The Effects Of Task Complexity And Working Memory Capacity On Chinese Beginning EFL Learners’ Written Production

Writing in a second language(L2)is a dynamic cognitive process in which learners are influenced by many factors,including task factor(i.e.,task complexity)and learners’ factor(i.e.,working memory capacity).Despite all the empirical studies conducted over the years,the relationship between task complexity and L2 written production has always been controversial.One reason might be that most relevant studies ignored the learners’ factor.However,only a small number of studies have examined how working memory affected L2 written production.At that point,a closely pertinent question is whether it is associated with working memory capacity(WMC).From previous studies,it is noteworthy that most were based on a single function,but there were relatively few that highlighted the interaction effect of task complexity and WMC,and these studies mostly focused on college EFL learners.The present study,based on the Cognitive Hypothesis and the Limited Attentional Capacity Model,aims to further explore the independent and interactive effects of task complexity and WMC on Chinese beginning EFL learners’ written production.Specific research questions include:(1)What is the effect of task complexity on Chinese beginning EFL learners’ written production?(2)What is the effect of working memory capacity on Chinese beginning EFL learners’ written production?(3)What is the interaction effect of task complexity and working memory capacity on Chinese beginning EFL learners’ written production?A pilot study was conducted among 30 sophomores selected from Liaocheng Dongfang High School to prove the feasibility and validity of the experimental design.A total of 63 sophomores from the same high school participated in the formal experiment.Three of the participants with a relatively low WMC were excluded.60 participants completed three different tasks,including an operation span test and two letter writing tasks.Firstly,participants were divided into high working memory capacity(HWMC)and low working memory capacity(LWMC)groups according to the operation span test.Afterwards,they were required to write two letters of varying complexity.Finally,valid data from 60 participants were collected concerning 120 written texts.The data were analyzed for language accuracy and complexity using the Wolfe-Quintero(1998)measurement index.The results of paired-sample t-test,linear-regression analysis and MANOVA analysis were obtained by SPSS 20.0.The quantitative results demonstrated:(1)Language accuracy was negatively affected by task complexity;however,syntactic and lexical complexity were positively affected.(2)Individual differences in WMC significantly influenced accuracy,syntactic and lexical complexity in the simple task,but only slightly in the complex task.(3)Chinese beginning EFL learners’ written production was not correlated with task complexity and WMC.The present study further verifies the Cognitive Hypothesis and the Limited Attentional Capacity Model based on the results.It also provides some teaching implications for how teachers consider individual differences in WMC.More importantly,the relevant theories can be deeply comprehended and applied in TBLT.