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Chapter 2. Effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on Japanese EFL learners’ oral production

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Abstract

This study sought to test Skehan’s (1996, 1998) limited capacity hypothesis and Robinson’s (1995, 2003) cognition hypothesis by investigating the effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on EFL learners’ oral production (see also Genc, this volume). Twenty three Japanese-L1 high school students were given two sets of picture-based narrative tasks: a simple task with fewer characters and a complex task with more characters appearing in cartoon-based stories. Ten of these participants were given pre-task planning time, whereas thirteen were not. The results indicate that (a) the increased task complexity positively affects the specific measure of syntactic complexity, but negatively affects global accuracy and fluency; and (b) planning time positively affects global syntactic complexity, but negatively affects fluency. These findings partially support and partially disconfirm both Robinson’s and Skehan’s hypotheses, posing questions about making blanket predictions on the linguistic consequences of task manipulation. The findings also show the importance of employing task-discourse sensitive measures in investigating the effect of task complexity on learners’ language use. The main value of the findings of the study comes from its focus on Japanese EFL high school students who have limited oral L2 proficiency, a population underrepresented in previous studies, despite their obvious importance for both research and teaching.

Abstract

This study sought to test Skehan’s (1996, 1998) limited capacity hypothesis and Robinson’s (1995, 2003) cognition hypothesis by investigating the effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on EFL learners’ oral production (see also Genc, this volume). Twenty three Japanese-L1 high school students were given two sets of picture-based narrative tasks: a simple task with fewer characters and a complex task with more characters appearing in cartoon-based stories. Ten of these participants were given pre-task planning time, whereas thirteen were not. The results indicate that (a) the increased task complexity positively affects the specific measure of syntactic complexity, but negatively affects global accuracy and fluency; and (b) planning time positively affects global syntactic complexity, but negatively affects fluency. These findings partially support and partially disconfirm both Robinson’s and Skehan’s hypotheses, posing questions about making blanket predictions on the linguistic consequences of task manipulation. The findings also show the importance of employing task-discourse sensitive measures in investigating the effect of task complexity on learners’ language use. The main value of the findings of the study comes from its focus on Japanese EFL high school students who have limited oral L2 proficiency, a population underrepresented in previous studies, despite their obvious importance for both research and teaching.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface xi
  4. Foreword xv
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Section I. Variables affecting task-based language learning and performance
  7. Chapter 2. Effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on Japanese EFL learners’ oral production 23
  8. Chapter 3. Measuring task complexity 43
  9. Chapter 4. Effects of strategic planning on the accuracy of oral and written tasks in the performance of Turkish EFL learners 67
  10. Chapter 5. Effects of task instructions on text processing and learning in a Japanese EFL college nursing setting 89
  11. Chapter 6. Task structure and patterns of interaction 109
  12. Section II. Implementation of task-based language teaching
  13. Chapter 7. Patterns of corrective feedback in a task-based adult EFL classroom setting in China 137
  14. Chapter 8. Incidental learner-generated focus on form in a task-based EFL classroom 163
  15. Chapter 9. Qualitative differences in novice teachers’ enactment of task-based language teaching in Hong Kong primary classrooms 187
  16. Chapter 10. Implementing computer-assisted task-based language teaching in the Korean secondary EFL context 215
  17. Chapter 11. Task-based language teaching through film-oriented activities in a teacher education program in Venezuela 241
  18. Chapter 12. Task-based language teacher education in an undergraduate program in Japan 267
  19. Chapter 13. Incorporating a formative assessment cycle into task-based language teaching in a university setting in Japan 287
  20. Chapter 14. Language teachers’ perceptions of a task-based learning programme in a French University 313
  21. Epilogue. What is next for task-based language teaching?
  22. Chapter 15. TBLT in EFL settings 345
  23. About the contributors 359
  24. Index 363
Task-Based Language Teaching in Foreign Language Contexts
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Task-Based Language Teaching in Foreign Language Contexts
https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.4.05sas

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface xi
  4. Foreword xv
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Section I. Variables affecting task-based language learning and performance
  7. Chapter 2. Effects of task complexity and pre-task planning on Japanese EFL learners’ oral production 23
  8. Chapter 3. Measuring task complexity 43
  9. Chapter 4. Effects of strategic planning on the accuracy of oral and written tasks in the performance of Turkish EFL learners 67
  10. Chapter 5. Effects of task instructions on text processing and learning in a Japanese EFL college nursing setting 89
  11. Chapter 6. Task structure and patterns of interaction 109
  12. Section II. Implementation of task-based language teaching
  13. Chapter 7. Patterns of corrective feedback in a task-based adult EFL classroom setting in China 137
  14. Chapter 8. Incidental learner-generated focus on form in a task-based EFL classroom 163
  15. Chapter 9. Qualitative differences in novice teachers’ enactment of task-based language teaching in Hong Kong primary classrooms 187
  16. Chapter 10. Implementing computer-assisted task-based language teaching in the Korean secondary EFL context 215
  17. Chapter 11. Task-based language teaching through film-oriented activities in a teacher education program in Venezuela 241
  18. Chapter 12. Task-based language teacher education in an undergraduate program in Japan 267
  19. Chapter 13. Incorporating a formative assessment cycle into task-based language teaching in a university setting in Japan 287
  20. Chapter 14. Language teachers’ perceptions of a task-based learning programme in a French University 313
  21. Epilogue. What is next for task-based language teaching?
  22. Chapter 15. TBLT in EFL settings 345
  23. About the contributors 359
  24. Index 363
Heruntergeladen am 10.4.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/tblt.4.05sas/html
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