The effects of +/- reasoning demands on L2 oral production during

Abstract

The current study analyses data collected during a decision-making task in order to determine how task complexity, manipulated along the resource directing variable of +/- reasoning demands, affects dimensions of fluency, accuracy and linguistic complexity while the resource dispersing variable of less planning time remained constant. In addition to general measures, three developmentally based, task specific measures derived from results of studies of conjoined clauses and elaborated noun phrases, have been employed in order to determine specific effects of increased task complexity on structural complexity. Overall results indicate that as cognitive complexity increased, structural complexity was positively affected as the intended message was conceptualized in such a way as to effectively meet the demands of the increased reasoning demands. Lexical complexity, accuracy, and fluency were not affected although greater demands along the resource dispersing variable of less planning time may have minimized effects of increased reasoning demands along these dimensions. Task specific measures were successful in identifying instances of structural complexity where general measures were not able to do so.