Mapping the associations among task complexity, emotionality, and linguistic complexity in L2 writing

Abstract

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.

摘要

本研究探讨了任务复杂度、文本情感和语言复杂度在二语(L2)写作中的关系。 58名L2英语学习者完成了简单和复杂版本的议论文写作任务, 即这些任务具有不同水平的资源导向变量。 文章首先通过情感分析来分析文本情感, 然后使用一系列词汇复杂度、句法复杂度以及连贯性指标进行分析。 关于文本情感, 复杂任务比简单任务引发了更多的积极和消极情感。 此外, 与简单版本写作任务相比 , 复杂任务引发了更高的词汇复杂度和连贯性, 但在句法特征方面, 两个任务之间没有统计学差异。 在两个任务中, 我们观察到了情感性指标与不同维度语言复杂度指标之间存在差异性的相关模式。 我们的研究关注认知、社会情感和语言要素的交集, 结果表明不同的任务复杂度可能产生不同的认知需求, 从而影响第二语言学习者的书面表达。这些发现为任务型教学法(TBLT)的研究者和第二语言写作教学人员提供了理论和教学方面的启示。

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

This study explores how different levels of task difficulty affect emotions and language use in people learning English as a second language (L2). Over the past 30 years, task complexity has become a key concept in language teaching, influencing how students learn and use a new language. Most research has focused on how difficult tasks affect grammar and language accuracy, but emotional and social aspects have been overlooked. In our study, 58 L2 English learners wrote essays on both simple and complex topics. We analysed these essays to see how task difficulty affected their use of emotions and language complexity. We found that a more cognitively difficult task led to essays with stronger positive and negative emotions. This task also resulted in more complex vocabulary and better flow, though the sentence structures were similarly complex for both simple and complex tasks. Our findings show different patterns in how emotions and language use relate depending on the task difficulty. This suggests that varying the difficulty of writing tasks changes how learners think and write. This research is important for teachers and researchers as it highlights the need to consider emotional and social factors in language learning, not just grammar and accuracy. It also provides new methods for measuring emotional content in student writing, helping create more effective and engaging language learning environments.

Keywords:

• Task complexity
• cognitive demands
• emotionality
• linguistic complexity
• L2 writing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This refers to all L1 Indian languages combined such as Bengali (Bangla), Dogri, Gujarati, Marathi, and Punjabi.