读后续写输入文本语言复杂度对二语写作中语言发展的影响

Effects of the linguistic complexity of the input text in the continuation task on L2 writing development

本研究考察读后续写输入文本的语言复杂度对中国学习者英语写作中语言流利性、准确性和复杂性的影响。实验采用混合前-后测设计,将受试随机分入三个实验组:无输入文本的话题写作组、输入文本语言复杂度恒定的简化输入文本续写组、输入文本语言复杂度递增的续写组。每组受试均完成四次写作训练任务。结果显示:1)从前测到后测,两个续写组语言产出的准确性、流利性和复杂性各有提高,而话题写作组在三个维度上均未发生显著变化;2)渐进增加输入文本语言复杂度有助于二语准确性的发展,而复杂度恒定的简化文本则有利于提高语言表达的流利性;3)输入文本语言复杂度对二语写作复杂性的影响在不同指标上表现不一致,复杂度恒定增加了语言产出中从句的使用,而复杂度递增则显著提高了并列句的使用次数。上述发现表明,读后续写对二语发展不同维度的促进作用受到输入文本语言复杂度的调节。

This study investigated how the linguistic complexity of the input text in the continuation task modulates L2 writing development measured by accuracy, fluency, and complexity. An 11-week experiment with a mixed pretest-posttest design was carried out. College-level Chinese EFL learners participated in the experiment and were randomly assigned to three writing groups: the topic writing group where they wrote without the input text, the continuation with constant complexity group where they continued simplified input texts and the linguistic complexity of the four texts was kept constant, and the continuation with increasing complexity group where they continued non-simplified input texts and the linguistic complexity of the input texts was increasing. Results indicate that: 1) the two continuation groups improved in either fluency, accuracy or complexity from the pretest to posttest while no significant changes were found in the topic writing group;2) the increasingly complex input texts enabled L2 learners to write more accurately, while simplified input texts with constant linguistic complexity facilitated the development of fluency;3) the effects of the linguistic complexity of input texts varied when the complexity of learner production was measured by different indices: learners produced significantly more coordinate phrases after continuing input texts with increasing complexity but more dependent clauses if the complexity of input texts was kept constant. We conclude that the continuation task can facilitate L2 writing development but the effect is modulated by the linguistic complexity of the input text.