Linguistics, Vol. 24. No. 2., 2023.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.29162/jez.2023.6
THE EFFECT OF THE DEGREE OF TASK COMPLEXITY ON SYNTACTIC COMPLEXITY AND ACCURACY IN WRITTEN PERFORMANCE
Mirjana Matea Kovač
orcid.org/0000-0001-7055-2909
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to critically reflect on the results of previous research on
the effects of task complexity on various aspects of written performance in a foreign
language and deepen the knowledge about the ways of manipulating different task
conditions. Also, the goal was to gain a better understanding of the measurement
variables used to quantify syntactic complexity and grammatical accuracy. According
to Robinson’s model, the most prominent model for the effect of task complexity
on performance, a more complex task will result in greater syntactic complexity and
grammatical accuracy, because attention resources are primarily directed towards
the functional needs of task performance. The significance of this model, compared
to others, is reflected in the seemingly clear distinction between cognitive factors
on the one hand, and all other possible factors influencing the outcomes in spoken/
written performance. Although it is difficult to dispute the influence of task
complexity on written performance in a foreign language, numerous studies on the
mentioned issue have resulted in very different and mutually contradictory conclusions.
The reasons can be found in inconsistencies in methodological procedures,
inconsistent manipulation of the implemented resource-directing variables, an extremely
large number of different measurement variables, and the unconducted
evaluation of differences in cognitive complexity between tasks in a larger number
of studies. The theoretical importance of this paper is primarily reflected in the need
to establish clear criteria for the design of pedagogical tasks of different complexity,
and consequently, a positive effect on the syntactic complexity and accuracy of written
performance in a foreign language.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
312672
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2023.
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