The role of syntactic and lexical complexity in undergraduate writing quality

• Lahuerta Martínez, Ana Cristina ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de Oviedo

     Universidad de Oviedo

     Oviedo, España

     
• Localización: Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos ( AELFE ), ISSN-e 2340-2784, ISSN 1139-7241, Nº. 47, 2024, págs. 251-274
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.17398/2340-2784.47.251
• Enlaces
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• Dialnet Métricas: 2 Citas
• Resumen
  • español

    Este artículo estudia la producción escrita de estudiantes universitarios de un curso EMI por medio del análisis de la complejidad de sus escritos. Se centra en la complejidad sintáctica y léxica y su relación con la calidad de la escritura y con el nivel de competencia lingüística en la L2. Los participantes eran 182 estudiantes universitarios de distintas competencias lingüísticas en inglés. Las composiciones se analizaron en términos de su calidad global y por medio de medidas cuantitativas de los dos tipos de complejidad. Los resultados mostraron que la longitud de las oraciones y los sintagmas, así como la subordinación están relacionados con la calidad escrita. Además, la longitud de los sintagmas y la riqueza y diversidad léxicas distinguen entre niveles de competencia. Se observa mayor uso de sintagmas complejos en los escritos de estudiantes más competentes. Finalmente, en los niveles avanzados de competencia la complejidad léxica y sintáctica y léxica no se desarrollan a la vez, ya que la complejidad sintáctica permanece estable mientras la léxica continúa aumentando.

  • English

    This study explores the L2 production of university students enrolled in an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) course, by means of the analysis of the complexity of their academic writing performance. It focuses on syntactic and lexical complexity and their relationship with L2 writing quality and L2 proficiency. The participants were 182 L2 college-level students at difference levels of proficiency in English. The essays were evaluated by means of both global ratings of writing quality and quantitative measures of syntactic and lexical analysis. Results showed that the length of sentences and noun phrases, as well as subordination are all related to writing quality. In addition, the length of noun phrases along with lexical richness and diversity can differentiate proficiency levels. This study shows a greater use of complex phrasal constructions in the writing of more competent third-level students. Finally, our study that at advanced competence levels syntactic and lexical complexity are not synchronous, as syntactic complexity remains stable while lexical complexity continues increasing.

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