Second Language Task Complexity
Researching the Cognition Hypothesis of language learning and performance
1st Edition
Published on 13. September 2011
XII, 345 pages
978-90-272-9027-4 (ISBN)
Description
Understanding how task complexity affects second language learning, interaction and spoken and written performance is essential to informed decisions about task design and sequencing in TBLT programs. The chapters in this volume all examine evidence for claims of the Cognition Hypothesis that complex tasks should promote greater accuracy and complexity of speech and writing, as well as more interaction, and learning of information provided in the input to task performance, than simpler tasks. Implications are drawn concerning the basic pedagogic claim of the Cognition Hypothesis, that tasks should be sequenced for learners from simple to complex during syllabus design. Containing theoretical discussion of the Cognition Hypothesis, and cutting-edge empirical studies of the effects of task complexity on second language learning and performance, this book will be important reading for language teachers, graduate students and researchers in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and cognitive and educational psychology.
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Peter Robinson
Second Language Task Complexity
Researching the Cognition Hypothesis of language learning and performance
Book
09/2011
John Benjamins Publishing Co
€104.94
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Content
- Second Language Task Complexity
- Editorial page
- Title page
- LCC data
- Table of contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Series editors' preface to Volume 2
- Part 1. Cognition, task complexity, language learning, and performance
- Chapter 1. Second language task complexity, the Cognition Hypothesis, language learning, and performance
- Introduction: Task analysis, task characteristics and task complexity
- Task analysis and task-based program design
- Task complexity, the Cognition Hypothesis, and task sequencing
- The Triadic Componential Framework for task classification
- Task characteristics that direct attention to language
- Intentional reasoning
- Spatial reasoning
- The Here-and-Now and the There-and-Then
- Task characteristics that disperse attention over non-linguistic task demands
- Combining task characteristics and researching sequencing effects
- The Cognition Hypothesis, task-based language learning, and performance
- Issues in researching and measuring the effects of task complexity on learning and performance
- Researching and measuring language production
- Researching and measuring interaction and learning opportunities
- Researching the effects of learner factors on task-based learning and performance
- Cognitive abilities and task difficulty
- Affective factors and task difficulty
- The chapters in this book
- References
- Chapter 2. Speech production and the Cognition Hypothesis
- Introduction
- The model of second language speech production
- General characteristics of speech production in L2
- Knowledge stores in L2 speech production
- Encoding second language speech
- Conceptualization
- Encoding
- Monitoring
- Speaker-hearer interaction in speech production
- The role of attention in speech production
- Speech production and the Cognition Hypothesis
- Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 3. Corpus-driven methods for assessing accuracy in learner production
- Introduction
- A constructionist perspective on language
- Previous research
- L2 production research beyond the word
- Corpus studies of phraseology in L2 production
- Corpus-based studies on constructions in L2 production
- A constructionist approach to accuracy in L2 production
- Measuring accuracy: Collostructional analysis
- Case studies
- Ditransitive and prepositional dative in L1 and L2 production
- Infinitival and gerundial complementation in L1 and L2 production
- Discussion
- How learners' production becomes more accurate
- Implications for task design
- References
- Part 2. Researching the effects of task complexity across task types and modes of L2 performance
- Chapter 4. Task complexity and linguistic performance in L2 writing and speaking
- Introduction
- The study
- Research questions and hypotheses
- Participants and tasks
- Measures of linguistic performance
- Results
- Discussion
- References
- Chapter 5. Manipulating task complexity across task types and modes
- Introduction
- Task complexity and the Cognition Hypothesis
- Task complexity and monologic performance
- Evidence of the effect of increasing Task complexity on dialogic performance
- Research questions and hypotheses
- Experimental design
- Participants
- Materials
- Procedures
- Measures
- Statistical instruments, analyses, transcription and coding
- Results
- Research question 1
- Research question 2
- Research question 3
- Discussion
- Research question 1
- Research question 2
- Research question 3
- Limitations and conclusions
- Acknowledgments
- References
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
- Part 3. Researching the effects of task complexity on L2 interaction, modified output, and uptake
- Chapter 6. Effects of task complexity and interaction on L2 performance
- 1. Attention and task performance
- 1.1 Cognitive task complexity
- 1.2 Interaction
- 1.3 Task complexity and interaction
- 2. The present study
- 2.1 Experimental design
- 3. Results
- 3.1 Effects on linguistic complexity
- 3.2 Effects on accuracy
- 3.3 Effects on fluency
- 4. Discussion
- 4.1 Effects of increased task complexity
- 4.2 Interaction and L2 performance
- 5. Conclusion and directions for future research and practice
- References
- Appendix: Example of tasks
- Chapter 7. Task complexity, modified output, and L2 development in learner-learner interaction
- Introduction
- Theoretical background
- Research in modified output and L2 learning
- Research in task complexity and interaction
- Method
- Participants
- Design
- Target structures
- Treatment tasks
- Testing materials
- Scoring and coding
- Results
- Discussion
- Limitations
- Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 8. Task complexity, uptake of recasts, and L2 development
- Introduction
- Interaction and SLA
- Learners' responses to feedback: Empirical results
- Task complexity and uptake
- Research questions and hypotheses
- Methodology
- Design
- Participants
- Target form
- Treatment
- Assessment tasks
- Data analysis
- Data collection procedures
- Statistical analyses
- Results
- Description of the data
- Task complexity and uptake
- Uptake and second language development
- Task complexity, uptake, and second language development
- Discussion
- Limitations and future research
- References
- Part 4. Researching the influence of learner characteristics and perceptions on simple and complex L2 task performance
- Chapter 9. When individual differences come into play
- Theoretical background
- Tasks
- Creativity
- Methods
- Participants
- Instruments
- Creativity test
- Oral narrative tasks
- Procedures
- Analysis
- Measures of task performance
- Results and discussion
- Comparing the cognitively less and more complex tasks
- Correlations of creativity and task performance
- Conclusion
- Practice - Pedagogical implications
- References
- Chapter 10. Working memory capacity and narrative task performance
- Introduction
- Background to the study
- Method
- Participants
- Instruments
- Procedures
- Analysis
- Results
- Discussion and conclusion
- Acknowledgement
- References
- Chapter 11. Task complexity, language anxiety, and the development of the simple past
- Introduction
- The Cognition Hypothesis
- Language anxiety
- Methods
- Participants
- Target linguistic structure
- Materials
- Procedure
- Data coding and analysis
- Language anxiety
- Results
- Identifying anxiety groups
- Learners' production of past tense morphology on the pretest
- Discussion
- References
- Chapter 12. Examining the influence of intentional reasoning demands on learner perceptions of task difficulty and L2 monologic speech
- Introduction
- Research on learner perceptions of task difficulty within TBLT
- Research questions and hypotheses
- Methodology
- Participants
- Materials
- Procedures
- Experimental design for the present study
- Production measures and task-difficulty questionnaires
- Results of the present study
- The effect of IR on learner perceptions of task difficulty
- Correlations between task difficulty and L2 production
- Correlations between task difficulty and L2 production under different task conditions
- Discussion and implications
- Limitations of the present study
- Acknowledgement
- References
- Author note
- Appendices
- Appendix D. Instructions for the No Reasoning Task
- When you report to the president, please keep in mind the following points
- Appendix E. Instructions for the Simple and CRT
- When you report to the president, please keep in mind the following points
- Author index
- Subject index
