Measuring Syntactic Complexity in L2 Writing Using Fine-Grained Clausal and Phrasal Indices
Measuring Syntactic Complexity in L2 Writing Using Fine-Grained Clausal and Phrasal Indices
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DOI：
10.1111/modl.12468
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发表时间：
2018-06-01
影响因子：
4.9
通讯作者：
Crossley, Scott A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Kyle, Kristopher;Crossley, Scott A.
句法复杂性是衡量第二语言（L2）写作水平的一个重要指标（拉森 - 弗里曼，1978；卢，2011）。像T单位平均长度（MLTU）这样的粗粒度指标在第二语言写作研究中使用得最为一致（奥尔特加，2003）。最近，像MLTU这样的指标受到了批评，既因为其解释困难（例如，诺里斯和奥尔特加，2009），也因为可能错误地聚焦于从句从属关系（例如，比伯、格雷和庞蓬，2011）。在本文中，我们试图通过使用句法复杂性的传统指标（例如，MLTU）、从句复杂性的细粒度指标以及短语复杂性的细粒度指标来预测写作质量的整体分数，从而回应这两种批评。在4项研究中，我们使用每种指标类型的指标来预测托福（TOEFL）独立写作中的整体写作质量分数。然后，我们在综合分析中使用所有指标类型来预测一个整体写作分数。结果表明，短语复杂性的细粒度指标比传统的或细粒度的从句指标更能预测写作质量，尽管一个单一的从句复杂性细粒度指标对综合模型有贡献。这些结果为比伯等人（2011）关于复杂性和学术第二语言写作水平的观点提供了一些支持。
Syntactic complexity is an important measure of second language (L2) writing proficiency (Larsen-Freeman, 1978; Lu, 2011). Large-grained indices such as the mean length of T-unit (MLTU) have been used with the most consistency in L2 writing studies (Ortega, 2003). Recently, indices such as MLTU have been criticized, both for the difficulty in interpretation (e.g., Norris & Ortega, 2009) and for a potentially misplaced focus on clausal subordination (e.g., Biber, Gray, & Poonpon, 2011). In this article, we attempt to address both of these criticisms by using traditional indices of syntactic complexity (e.g., MLTU), fine-grained indices of clausal complexity, and fine-grained indices of phrasal complexity to predict holistic scores of writing quality. In 4 studies, we used indices of each index type to predict holistic writing quality scores in independent essays on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). We then used all index types in a combined analysis to predict a holistic writing score. The results indicated that fine-grained indices of phrasal complexity were better predictors of writing quality than either traditional or fine-grained clausal indices, though a single fine-grained index of clausal complexity contributed to the combined model. These results provide some support for Biber etal.'s (2011) claims regarding complexity and academic L2 writing proficiency.