MEASURING TASK COMPLEXITY
Does EFL proficiency matter?
Introduction
Tasks has become in a great instrument
to measure language development
and acquisition since 1993. One field
that has awaken a significant level of
interest is that of grading task
complexity according to presupposed
emotional needs on L2 users’ attention
when they perform a variety of tasks.
Consequently, according to Robinson’s
Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson, 2001,
2003, 2005) and Skehan’s Trade-off
Hypothesis (Skehan, 1998) there are two
psycholinguistic structures which allow to
observe from different angles attention
allocation -and associated cognitive
complexity.
The present study wants to focus on
demonstrate if factors such as fluency,
accuracy, and complexity are reflected in
the different complex tasks carried out by L2
students of distinct English levels in Spain.
Research Questions
1.Is the perception of task complexity on tasks
designed to represent cognitive complexity
differences actually different for more versus less
proficient speakers of English as a foreign language?
2.Are there observable differences in how designed
cognitive task complexity affects more versus less
proficient L2 English speakers’ linguistic accuracy,
complexity, and fluency?
A. Malicka, M. Levkina
University of Barcelona
Methodology Results – con’t Limitations and Conclusions
PARTICIPANTS: Research Question 2: Impact of task complexity on - Only the role of two proficiency levels
There were 37 voluntary (20 high-proficiency and 17 low-proficiency) Spanish and Catalan L2 production were studied.
students of EFL from two higher education institutions: International College of Tourism and the -Task complexity significantly influenced accuracy, - Low intermediate vs. advanced learners
University of Barcelona, in Spain; from different English levels according to the results of Oxford and lexical and structural complexity, which all groups do not represent two significant
Placement Test, X-lex, and Y-lex test improved in the complex task performance in the high extremes of proficiency.
 MATERIALS: proficiency group. - If this study would apply the same tasks to
To determine the English level of proficiency two different tests were used: X-lex and YY-lex -The complex task also activated importantly positive a number of proficiency levels, a different
measures and the Oxford Placement Test. Those tests have evidences that demonstrate their effects on fluency in the low proficiency group, but with a pattern of task performance could be the
effectiveness in EFL studies. Based on the results only 37 participants from 60 were chosen and co-occurrent decrease in accuracy. result.
then divided in categories: lower, intermediate and advanced. These differences in levels were - This research was carried out in an EFL
thought to establish a relationship with complexity performance. In other words, tasks can be setting.
challenging if the English level is lower than intermediate. - To make a definite statement about the
TASKS: role of proficiency, both EFL and ESL
proficiencies would need to be
There were two versions: In the simple version, participants were given a list of six furniture
investigated in relation to task –based
items. And they had to explain where they wanted the objects to be placed on the map of the
performance.
apartment. In the complex task, participants were provided with a list of 15 objects, from which
- This small-scale study raises the issue of
they had to choose five, taking into account several factors such as budget, price, color, etc. In the
simple task, two items were already placed in the room as an example, it is helpful according to whether L2 proficiency should be
cognitive psychology theories. In the complex task, there were not any pattern to follow as considered as one of the essential
reference. variables in the Cognition hypothesis and
similar contexts.
 PROCEDURE:
-Everything was recorded by the researcher.
-Individual assessment in groups of 7-8 participants.
-Time: 1-5 minutes.
-Participants were given the instructions, the sheet of paper with the design of the apartment, one Discussion
minute to plan it, and then they performance the first task.
-An affective variable questionnaire was immediately completed after the first task. And the
whole process was repeated with the second task. The participants also completed a time
judgment questionnaire to know which task was the longest to complete. Interpretations of the findings according to each research References
question:
Results Research Question 1: Effects of L2 proficiency on the
perception of task difficulty.
-The high proficiency group found the complex task less
RESULTS: Robinson, P. (2001). Task complexity, task
difficult than the lower proficiency group, both perceptions
Research Question 1: Perception of task difficulty difficulty and task production: Exploring
could be attributed to their proficiency level.
-Greater differences between simple and complex tasks (4.22 vs. 4.06 in the high interactions in a componential framework:
-In the time estimation task, the higher proficiency group
proficiency group and 3.94 vs. 3.65 in the low proficiency group, where the had more problems in perceiving task complexity, whereas
Applied Linguistics, 22(1), 27-57.
simple task is marked as the more difficult one. Robinson, P. (2003). Attention and memory
lower proficiency participants were more accurate in
-Differences in the estimation of the tasks where low proficiency participants consider during SLA. In C. Doughty & M. H. Long
determining which task required more time to be
the complex task to be more difficult compared to the high proficiency group’s (Eds.), The handbook of second language
completed. It suggest that learner’s proficiency plays a
perception (4.22 vs. 3.94 for acquisition (pp. 631-678). Malden, MA:
certain role in task complexity perception.
simple tasks; 4.06 vs. 3.65 for complex tasks) Blackwell.
 
Robinson, P. (2005). Cognitive complexity
Research Question 2: The impact of L2 proficiency on and task sequencing: Studies in a
performance
- In the comparison between componential framework for second
-A proficient L2 speaker has attentional control over multiple
estimation time and the real language task design. International Review
areas of performance, while for low-proficiency speakers
time the participants needed of Applied Linguistics, 43 (1), 1-32.
to do each task, 60% (high attention may need to be more selective, permitting only Skehan, P. (1998). A cognitive approach to
proficiency group) and 65% limited control of the language. language learning. Oxford: Oxford
(low proficiency group) -This finding suggests that the capacity of human attention
University Press.
correctly estimated the time of is a dynamic process rather than a stable system: as
task completion. proficiency in the second language develops, attentional
capacity stretches to meet the cognitive demands of the
more challenging task.