TY - JOUR
T1 - Mapping the associations among task complexity, emotionality, and linguistic complexity in L2 writing
AU - Tabari, Mahmoud Abdi
AU - Lu, Xiaofei
AU - Wang, Yizhou
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - This study explored the relationship between task complexity, textual emotionality, and linguistic complexity in second language (L2) writing. Fifty-eight L2 English learners performed simple and complex versions of an argumentative writing task manipulated along with resource-directing variables. The essays were first analysed for textual emotionality with sentiment analysis and then examined using a set of lexical and syntactic complexity and cohesiveness indices. Regarding emotionality, the complex task elicited more positive and negative emotions than the simple task. Further, the complex task led to greater lexical complexity and cohesiveness than the simple task, but the two tasks were not statistically different from each other in terms of syntactic complexity features. Varied patterns of correlations were observed between emotionality metrics and indices of different dimensions of linguistic complexity in the two tasks. Our findings focusing on the intersections of cognitive, socio-emotive, and linguistic components suggest that different task complexity manipulations could generate varying cognitive demands, affecting L2 written production. These findings provide theoretical and pedagogical implications for TBLT researchers and L2 writing practitioners.
AB - This study explored the relationship between task complexity, textual emotionality, and linguistic complexity in second language (L2) writing. Fifty-eight L2 English learners performed simple and complex versions of an argumentative writing task manipulated along with resource-directing variables. The essays were first analysed for textual emotionality with sentiment analysis and then examined using a set of lexical and syntactic complexity and cohesiveness indices. Regarding emotionality, the complex task elicited more positive and negative emotions than the simple task. Further, the complex task led to greater lexical complexity and cohesiveness than the simple task, but the two tasks were not statistically different from each other in terms of syntactic complexity features. Varied patterns of correlations were observed between emotionality metrics and indices of different dimensions of linguistic complexity in the two tasks. Our findings focusing on the intersections of cognitive, socio-emotive, and linguistic components suggest that different task complexity manipulations could generate varying cognitive demands, affecting L2 written production. These findings provide theoretical and pedagogical implications for TBLT researchers and L2 writing practitioners.
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U2 - 10.1080/09658416.2024.2384754
DO - 10.1080/09658416.2024.2384754
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85200323369
SN - 0965-8416
JO - Language Awareness
JF - Language Awareness
ER -