The effects of task complexity on linguistic complexity and perception in English native speakers' and L2 speakers' argumentative writing

This study investigates how task complexity affects native speakers' and second language (L2) learners', and experts' perceptions of task difficulty in writing tasks. It also explores how task complexity influences English native speakers' and L2 learners' linguistic complexity in their writing. Ninety participants performed one simple and one complex argumentative writing task manipulated by task complexity (+/- elements and reasoning demands) and counterbalanced. Their essays were analyzed using linguistic complexity metrics. The results showed that English native speakers, L2 learners, and experts perceived the complex task as requiring more mental effort, being more stressful, and creating more planning and writing time pressure than the simple task. The native speakers demonstrated greater overall linguistic complexity than the L2 learners in the two writing tasks. However, both English native speakers and L2 learners produced longer T-units and more diverse vocabulary in the complex task than in the simple task but also produced more syntactically similar structures in the complex task. Significant interaction effects of group (L1 and L2) and task (+/- elements and reasoning demands) were found for five linguistic complexity metrics. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed in light of Robinson's cognition hypothesis and Hayes's writing model. For the past 30 years, experts in language teaching have studied how difficult language tasks affect people learning a new language (L2). These tasks, which involve various mental challenges, can influence how well learners use the language in terms of complexity (how detailed their language is), accuracy (how correct it is), and fluency (how smoothly they speak or write). However, studies show mixed results on how these challenges impact language learners. One major issue is the lack of comparison with native speakers (people who speak the language fluently from birth). Comparing L2 learners to native speakers helps set realistic goals for learners and highlights areas where they need improvement, such as sentence structure and vocabulary use. This comparison can also improve how language tests are designed and graded. The current study looks at how task difficulty affects the complexity of writing in both native English speakers and L2 learners. By doing this, researchers hope to better understand the differences between native and non-native speakers, which can help teachers develop more effective teaching methods. The study uses several theories to explore these relationships and aims to provide clearer guidelines for teaching and assessing language skills.