The Effects Of Task Complexity And Task Condition On Chinese EFL Learners’ Incidental Vocabulary Learning

In recent decades,tremendous research has been conducted in the field of Task-Based Language Teaching(TBLT)to investigate how task characteristics influence learners’ language development and task performance.Drawing on Robinson’s Triadic Componential Framework(TCF)and the Cognition Hypothesis(CH),numerous empirical studies have examined the influence of task complexity on language production.Still,few have delved into its impact on language learning,with even less on vocabulary learning.To specifically probe into the role of task complexity on language learning,Robinson classified task complexity into two dimensions:resource-directing and resource-dispersing dimension.He suggested that increasing task complexity from the resource-directing dimension direct learners’ attention to linguistic forms,leading to greater language learning.However,from the resourcedispersing variables,an increase of task complexity might do harm to linguistic form learning.Previous studies on vocabulary learning have primarily focused on the role of task complexity along the resource-dispersing dimension.Meanwhile,no study has investigated the combined effect of task complexity and task condition on incidental vocabulary learning.Therefore,this research intends to address these gaps by exploring the roles of task complexity manipulated by the factor(± few elements)from the resource-directing variables and task condition(± few participants)on Chinese EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning.The following research questions were addressed:(1)What is the effect of task complexity on the immediate learning and retention of Chinese EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning?(2)What is the effect of task condition on the immediate learning and retention of Chinese EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning?(3)Are there any interactional effects of task complexity and task condition on the immediate learning and retention of Chinese EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning?To answer these research questions,a two-factor mixed research design was employed,in which task condition was operationalized as a between-subject variable and task complexity as a within-subject variable.Forty-four English Major first-year students from a Chinese university took part in the study.They were assigned to either an individual or collaborative group,which were homogeneous regarding their language proficiency.During the experiment,both groups were required to complete two decision-making tasks which differed in task complexity.During the experiment,9 minutes were allocated for individual silent reading.Then,the individual group had20 minutes to articulate their decision,while the collaborative groups discussed with a partner.Two unannounced vocabulary post-tests were administered immediately and three days following the treatment,each containing a test of form recognition,meaning recall,and meaning recognition.After the treatment,participants were interviewed by several trained postgraduate students to elicit participants’ perceptions of task complexity and task performance.All quantitative data were entered into SPSS26.0 for statistical analysis.The two-way repeated measure ANOVAs were conducted on the collected data.The results indicated that:(1)completing a more complex task resulted in higher scores on the immediate meaning recognition test,as well as the delayed meaning recall and meaning recognition tests.(2)The individual group demonstrated noticeable edges over the collaborative group on both the immediate and delayed form recognition tests.Conversely,the collaborative group outperformed their counterpart on the immediate meaning recognition test.(3)An interactional influence between task complexity and task condition was detected in relation to learners’ immediate meaning recall test.The findings indicated that increasing task complexity from the resourcedirecting dimension facilitated learners’ incidental vocabulary learning,particularly regarding their familiarity with meaning.Furthermore,individual learning had some advantages on learners’ vocabulary form recognition,while collaboration enhanced learners’ memory of vocabulary meaning.Lastly,the study partially advocated Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis,which claims that collaboration in complex tasks might elicit more language learning than in simple tasks.Also,this study provided some implications for language teaching.