Linguistic Dimensions of L2 Performance: Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency

Year 2024, Volume: 23 Issue: 4, 1736 - 1749, 24.10.2024

Aysel Şahin Kızıl

https://doi.org/10.21547/jss.1531851

Abstract

The Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (CAF) framework is among the fundamental models in second language acquisition (SLA) research, providing a robust structure for analysing the multifaceted nature of language performance. This paper sets out to offer a comprehensive examination of the CAF model, emphasizing its critical role in evaluating the linguistic development of language learners. It thoroughly defines each component—complexity, accuracy, and fluency—while highlighting the intricate challenges involved in measuring these dimensions. Through a review of various empirical studies and methodological approaches, the paper presents a nuanced analysis of how these aspects of language performance are quantified and assessed within SLA research. This study critically evaluates the effectiveness of different metrics used to measure complexity, accuracy, and fluency. It also explores the broader implications of these measurements for understanding L2 proficiency and the cognitive processes underlying language production. Furthermore, the study identifies existing gaps in the literature and proposes future research directions aimed at enhancing the reliability and validity of CAF measurements. By providing an in-depth analysis of both the theoretical and practical applications of the CAF model, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of L2 performance assessment. It underlines the importance of developing more refined and comprehensive approaches to measure these dimensions, with the ultimate goal of advancing SLA research and improving the effectiveness of language teaching methodologies.

Keywords

Complexity, Accuracy, Fluency, Second language

Linguistic Dimensions of L2 Performance: Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency

Abstract

Karmaşıklık, Hatasızlık ve Akıcılık (KHA) modeli, ikinci dil edinimi (SLA) araştırmalarındaki temel modeller arasında yer almakta ve dil performansının çok yönlü doğasını analiz etmek için sağlam bir çerçeve sunmaktadır. Bu çalışma; karmaşıklık, hatasızlık ve akıcılık modelinin, ikinci dil öğrenenlerin dil gelişimini değerlendirmedeki kritik rolünü vurgulayarak modelin kapsamlı bir incelemesini sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Makale, modeldeki dilbilimsel karmaşıklık, hatasızlık ve akıcılık bileşenlerini süreç içerisinde gelişimlerine kısaca değinerek her bir bileşenin ayrıntılı bir tanımını sunmaktadır. İlgili alan yazında rapor edilen çeşitli deneysel çalışmaların ve metodolojik yaklaşımların gözden geçirildiği bu makalede, ayrıca, dil performansının dilbilimsel yönlerinin ikinci dil araştırmalarında nicel ve nitel yöntemlerle nasıl değerlendirildiğine dair bir analiz sunulmaktadır. Çalışmada karmaşıklık, hatasızlık ve akıcılığı ölçmek için kullanılan farklı metriklerin etkililiği eleştirel bir şekilde değerlendirilmektedir. Ayrıca, bu ölçümlerin ikinci dil yeterliliğini ve dil üretiminin altında yatan bilişsel süreçleri anlamaya yönelik daha geniş etkileri araştırılmaktadır. Son olarak, çalışma mevcut literatürdeki boşlukları belirlemekte ve karmaşıklık, hatasızlık ve akıcılık ölçümlerinin güvenilirliğini ve geçerliliğini artırmaya yönelik gelecekteki araştırma yönlerini özetlemektedir. KHA modelinin hem teorik hem de pratik uygulamalarını derinlemesine inceleyerek, bu makale ikinci dil performans değerlendirmesine dair daha derin bir içgörüye katkıda bulunmaktadır. Bu boyutların ölçülmesi için daha rafine ve kapsamlı yaklaşımlar geliştirilmesinin önemini vurgulayarak, ikinci dil araştırmalarının ilerlemesine ve dil öğretim metodolojilerinin etkinliğini artırmaya yönelik katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Karmaşıklık, hatasızlık, Akıcılık, İkinci Dil

