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Intro: context

Manipulating Task Complexity: its impact on L2 production across task types and modes Roger Gilabert Mayya Levkina Universitat de Barcelona TBLT Conference Lancaster September 2009.

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Intro: context

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  1. Manipulating Task Complexity: its impact on L2 production across task types and modesRoger GilabertMayya LevkinaUniversitat de BarcelonaTBLT ConferenceLancaster September 2009 Thanks to GRAL at the University of Barcelona, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación – HUM2007-64302) and Generalitat de Catalunya – 2009SGR137).

  2. Intro: context Other L2 Task –based research into performance and acquisition INTERACTION TASK COMPLEXITY PLANNING TIME TASK FAMILIARITY Brennan, forthcoming

  3. Intro: context Other L2 Task –based research into performance and acquisition INTERACTION TASK COMPLEXITY PLANNING TIME TASK FAMILIARITY

  4. TASK COMPLEXITY “ task complexity is the result of the attentional, memory, reasoning, and other information processing demands imposed by the structure of the task on the language learner.” (Robinson, 2001:28)

  5. What may be the role of task complexity in a task-based syllabus? REAL-WORLD TASK Pedagogic task 1 Pedagogic task 2 Pedagogic task 3 Pedagogic task n Simple Complex GOAL Long, 2005 Balanced development of L2 production and acquisition

  6. The predictions of the Cognition Hypothesis Less fluent More complex along resource- dispersing variables Less lexically and structurally complex Less accurate (e.g. amount of preparation time, familiarity, or multi-tasking) Higher interaction Less fluent More complex along resource- directing variables More lexically and structurally complex More accurate (e.g. the number of elements or the amount of reasoning) Higher interaction

  7. Findings of the impact of task complexity on production along resource directing dimensions Fluency decreases (Robinson, 1995; Rahimpour, 1997: Gilabert, 2005) Increased lexical complexity (Robinson, 1995; Rahimpour, 1997; Gilabert, 2005) No differences in structural complexity (Robinson, 1995; Rahimpour, 1997; Gilabert, 2005) Higher accuracy (Robinson, 1995; Rahimpour, 1997; Ishikawa, 2001; Iwashita et al.; Gilabert, 2005) Fluency decreases (Michel, Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Robinson, 2001) Increased lexical complexity (Michel, Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Révész, forthcoming) No differences in structural complexity (Michel, Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Kuiken, Vedder, & Mos, 2005) but Révész (forthcoming) Higher accuracy (Michel, Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Kuiken, Vedder, & Moss, 2005) but Révész (forthcoming) Fluency decreases (Niwa, 2001 ) Increased lexical complexity (Michel, Kuiken & Vedder, 2007; Révész, forthcoming) No differences in structural complexity (Robinson, 2007) but Révesz (forthcoming) Higher accuracy (Robinson, 2007; Gilabert, 2007) but Révész (forthcoming)

  8. Goal: to explore the impact of task cognitive complexity accross task types and modes. Questions: 1) What’s the relationship between general proficiency and performance? 2) Can differences in task cognitive complexity explain differences in performance in both monologic and dialogic tasks? 3) Are the effects of task cognitive complexity the same across task types? Goals andQuestions

  9. Experimental design

  10. Task selection: Needs analysis Advertising Journalism P.R. (task-based program at Communication Studies Department at Ramon Llull University,Barcelona Spain) TV/Cinema Typically they deal with storyboards for campaign presentations Journaslists often have to find their ways in unknown cities In crisis management, scenario planning is an important aspect

  11. Task 1: narrativeMonologic and dialogicOperationalization

  12. SIMPLE here-and-now Visual presence (here) Present tense (now) COMPLEX there-and-then No visual presence (there) Past tense (then) Tasks and operationalization of variables

  13. Tasks and operationalization of variables Interactive, two-way, closed, convergent, split information narrative task • SIMPLE • Here-and-now • Visual presence (here) • Present tense (now) • COMPLEX • There-and-then • No visual presence (there) • Past tense (then)

  14. I thought this task 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I thought this task was easy was difficult I felt frustrated1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I felt relaxed doing this task doing this task I did not do this 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I did this task well task well This task was 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 This task was not interestinginteresting I don’t want to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I wantto do more do more tasks tasks like this like this (Based on Robinson, 2001) Results: Affective perception questionnaire

  15. Task 2: map taskMonologic and dialogicOperationalization

  16. Simple Few landmarks Clearly distinguishable landmarks One axis (lateral= right, left, straight)

  17. Complex Many landmarks Similar landmarks More axes (lateral – right, left, straight– vertical – up, down – sagittal – front, back).

