Page 53 - ألحاث كلية الآداب 2017-2020

2019 Publications

International Review of Applied
Linguistics in Language Teaching

Task complexity, language proficiency and working memory: Interaction effects
on second language speech performance
Anas Awwad, Parvaneh Tavakoli

With the aim of developing a more reliable understanding of the effects of task
complexity and learner-internal factors on L2 performance, a 2×2 within-between
participant study was designed to examine the effects intentional reasoning has on L2
performance, and whether learner language proficiency and working memory mediates
these effects. Forty- eight learners of English performed two video-based narrative tasks
of varying degrees of intentional reasoning, after taking Oxford Placement Test,
Elicited Imitation Tasks and backward-digit span tasks. The results demonstrate that
intentional reasoning had significant effects on complexity and accuracy, but no impact
on fluency. Regression analyses indicated that proficiency and working memory
reliably predicted accuracy across both task types. However, language proficiency and
working memory contributed differentially to models predicting lexical complexity and
speed fluency in the two task types, highlighting the interaction between task
complexity and learner-internal factors.
https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/iral/ahead-of-print/article-10.1515-iral-2018-
0378/article-10.1515-iral-2018-0378.xml?language=en

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