References

• Barrot, J. S., Agdeppa, J. Y. (2021). Complexity, accuracy, and fluency as indices of college-level L2 writers’ proficiency. Assessing Writing, 47 (December 2020), 100510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2020.100510
• Barkaoui, K., Hadidi, A. (2020). Assessing changes in second language writing performance. London: Routledge.
• Barrot, J. S., Gabinete, M. K. (2019). Complexity, accuracy, and fluency in the argumentative writing of ESL and EFL learners. IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, Online First, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2017-0012
• Bosker, H. R., Pinget, A. F., Quené, H., Sanders, T., de Jong, N. H. (2013). What makes speech sound fluent? The contributions of pauses, speed and re-pairs. Language Testing, 30, 159-175.
• Brumfit, C. (1979). Communicative language teaching: An educational perspective. In C. Brumfit & Johnson K (Eds.), The communicative approach to language teaching (pp. 183-191). London: Oxford University Press.
• Bulté, B., Housen, A. (2012). Defining and operationalising L2 complexity. https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.32.02bul
• Cho, H. (2015). Effects of Task Complexity on English Argumentative Writing. English Teaching, 70(2), 107-131. https://doi.org/10.15858/engtea.70.2.201506.107
• de Jong, N. H. (2016a). Predicting pauses in L1 and L2speech: The effects of utterance boundaries and word frequency. International Review of Applied Lin-guistics in Language Teaching, 54, 113-132.
• Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Evans, N. W., Hartshorn, K. J., Cox, T. L., Martin de Jel, T. (2014). Measuring written linguistic accuracy with weighted clause ratios: A question of validity. Journal of Second Language Writing, 24(1), 33-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2014.02.005
• Foster, P., Wigglesworth, G. (2016). Capturing accuracy in second language performance: The case for a weighted clause ratio. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Vol. 36, pp. 98-116. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190515000082
• Gaillat, T., Lafontaine, A., Knefati, A. (2023). Visualizing Linguistic Complexity and Proficiency in Learner English Writings Visualising linguistic complexity and proficiency in learner English writings. A Knefati CALICO Journal, 40(2), 178-197. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.19487ï
• Gebril, A., Plakans, L. (2013). Toward a transparent construct of reading-to-write tasks: The interface between discourse features and proficiency. Language Assessment Quarterly, 10(1), 9-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2011.642040
• Housen, A., Kuiken, F. (2009). Complexity, accuracy, and fluency in second language acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 30(4), 461-473. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amp048
• Housen, A., Kuiken, F., Vedder, I. (2012). Complexity, accuracy and fluency: Definitions, measurement and research. In A. Housen, F. Kuiken, & I. Vedder (Eds.), Dimensions of L2 Performance and Proficiency (pp. 1–21). Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://benjamins.com/catalog/lllt
• Jabbari, N., Peterson, M. (2023). Complexity, accuracy, and fluency improvements through massively multiplayer online gaming: a longitudinal mixed-methods case study. Language Learning Journal, 51(4), 416-450. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2219713
• Kisselev, O., Soyan, R., Pastushenkov, D., Merrill, J. (2022). Measuring writing development and proficiency gains using indices of lexical and syntactic complexity: Evidence from longitudinal Russian learner corpus data. Modern Language Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12808
• Kuiken, F. (2023). Linguistic complexity in second language acquisition. Linguistics Vanguard, 9(s1), 83-93. https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2021-0112
• Larsen-Freeman, D. (1978). An ESL Index of Development. TESOL Quarterly, 12(4), 439-448. Retrieved from https://about.jstor.org/terms
• Larsen-Freeman, D. (2006). The emergence of complexity, fluency, and accuracy in the oral and written production of five Chinese learners of English. Applied Linguistics, 27(4), 590-619. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/aml029
• Lu, X. (2010). Automatic analysis of syntactic complexity in second language writing. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 15(4), 474-496. https://doi.org/10.1075/ijcl.15.4.02lu
