scholarly journals Different Genres and Proficiency Levels: Relationships Among Syntactic Complexity, Genres and Students with Different L2 Proficiency Levels

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Minwei Yan ◽  
Fangfang Zou
Keyword(s):  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
The Difference ◽  
C Complex ◽  
Complex Nominals

The present study examines differences in syntactic complexity in English writing among writers at different levels and explores the relationship between syntactic complexity and writings with different genres. 20 students in grade three of a senior high school that were randomly selected from two brands of test scores were grouped into high and low proficiency groups. The 40 writings from the 20 students were examined. Writings were evaluated by L2SCA (L2 Syntactic Complexity Analyzer) gauging syntactic complexity at global, clausal and phrasal level. After obtaining the data, the complexity values were entered into SPSS 21.0 to do analysis. Results reveal that the difference of the two genres reaches a significant level in terms of C/T (clauses per T-unit) and CN/C (complex nominals per clause); there is no significant relationship between syntactic complexity and L2 proficiency levels and no significant interactive effect is found between the genre factor and proficiency factor. The results can yield implications for ESL writing pedagogy.

Complexity, accuracy, and fluency in the argumentative writing of ESL and EFL learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Barrot ◽  
Mari Karen Gabinete
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Writing ◽  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Systematic Difference ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Writing Complexity ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Efl College Students

Abstract Despite the growing body of research on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) in second language writing, differences in CAF across ESL and EFL learner productions remain underexplored. Thus, this study sought to determine whether there is a systematic difference in the CAF of English writing among ESL and EFL college students. For this purpose, a total of 1,870 essays were collected from the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English-Written or ICNALE-Written. The findings reveal different patterns in various measures of CAF in the written outputs of both the ESL and EFL groups. These findings suggest that writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency are not only influenced by proficiency level but also by learners’ L1 background. Findings further show moderate to high positive correlations between and among the components of each language dimension (i. e. complexity, accuracy, and fluency). Implications for ESL writing pedagogy and future studies are discussed.

The Interrelationship among L1 Writing Skills, L2 Writing Skills, and L2 Proficiency of Iranian EFL Learners at Different Proficiency Levels

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Marzban ◽  
Faezeh Esmaeelnia Jalali
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Writing Classes ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Intermediate Group ◽  
Large Correlation ◽  
The Difference

This research aimed to investigate the interrelationship among L1 writing skills, L2 writing skills, and L2 proficiency of Iranian English language learners at different proficiency levels. To this aim, two groups of advanced and lower-intermediate participants consisting of twenty learners were asked to write on the same topic in Persian and English in one week interval. Subsequently, the compositions were evaluated based on Jacob Composition Profile (1981). Then, the Pearson product-moment correlation was calculated to examine the correlation between the compositions' overall scores in Persian and English in both groups. To determine which variables, L1 writing skills or L2 proficiency, is a more significant predictor of L2 writing at these different proficiency levels, and investigate the difference between them, multiple regression analysis was calculated. The results displayed large correlation between compositions' overall scores in advanced group, but not in lower-intermediate group. Also, L1 writing was a more significant predictor at advanced level; however, at lower-intermediate level, L2 proficiency was a more significant predictor of L2 writing. These findings entail some pedagogical implications for effective language teaching in L2 writing classes.

scholarly journals L2 Writing: A Comparison of Upper Intermediate and Advanced EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Ana Cristina Lahuerta
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
General Quality

The present study examines differences in syntactic complexity in English writing among advanced and upper intermediate undergraduates by means of quantitative measures of syntactic complexity. Participants were 250 Spanish undergraduates enrolled in a Degree in Modern Languages. A total of 121 students had an upper intermediate level (B2 level according to the CEFR) and 129 had an advanced level (C1 level according to the CEFR). Essays were evaluated by quantitative measures gauging different aspects of L2 complexity. Results indicate that the complexity measures chosen can capture significant differences in writing proficiency when comparing different proficiency levels. The scores on the general quality of the writings and on all syntactic complexity measures increased from B2 to C12 and for all complexity measures the increase was statistically significant.

A Study on Students' Problems in ESL Writing Classes in the Arts College/ Kuwait University

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Mona Salem Rashed
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Kuwait University ◽  
Writing Classes ◽  
The Arts ◽  
The Difference ◽  
At Home

This paper discusses the influence of the first language (Arabic) on the second language (English) in the writing pieces of ESL students in Arts College/ Kuwait University. Going over some writing papers taken from the students' work in class, the reader would notice a 'different English'. The overall layout of the paper, the ideas presentation, the personal expression, the syntax and word choice, the punctuation and other elements make this new language on students' papers. From papers written in class and at home, I conducted an analysis to see the difference between the two languages techniques, and to find solutions for that. I also interviewed students and they assured that Arabic has a massive influence on them. They disclosed that they read the topic in English, and think/analyze in Arabic. Some participants mentioned that their limited competence of vocabulary in English hindered them from expressing well on paper. Another group mentioned that the idea of 'being explanatory' prevailed their thinking while writing. They said that they wanted to explain their ideas well and repeatedly so that the reader/teacher would understand their points. They also had troubles in organizing the sentences according to the English paragraph style.

