It’s complicated: The relationship between lexis, syntax and proficiency

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14410%2F23%3A00133184" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14410/23:00133184 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.5817/DI2023-2-124" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.5817/DI2023-2-124</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/DI2023-2-124" target="_blank" >10.5817/DI2023-2-124</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

It’s complicated: The relationship between lexis, syntax and proficiency

Original language description

This paper explores the relationship between lexical and syntactic complexity measures and proficiency in L2 English argumentative essays written by L1 Czech high school students. Syntactic complexity is generally understood as referring to the “range and sophistication” (Ortega 2015) of grammatical constructions, whereas lexical complexity can refer to the range and frequency of the words used. The research used 100 essays written by final year high school students. Lexical complexity was analysed using the Lexical Complexity Analyzer (Ai &amp; Lu 2010, Lu 2012), syntactic complexity using the L2 Syntactic Complexity Analyzer (Lu 2010, 2014) and Biber et al.’s (2011) hypothesised developmental stages for complexity framework. Despite a large number of measurements failing to produce any significant patterns, positive correlations were found between lexical diversity measures and vocabulary scores. Similarly, Mean Length of Clause (MLC) and Complex nominals per clause (CN/C) showed weak positive associations with grammar scores, as did Stage 5 of the developmental stages. The findings provide an insight into the kinds of complexity features that can be given more focus during instruction and underscore the potential of these measures as determinants of proficiency.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50301 - Education, general; including training, pedagogy, didactics [and education systems]

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Discourse and Interaction

ISSN

1802-9930

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

21

Pages from-to

124-144

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85181252406