  18. Tasks and operationalization of variables Interactive, one-way, closed, convergent, split information map task • Simple • Few landmarks • Clearly distinguishable landmarks • One axis • (lateral= right, left, straight) Route unmarked Route marked

  19. Tasks and operationalization of variables Interactive, one-way, closed, convergent, split information map task • Complex • Many landmarks • Similar landmarks • More axes (lateral – right, left, straight– vertical – up, down – sagittal – front, back). Route unmarked Route marked

  20. Wayfinding is an important and complex task. Landmark identification Path selection Direction selection Abstract environmental overviews Chown, E., Kaplan, S., & Kortenkamp, D. (1995)

  21. Task 3: firechief taskMonologic and dialogicOperationalization

  22. SIMPLE Many resources No particular roles Few unconnected factors COMPLEX Few resources Particular roles of characters Intricately connected factors

  23. Interactive, two-way, open, convergent, shared information decision-making task • SIMPLE • Many resources • No particular roles • Few unconnected factors

  24. Interactive, two-way, open, convergent, shared information decision-making task • COMPLEX • Few resources • Particular roles of characters • Intricately connected factors

  25. Complex problem-solving tasks are situations that are: dynamic, because early actions determine the environment in which subsequent decisions must be made time-dependent, because decisions must be made at the correct moment in relation to environmental demands; and complex, in the sense that most variables are not related to each other in a one-to-one manner. In these situations, the problem requires not one decision, but a long series, in which early decisions condition later ones. Quesada et al. (2005)

  26. Experimental design: production measures • Transcriptions were coded for: • Fluency: Unpruned speech rate A • Pruned speech rate B • Pauses x minute • Structural Complexity: Sentence Nodes x AS-Unit. • Lexical Complexity: Guiraud Index of Lexical Density • Accuracy: No. Of errors x 100 words • Repaired to unrepaired errors

  27. What’s the relationship between general proficiency and performance? • Moderately strong correlation between PROFICIENCY and PERFORMANCE Results: Question 1

  28. Results: Question 1 • What’s the relationship between general proficiency and performance? • Moderately strong correlation between PROFICIENCY and PERFORMANCE

  29. Results: Question 2 • 2) Is there an impact of Task Complexity on performance in both the monologic and dialogic tasks?

  30. Results: Question 2 • 2) Is there an impact of Task Complexity on performance in both the monologic and dialogic tasks?

  31. Sig. difference Results: tasks compared by dimension

  32. Sig. difference Results: tasks compared by dimension

  33. Discussion: Question 1 As expected, in the MONOLOGIC task, general proficiency correlated strongly with performance, and particularly with lexical complexity and accuracy. The picture is not so clear for the DIALOGIC task, where interaction seems to mitigate the effects of proficiency on performance, especially with regard to accuracy

  34. In the MONOLOGIC tasks, task complexity shows an impact on accuracy in the narrative task, while it has an impact on both lexical complexity and accuracy in the case of the map task. Higher tasks demands seem to draw attention to form. Task complexity has no impact on the decision-making task. General measures may not be able to capture such impact. In the DIALOGIC tasks, task complexity seems to only affect lexical complexity, and just for the narrative and the decision-making task. Discussion: Question 2

  35. Discussion: Question 3 In the MONOLOGIC tasks: the map task generated less structurally and lexically complex speech. In the DIALOGIC tasks, task complexity seems to only affect lexical complexity, and just for the narrative and the decision-making task.

  36. Conclusions • As in other task-based research areas (e.g. planning time studies, task repetition, or interaction), SPECIFIC PREDICTIONS need to be made for each TASK TYPE. • In the same way, predictions need to be adjusted to EACH MODE, since behavior on monologic and dialogic tasks differs considerably.

  37. Limitations • Small sample sizes • Use of general measures only • Binary operationalizations of complexity (simple/complex, not a continuum) • Not factoring in individual differences (e.g. differences in WM capacity) • Not using complementary information from native speaker performance

  38. Use of more specific measures (task-related, developmentally sound) • (Pownall, forthcoming) use of “conjoined clauses” as in Révész (forthcoming) and NPs has found that ‘specific, task-related measures capture the impact of task complexity’ Ways to go from here and, because, so If, before, after “The little boy” “The car” “The funny little boy” “The girl that was reading little boy”

  39. Ways to go from here • Use of more specific measures • (Pownall, forthcoming) use of “conjoined clauses” as in Révész (forthcoming) and NPs has found that ‘specific, task-related measures capture the impact of task complexity’ • 2) Integration of Task Complexity into SEQUENCING studies.

  40. Thank youGràciesGraciasMembers of the GRAL group: Carme.Muñoz, M. Luz Celaya, Elsa Tragant, Teresa Navés, Joan Carles Mora, Imma Miralpeix, Raquel Serrano, Júlia Barón, Natalia Fullana, Laura SánchezInterns: Mayya Levkina, Mireia, Anna Marsol Catherine Daughty Our studentsRoger Gilabertrogergilabert@ub.eduUniversitat de BarcelonaSpain

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