Mark D. Johnson’s research while affiliated with University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville and other places

Task planning and its effect on the complexity of second language (L2) written production have been studied extensively. However, the results of these studies are inconclusive, and at times contradictory, potentially as a result of variation in metrics of linguistic complexity. This study is an extension of earlier research syntheses and quantitative meta-analyses on the effects of planning on oral and written L2 production. It examines the identification and selection of linguistic complexity metrics in previous research on planning and its subsequent effects on the linguistic complexity of written L2 production. This research-focused synthesis of studies surveys construct definitions and operational definitions of linguistic complexity in the research domain and provides an overview of rationales for metric selection in the included studies. Methodological implications for future research are discussed in light of the findings.

There is a growing focus on examining how the order of tasks impacts oral and written output in a second language, particularly concerning syntactic complexity, accuracy, lexical complexity, and fluency (CALF). Despite previous studies, the findings have been inconsistent. This research synthesis and meta-analysis, centered around Robinson's (2010) SSARC model of pedagogical task sequencing, aims to: firstly, analyze the types of tasks used in investigating task sequencing and its effects on L2 production; secondly, explore the definitions of task complexity and task sequence in research on task sequencing and its impacts on L2 production; thirdly, examine the metrics of CALF in the study of task sequence and its effect on L2 production; and finally, assess the effects of task sequence on CALF in L2 production. The results show consistencies in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research regarding the manipulation of task sequencing, particularly the progression from simple to complex tasks using features that direct or disperse cognitive resources. Our findings demonstrate positive effects for the sequence of tasks from simple to complex on syntactic complexity and accuracy of L2 production, regardless of the mode of production. In contrast, random task sequencing primarily impacts the accuracy of L2 production, particularly in oral production.

While the use of cohesive devices has received considerable attention in L2 writing research, scant attention has been devoted to exploring local, global, and textual cohesive features across two genres at different time points using indices generated by the computational tool for automatic analysis of cohesion (TAACO). Inspired by this gap, this study attempted to: (a) identify TAACO indices that are predictive of human ratings of essay organization, (b) investigate which of the identified TAACO indices differ between narrative and argumentative genres, and (c) explore which of the identified TAACO indices might change over time. To achieve these purposes, 270 narrative and argumentative essays were collected from 45 L2 writers in counterbalanced order at six different time points. The results of mixed-effects modeling revealed textual cohesive devices to be significant predictors of human ratings of essay organization regardless of genre and indicated sustained development in the use of textual cohesive devices over time. This study has important implications for L2 writing assessment including the potential to enhance assessment practices by incorporating computational tools like TAACO. The findings emphasize the importance of considering textual cohesive devices as significant predictors of essay organization, regardless of genre.

Second language (L2) writing researchers have enthusiastically adopted task complexity frameworks in their examination of the effects of complex task features on L2 written performance. However, such research often overlooks the effect(s) of such features on general L2 development as well as L2 writing development. Drawing from Manchόn and William’s (2016) perspective of writing as a mechanism for language development, this paper (a) presents a critical review of L2 writing research informed by task-based language teaching and conceptions of task complexity and (b) argues for expanded L2 writing research on task complexity and its effect on L2 production as well as the ways in which complex task features facilitate attention to language, and thus general L2 development, and L2 writing development. Future research is suggested in light of a discussion of research trends to date.

Increased interest in task-based language teaching among L2 writing researchers has motivated a number of studies on task complexity features and their effect on the syntactic complexity, accuracy , lexical complexity, and fluency (CALF) of L2 written production. One such task complexity feature-planning-has been identified as an important method of alleviating the cognitive demands of L2 written production. However, inconclusive, at times contradictory, research results make it difficult to understand the effect of planning on L2 written production. This study, a research synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis of L2 writing research on task planning, examines operational definitions of planning and writing tasks, then directly compares the results of quantitative research on the effect of planning on L2 written CALF. The results of the research synthesis and meta-analysis are discussed in terms of their theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical implications.

Informed by task-based approaches to language teaching, recent L2 writing research has sought to determine the effect of task complexity features on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of written L2 production (Johnson, 2017). However, two areas of task-informed research have received scant attention: a) the effect of task complexity features on L2 writers' use of cohesive devices and b) the effect of task repetition as a form of implicit planning. Furthermore, interaction effects of task complexity and task repetition on different types of cohesive devices in L2 writing have not been explored. To bridge these gaps, this study examines the effects of resource-directing task complexity features (Robinson, 2005), task repetition (Lambert et al., 2017), and their interaction on L2 writers' use of cohesive devices. Ninety-six participants composed two argumentative essays in counterbalanced order: a) a simple task and b) a complex task and then completed a task difficulty questionnaire. After an interval of one week, the participants repeated each task. Essays were then analyzed using the Tool for Automatic Analysis of Cohesion-or TAACO (Crossley et al., 2018)-for indices found to be predictors of human ratings of essay organization (Abdi Tabari & Johnson, 2023). A factorial repeated-measures MANOVA revealed limited effects of task repetition on the participants' use of cohesive devices. Rather, task complexity features had a more robust effect on their use of textual and local cohesive devices.

This study examined the use of cohesive features in 270 narrative and argumentative essays produced by 45 s language (L2) students over a semester-long writing course. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the ability of the computational indices of cohesion (TAACO) variables to predict human ratings of essay quality, recognize any differences in the use of cohesive devices between narrative and argumentative genres, and ascertain which of the cohesive devices varied for each of the genres over time. The results indicated clear differences in how cohesion was signaled between the two genres. Narrative texts relied on the use of connective devices to signal cohesion, whereas argumentative texts relied on the use of global-level repetition. With regard to development, the results were less conclusive but do suggest expansion in the participants' use of cohesive devices. These results provide important implications for L2 writing pedagogy and assessment.

Recent second language (L2) writing research informed by task-based theories of second language acquisition has enthusiastically adopted task complexity frameworks to describe the specific cognitive demands of a given writing task and the effect of those cognitive demands on written L2 production. However, missing from many studies on the effects of task complexity on L2 written production is a discussion of genre as a potential source of task complexity. This paper examines the potential of genre as a resource-dispersing form of task complexity that is unique to writing. The article summarizes the predictions of task-based theories of second language acquisition particularly the predictions of the Cognition Hypothesis and its intersection with Kellogg’s widely-cited model of working memory in writing. It then argues that formal genre-specific knowledge constitutes a resource-dispersing form of task complexity that is distinct from general L2 proficiency and general writing proficiency.