ELICITED IMITATION AS A MEASURE OF L2 PROFICIENCY

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Shu-Ling Wu ◽  
Yee Pin Tio ◽  
Lourdes Ortega
Keyword(s):  
High Reliability ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Elicited Imitation ◽  
External Criterion ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
The Third ◽  
Communicative Abilities

Abstract Elicited imitation (EI), a short-cut measure of global proficiency in second language (L2) research, requires participants to listen to sentences and repeat them as closely as possible. To support instrument sharing and assessment of L2 proficiency for longitudinal and crosslinguistic research, we created a parallel form of an EI task (EIT) for L2 English originally developed by the third author and colleagues and investigated the reliability and validity of the original and new forms. Eighty-two participants completed the two EITs, an oral narrative task, and a self-diagnostic survey. Both forms exhibited high reliability and good alignment with external criterion measures. Both distinguished well among four proficiency levels in the sample. Further, participants’ perception of EI difficulty aligned well with their EI scores. We suggest some improvements to boost forms equivalence and discuss new insights about the nature of EI as reconstructive, integrative, modality independent, and with indirect links to communicative abilities. Our study seeks to make this English EIT instrument widely useful to the L2 research community.

scholarly journals Lexical correlates of comprehensibility versus accentedness in second language speech

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAZUYA SAITO ◽  
STUART WEBB ◽  
PAVEL TROFIMOVICH ◽  
TALIA ISAACS
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Surface Level ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Lexical Content ◽  
Lexical Factors

The current project investigated the extent to which several lexical aspects of second language (L2) speech – appropriateness, fluency, variation, sophistication, abstractness, sense relations – interact to influence native speakers’ judgements of comprehensibility (ease of understanding) and accentedness (linguistic nativelikeness). Extemporaneous speech elicited from 40 French speakers of English with varied L2 proficiency levels was first evaluated by 10 native-speaking raters for comprehensibility and accentedness. Subsequently, the dataset was transcribed and analyzed for 12 lexical factors. Various lexical properties of L2 speech were found to be associated with L2 comprehensibility, and especially lexical accuracy (lemma appropriateness) and complexity (polysemy), indicating that these lexical variables are associated with successful L2 communication. In contrast, native speakers’ accent judgements seemed to be linked to surface-level details of lexical content (abstractness) and form (variation, morphological accuracy) rather than to its conceptual and contextual details (e.g., lemma appropriateness, polysemy).

scholarly journals Simple vs. complex transitive constructions in the acquisition of English structures

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 127-140
Author(s):  
Silvia Sánchez Calderón
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Double Object ◽  
Dative Alternation ◽  
Spontaneous Production ◽  
The Difference ◽  
English Monolingual

This study examines the acquisition of English simple monotransitive and complex dative alternation (DA) structures (double object constructions (DOC) and to/for-datives) in the longitudinal spontaneous production of monolingual children. In order to address these issues, we analyzed data from twelve English monolingual children and from adults’ child-directed speech, as available in CHILDES (MacWhinney, 2000). The findings revealed that simple monotransitive constructions started being produced earlier and showed a higher incidence when compared to complex DA constructions, which suggests that the degree of syntactic complexity has had an effect on the acquisition of transitives. However, the two complex DA constructions emerged at an approximately similar age, which could be explained by the Case assigning related properties. Furthermore, the chronological progression and the difference regarding the incidence of the three constructions (monotransitives > DOCs > to/for-datives) could be attributed to the amount of exposure to these structures in the adult input.

scholarly journals Effects of Explicit Instruction on Text Structure in Process Writing

2020 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Sachi Oshima
Keyword(s):  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Text Structure ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Process Writing ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Efl College Students

This study investigates the effectiveness of explicit instruction on text structure in the development of Japanese EFL college students’ English writing skills by examining two research questions: (1) How does students’ writing change after being given lessons on explicit instruction and process writing?; and (2) How do students’ perceptions of English writing change due to process writing and explicit instruction on text structure? Two groups of students were given four lessons on process writing and explicit instruction. While one group of advanced-level students wrote an argumentative essay, the other group with beginner-level students wrote a descriptive essay. The results suggest that explicit instruction on text structure can be a useful means of developing English writing skills regardless of students’ English proficiency levels. Students self-report indicated that their ability to organize ideas was highly improved, and they exhibited positive changes in writing in terms of organization and awareness of readers. 本研究では、EFL環境下にある日本人大学生を対象に、文章構成（text structure）の明示的指導がライティングにどのような効果を有するかを、次の2点について考察し、検証した。（1）プロセスライティングと文章構成の明示的指導により、学習者の英語ライティングはどのように変化するか。（2）プロセスライティングと文章構成の明示的指導により、学習者の英語ライティングに対する認識はどのように変化するか。2グループの学生に対しプロセスライティングと文章構成に関する明示的な指導を4レッスンずつ行った。英語上級者のグループにはargumentative essay（議論型エッセイ）を、初級者のグループにはdescriptive essay（記述型エッセイ）を書かせた。結果、文章構成の明示的指導は、学習者の英語運用能力に関わらず、英語ライティングの向上に効果的であることが分かった。学習者は文章構成力が最も上がったと回答しており、ドラフトにも文章構成力の向上や読み手を意識した文章への変容といった効果が表れた。

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