• Michel, M. (2017). Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency (CAF). In S. Laowen & M. Sato (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (pp. 1-38). London: Routledge.
• Miyamoto, M. (2019). Capturing L2 oral proficiency with CAF measures as predictors of the ACTEFL OPI rating (Doctoral dissertation). Purdue University, West Lafayette.
• Norris, J. M., Ortega, L. (2009). Towards an organic approach to investigating CAF in instructed SLA: The case of complexity. Applied Linguistics, 30(4), 555-578. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amp044
• Pallotti, G. (2009). CAF: defining, refining and differentiating constructs. Applied Linguistics, 30(4), 590-601.
• Pallotti, G. (2015). A simple view of linguistic complexity. Second Language Research, 31(1), 117-134. doi:10.1177/0267658314536435
• Phuoc, V. D., Barrot, J. S. (2022). Complexity, accuracy, and fluency in L2 writing across proficiency levels: A matter of L1 background? Assessing Writing, 54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2022.100673
• Şahin Kızıl, A. (2023). Data-driven learning: English as a foreign language writing and complexity, accuracy and fluency measures. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 39(4), 1382-1395. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12807
• Samoudi, N., Modirkhamene, S. (2020). Concordancing in writing pedagogy and CAF measures of writing. IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2020-2014
• Sarte, K. M., Gnevsheva, K. (2022). Noun phrasal complexity in ESL written essays under a constructed-response task: Examining proficiency and topic effects. Assessing Writing, 51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2021.100595
• Segalowitz, N. (2010). Cognitive bases of second language fluency. London: Routledge.
• Skehan, P. (1989). Individual differences in second language learning. London: Edward Arnold.
• Skehan, P., Bui, G., Wang, Z., Shum, S. (2024). Re-examining accuracy measures in second language task-based spoken performance. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2024.100098
• Skehan, P., Foster, P. (2012). Complexity, accuracy, fluency and lexis in task-based performance: a synthesis of the Ealing research. Dimensions of L2 Performance and Proficiency: Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency in SLA., (1987), 199-220. https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.32.09fos
• Tabari, M. A., Hui, B. (2024). Exploring the associations among task complexity, task motivation, task engagement, and linguistic complexity in L2 writing. Modern Language Journal, 108(2), 446-468. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12921
• Tavakoli, P. (2011). Pausing patterns: Differences be-tween L2 learners and native speakers. ELT Journal, 65, 71-79.
• Tavakoli, P. (2016). Fluency in monologic and dialogic task performance: challenges in defining and measuring L2 fluency. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 54(2), 133-150. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2016-9994
• Tavakoli, P., Kendon, G., Mazhurnaya, S., Ziomek, A. (2023). Assessment of fluency in the Test of English for Educational Purposes. Language Testing, 40(3), 607-629. https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322231151384
• Tavakoli, P., Nakatsuhara, F., Hunter, A. –M. (2020). Aspects of Fluency Across Assessed Levels of Speaking Proficiency. Modern Language Journal, 104(1), 169-191. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12620
• Vercellotti, M. Lou. (2017). The development of complexity, accuracy, and fluency in second language performance: A longitudinal study. Applied Linguistics, 38(1), 90-111. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amv002
• Wigglesworth, G., Storch, N. (2009). Pair versus individual writing: Effects on fluency, complexity and accuracy. Language Testing, 26(3), 445-466. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532209104670
• Wolfaardt, J. F., Leung, A. H.-C. (2023). The Impact of Filipina Domestic Workers on Hong Kong Primary School Children’s L2 English Spoken CAF and Reading Accuracy and Fluency. Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amad072
• Wolfe-Quintero, K., Inagaki, S., Kim, H.-Y. (1998). Second language development in writing: measures of fluency, accuracy, and complexity. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263101263050
• Xu, P. (2023). Reconsidering the syntactic complexity measures on L2 spoken English: A multi-dimensional perspective. Heliyon, 9(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16856