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TBLT-conference Leuven. Symposium on Task Complexity: Introduction Lies Sercu. Participants. Lieve De Wachter, K.U.Leuven Folkert Kuiken, UvAmsterdam Elke Peters, K.U.Leuven Lies Sercu, K.U.Leuven Ineke Vedder, UvAmsterdam. Organisation . introduction: framework
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TBLT-conference Leuven Symposium on Task Complexity: Introduction Lies Sercu
Participants • Lieve De Wachter, K.U.Leuven • Folkert Kuiken, UvAmsterdam • Elke Peters, K.U.Leuven • Lies Sercu, K.U.Leuven • Ineke Vedder, UvAmsterdam
Organisation • introduction: framework • 2 papers + time for informative questions • coffee break • third paper + time for informative questions • summary of findings + discussion topics • discussion time handouts
TC and Curriculum design • starting point: two questions • (1) What do we want tasks to do? How do we want tasks to be helpful to learners? Can this specific task do this? • (2) How can we sequence tasks in an optimal way? How can we vary the degree of complexity of tasks? In what order do we offer tasks to learners?
What do we expect of tasks? • Distinction between two kinds of tasks • extension of knowledge, interlanguage development, enhanced intake and retention of input (papers 1 & 2) • better, faster access to existing knowledge, enhanced performativity, automatising (paper 3)
How can we sequence tasks? • What makes a task difficult or easy? • Can we design a more difficult and an easier version of a task? • How do we sequence tasks? • Developmental tasks before automatization tasks? • Difficult tasks always after easy tasks? • Paper 1: single/dual task Paper 3: +/- elements, +/- reasoning demands
Construct Task complexity • operationalization: different proposals (Robinson, Skehan & Foster, Nunan, Candlin) • Robinson 2005
TC & effect on learning Different effects on learning for changing tasks with respect to • Resource-dispersing dimension • distribute/disperse attention capacity over different things • Resource-directing dimension • direct learners attention to more complex form(s) in the input
Effect on learning • Resource-dispersing • trade-off: paying attention to A = paying less attention to B • e.g., attention to meaning = less attention to form (or vice versa) attention to fluency = less attention to accuracy • Resource-directing • no trade-off but cooperation between meaning and form; • e.g., more complex contents = more complex language production
Sequencing of tasks Main idea: practise already acquired knowledge before offering new input Order of tasks • low performativity demands – low intake demands • high performativity demands – low intake demands • low performativity demands – high intake demands • high performativity demands – high intake demands
Explain effects: two theoretical models • Limited Attentional Capacity Model • resource – dispersion, trade-off between • fluency, accuracy, complexity • meaning - form • increased complexity = debilitated language production • Cognition Hypothesis • resource directing cooperation between meaning – form • increased complexity = improved language production
3 papers • Lies Sercu & Lieve De Wachter • Elke Peters • Folkert Kuiken & Ineke Vedder
Contact details • Lies.Sercu@arts.kuleuven.be • Lieve.Dewachter@ilt.kuleuven.be • Elke.Peters@arts.kuleuven.be • F.Kuiken@uva.nl • I.Vedder@uva.nl