Chapter 6. Effects of task complexity and interaction on L2 performance
Abstract
The Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson, 2005, this volume) claims that increases in cognitive task complexity along ‘resource-directing’ variables focus L2 learners’ attention on language. This results in more accurate and syntactically and lexically more complex speech, while negatively affecting fluency. Interactive tasks have been claimed to enhance L2 learners’ attention to language form, raising the chance that they will produce more accurate speech in dialogues than monologues. As speakers ask for clarifications, and mirror each other’s speech, pair work allegedly leads to structurally less complex and lexically less diverse output while fluency increases. When task complexity and the interactional format are manipulated at the same time, combined effects may occur. As a complex task requires more clarification work, complex dialogic tasks may lead to higher levels of accuracy, but lower levels of structural and lexical complexity. This study investigated the effects of increased task complexity and interaction: 64 L2 learners of Dutch performed simple and complex tasks either individually (+monologic) or in pairs (–monologic). Task complexity was manipulated along the dimension ‘± few elements’. The students’ output was analyzed for measures of linguistic complexity, accuracy, and fluency. It was compared to the output produced by 44 native speakers of Dutch performing the same tasks. The results provide little support for the Cognition Hypothesis, although interaction had…
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Performances in the dialogic condition tend to be more fluent than in the monologic condition.
“The accumulating evidence from task-based fluency studies suggests that performances in the dialogic condition tend to be more fluent than in the monologic condition (e.g., Michel, 2011;Wright, 2021).”
From The impact of L1 speaking style, task mode, and L2 proficiency on L2 fluency: A within-subject study of monologic and dialogic speech (2025) · cites this paper as Michel, 2011
Michel (2011) found L2 learners produced faster speech and fewer filled pauses and repairs in the dialogic condition.
“Michel (2011) found that the L2 learners produced faster speech and fewer filled pauses and repairs in the dialogic condition.”
From The impact of L1 speaking style, task mode, and L2 proficiency on L2 fluency: A within-subject study of monologic and dialogic speech (2025) · cites this paper as Michel (2011)
Alignment effects associated with interactive settings could mask or influence the L1-L2 fluency connection.
“even with potential alignment effects associated with interactive settings that could”
From The impact of L1 speaking style, task mode, and L2 proficiency on L2 fluency: A within-subject study of monologic and dialogic speech (2025) · cites this paper as Michel, 2011
The greater fluency of dialogic performances compared to monologic performances can be explained by the presence of the interlocutor and the overall interactive nature of the dialogic task.
“can be explained with the presence of the interlocutor and the overall interactive nature of the dialogic task”
From The impact of L1 speaking style, task mode, and L2 proficiency on L2 fluency: A within-subject study of monologic and dialogic speech (2025) · cites this paper as Michel, 2011
Turn-taking provides opportunities for the interlocutor to plan during the other speaker's turn.
“turn-taking provides opportunities for the interlocutor to plan during the other speaker's turn”
From The impact of L1 speaking style, task mode, and L2 proficiency on L2 fluency: A within-subject study of monologic and dialogic speech (2025) · cites this paper as Michel, 2011
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- Authors
- Michel, M. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Mannheim (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Michel, Marije C.
- ORCID
- Michel, Marije C.
- Venue
- Task-Based Language Teaching
- Publisher
- John Benjamins Publishing Company
- Published
- 2011-09-02
- Pages
- 141-174
- ISSN
- 1877-346X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2227092501
- Cited by
- 114
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 26.18
- Type
- book chapter
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Task-based language teaching (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Linguistics and Language Analysis
- Keywords
- task complexity, Cognition Hypothesis, L2 speech production, fluency, linguistic complexity, lexical diversity, pair work, clarification, Dutch as a second language, task-based language learning
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