, that the conflicting research results might have resulted from issues with some of the existing measurements of clausal and phrasal sophistication, including inconsistency and lack of necessary fine-grained differentiation in the measurements of subordination sophistication and possible inappropriate use of high values of phrasal sophistication.

scholarly journals Korean College EFL Learners’ Task Motivation in Written Language Production

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bomin Kim ◽  
Haedong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Choice Condition ◽  
College Level ◽  
Task Motivation ◽  
Written Production ◽  
Task Conditions ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Topic Choice

<p>The aims of the present study were to explore the effects of two different types of task conditions (topic choice vs. no choice) on the quality of written production in a second language (lexical complexity, syntactic complexity, and cohesion) and to investigate the effects of these two different task conditions on task motivation. This research was conducted by means of a task motivation questionnaire and a collation of the writings of 31 Korean college students learning English as a foreign language. The data was analyzed using Coh-Metrix 3.0. The major findings were as follows: 1) The writings of participants in the topic choice condition were better than those in the no-choice condition in terms of lexical sophistication and temporal cohesion. However, participants’ written production in the no-choice condition was better than that in the topic choice condition in terms of syntactic complexity. 2) The participants’ task motivation levels were higher for the perceived choice domain in the topic choice condition than in the no-choice condition. These findings should help L2 writing instructors, materials developers, and researchers to design L2 writing instruction with a focus on written production specifically for Korean college-level learners.</p>

scholarly journals A Narrative Evaluation of Mandarin-Speaking Children With Language Impairment

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Hao ◽  
Li Sheng ◽  
Yiwen Zhang ◽  
Fan Jiang ◽  
Jill de Villiers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Narrative Skills ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Ambient Language ◽  
Comparable Performance

Purpose We aimed to study narrative skills in Mandarin-speaking children with language impairment (LI) to compare with children with LI speaking Indo-European languages. Method Eighteen Mandarin-speaking children with LI (mean age 6;2 [years;months]) and 18 typically developing (TD) age controls told 3 stories elicited using the Mandarin Expressive Narrative Test (de Villiers & Liu, 2014). We compared macrostructure-evaluating descriptions of characters, settings, initiating events, internal responses,plans, actions, and consequences. We also studied general microstructure, including productivity, lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, and grammaticality. In addition, we compared the use of 6 fine-grained microstructure elements that evaluate particular Mandarin linguistic features. Results Children with LI exhibited weaknesses in 5 macrostructure elements, lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, and 3 Mandarin-specific, fine-grained microstructure elements. Children with LI and TD controls demonstrated comparable performance on 2 macrostructure elements, productivity, grammaticality, and the remaining 3 fine-grained microstructure features. Conclusions Similarities and differences are noted in narrative profiles of children with LI who speak Mandarin versus those who speak Indo-European languages. The results are consistent with the view that profiles of linguistic deficits are shaped by the ambient language. Clinical implications are discussed.

Non-canonical word order as a measure of syntactic complexity in advanced L2 German

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Lecouvet
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Considerable Increase ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Advanced Proficiency ◽  
Argumentative Texts ◽  
Detailed Picture

Abstract A major issue in SLA research concerns the operationalization of syntactic complexity, in particular the need for fine-grained measures that go beyond the traditional focus on syntactic elaboration. Following recent findings that have demonstrated the potential of syntactic diversity for providing a more detailed picture of how complexity develops across languages and proficiency levels, the present study argues for the use of two types of non-canonical structures, passives and argument inversions, as indices of syntactic complexification in advanced L2 German writing. Based on 75 argumentative texts written by experienced L2 learners of German (B2 to C2 CEFR levels), we addressed the question to what extent learners’ use of non-canonical word order is a hallmark of advanced proficiency compared to measures of syntactic elaboration. The results revealed a considerable increase in the frequency of argument inversions from B2 to C1 and highlighted the interrelationship between diversity and elaboration in learner compositions.

scholarly journals La valutazione della complessità sintattica nella classe di lingua

EL LE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ineke Vedder
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
University Students ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Argumentative Texts

This paper aims to investigate how language teachers perceive syntactic complexity in L2 writing and to what extent teachers’ judgments are related to current theoretical views in the research literature on Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Sixteen L2 teachers were asked to evaluate the syntactic complexity of a sample of argumentative texts written by L2 university students of Italian. In the panel discussion that followed, teachers discussed the motivations behind their assigned scores and the feedback they had proposed. The results revealed that teachers tended to focus primarily on accuracy and comprehensibility, and much less on syntactic complexity. Teachers’ reflections appeared to be only partly aligned with existing theoretical views on syntactic complexity in the SLA literature.

Automated measurement of syntactic complexity in corpus-based L2 writing research and implications for writing assessment

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofei Lu
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Writing Assessment ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Complexity Analysis ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Writing Research ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Relationship Of

Research investigating corpora of English learners’ language raises new questions about how syntactic complexity is defined theoretically and operationally for second language (L2) writing assessment. I show that syntactic complexity is important in construct definitions and L2 writing rating scales as well as in L2 writing research. I describe the operationalizations of syntactic complexity measurement in corpus-based L2 writing research, focusing on the Biber Tagger (Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad, & Finegan, 1999), Coh-Metrix (McNamara, Graesser, McCarthy, & Cai, 2014), and L2 Syntactic Complexity Analyzer (Lu, 2010), which are three tools commonly used to automate syntactic complexity analysis. A review of findings from recent corpus-based L2 writing studies on the relationship of syntactic complexity to L2 writing quality follows. I conclude with a discussion of the implications of these multiple perspectives on the definition of syntactic complexity in L2 studies.

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