Linguistic Complexity In The Continuation Task

Previous studies have demonstrated that the continuation task can improve L2 writing performance(e.g., Wang and Wang 2014). This is because learners tend to align with the language use of a given text while continuing it. When L2 learners are engaged in a continuation task, many variables influence their written production with linguistic complexity of the input text being a crucial one. The present study set out to examine the relationship between this linguistic complexity variable and L2 learners’ writing of the continuation. Three research questions were addressed: 1) whether linguistic complexity affects reading comprehension, 2) whether linguistic complexity affects alignment, and 3) whether linguistic complexity affects writing fluency and accuracy.To answer the above questions, an empirical study was conducted via a continuation task involving two versions of an input text, that is, the original text and its linguistically simplified version. Two groups of 15 Chinese speakers learning English as a foreign language from two classes of university freshmen were selected to participate in the study. The selection was based on their writing performance on a given topic and their scores for a proficiency test. Both groups read the same incomplete story and continued it within the same time limit, 10 minutes for reading and 45 minutes for writing. But one group of participants was assigned to read the linguistically simplified version that matched their production ability and the other group of participants read the original text that also matched their comprehension ability. In order to gain a better understanding of the continuing process, two participants from each class were randomly selected to perform a stimulated recall upon completion of the continuation task.Results showed that linguistic complexity affected participants’ comprehension of the input texts and their attention to form. The learners reading the simplified version gained higher comprehension scores and paid more attention to form thantheir counterparts reading the original version. Furthermore, linguistic complexity appeared to have no effect on the magnitude of alignment with the language use of the input text. However, while aligning with the given text, participants continuing the simplified version paused less often and for a shorter time. And their writing fluency and accuracy improved significantly as compared with those of the other group.Interestingly, although the group doing the simplified version wrote significantly shorter compositions and committed more errors than the other group in their pre-test writings, the opposite was the case with their performance on the continuations.The results of this research suggest that linguistic complexity of the input text should suit L2 learners’ writing ability if one wants to use the continuation task to improve writing performance. This finding has contributed to our understanding of the continuation task and provided empirical support for Wang’s(2012:5) claim that linguistic complexity of input texts for continuation tasks should not go too far beyond learners’ production ability.