Annotated Bibliography on Task Complexity and the Complexity of Written

Language Production with Regard to Robinson’s Triadic Componential

Framework

This annotated bibliography focuses on the issues of Task-Based Language Teaching which
has attracted the attention of SLA researchers over decades, especially the one regarding task
complexity. However, most researches investigated the oral language production, that only
few of those investigated the written production. Due to that reason, I am interested in
knowing the relationship of task complexity to the written production which is seen as
‘recent’ research in second/foreign language acquisition. Two models of task complexity are
used; Skehan’s Limited Attentional Capacity Model and Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis;
yet I will focus more on Robinson’s model which is further also known as The Triadic
Componential Framework. The reason is mainly due to the depth analysis and finding
resulted from some studies following the model.

Kuiken, F., Vedder, I., & Matters, M. (2007). Cognitive task complexity and linguistic
performance in French L2 writing. Investigating tasks in formal language
learning, 117-135

The effect of task complexity on linguistic performance became the focus of this study. It was
the linguistic performance with regard to the use of general versus specific measures of
writing proficiency which Kuiken et.al., tried to find out.

Having 84 Dutch university students of Italian and 75 students of French as the participant of
the study, the findings revealed that the use of more specific measures in analysing the
accuracy, syntactic complexity, and lexical variation, had provided extra information which
might complement the result of previous study. It was known that both types of students
produced fewer errors in the complex task; however, they showed different result regarding
the effect of complexity on lexical variation, that students of Italian used significantly more
high frequent words in the complex task compared to the students of French. At last, it was

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said that it was not possible to establish any interaction effect of task complexity and
proficiency level.

Since both two models of task complexity (Skehan’s Limited Attentional Capacity Model and
Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis) were used in this study, the focus was not limited to one
point of view. The two models were used in order to complement each other and this one was
such a novelty. By using more specific measures also, this study provided more insight on the
type of the detected errors and the frequency band of the words which were not present in
previous studies. This study will really be useful for those who want to know the relationship
between task complexity and linguistic performance. I, myself, am interested in knowing it.
However, since some studies believed that Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis has more
comprehensive framework regarding task complexity; that theory will be the one I prefer to
apply in my research. Also, by knowing that there were some specific measures to use which
were proven as effective compared to the general ones, this study might be really helpful to
be used as one foundation in my research that those specific measures might be applied.
However, since the role of attentional resources has not yet being explored in the study,
further study might also focus on the area of it by proposing a refined model of task
complexity.

Masrom, U.K., Daud, N. S. M., & Alwi, N. A. N. M. (2015). Task complexity and the
complexity of written language production: A review of literature. International Journal
of Linguistics, 7(3), 78-93

The paper tried to compare and contrast the results of several studies that were conducted by
manipulating variables in written language production.

The main conclusion resulted from the paper was that task types, task condition, or task
complexity which become the main focus of the studies, would affect learners’ language
performance regardless of the context or the participants of the studies. Regarding the
measurements, various complexity measures were applied such as syntactic complexity,
lexical complexity, and lexical variation. By examining those variables on task complexity, it
is hoped that teachers and L2 learners could be aware of the role of Task-Based Instruction in
language classroom. At last, it is suggested that language teachers should try to integrate
Task-Based Instruction into language teaching and learning.

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The paper really gives a deep insight on the relationship between task complexity fulfilling
the model of Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis and Skehan’s Limited Attentional Capacity.
Knowing some research surrounding the focus will be really useful for further studies, and
especially me, who want to conduct a research on the relationship between task complexity
and the written production of L2 learners which focuses on the same aspect and has the same
variables with those suggested researchers in this paper. However, since there are three
elements in Robinson’s Triadic Componential Framework and that the paper only gave
review on researches focusing only on task complexity, other studies who might want to
focus on the other two elements; task condition and task difficulty, might only get a little help
by having this paper as one literature or foundation of the study.

Ong, J., & Zhang, L. J. (2010). Effects of task complexity on the fluency and lexical
complexity in EFL students’ argumentative writing. Journal of Second
Language Writing, 19(4), 218-233

Focusing on the two models of task complexity; Skehan’s Limited Attentional Capacity
Model and Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis, this study was aimed at knowing the effects of
task complexity on the fluency and lexical complexity of 108 EFL students’ argumentative
writing.

By manipulating several factors: (1) availability of planning time; (2) provision of ideas and
macro-structure; and (3) draft availability, on task performance in a single experimental
study, the findings of the study revealed that a complex task (free writing) produced
significantly greater fluency II (measured by total time on task) and lexical complexity than
the less complex tasks (pre-task and extended pre-task). The findings also supported the two
models of task complexity proposed by Skehan and Robinson on the effect of increasing task
complexity with respect to the provision of +/- ideas and +/- macrostructure of the text, on
reducing fluency and lexical complexity. A complex task, then, resulted in lower lexical
complexity than a non-complex one. However, regarding the effect of increasing task
complexity with respect to +/- draft availability, the findings did not seem to support
Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis.

Knowing that there are factors which led to some effects on the fluency and lexical
complexity of the written text produced was such an aid for further research. Combining both

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two models in one single experimental study was also a nifty type of research. On the other
hand, by not counting the accuracy as one factor in language production, the findings could
not fully verify the Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis Model. My research since it will focus
on the all factors in language production which accounts accuracy in it, might find difficulty
in searching for information regarding accuracy by having this study as one literature. Yet,
other aspects in this study talking about the theory will be really helpful to know. Other
factors also need to be researched by others who are interested in task complexity instead of
the three factors stated in this study; aptitude, interest level, motivation are such factors which
could be counted. Further research might combine those factors and try to know the effects of
it to the learners’ written production.

Salimi, A., Dadaspour, S., & Asadollahfam, H. (2011). The effect of task complexity on
EFL learners’ written performance. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,
29, 1390-1399

The study was aimed at examining the effects of manipulating task complexity along
resource-directing factors on L2 learners’ performance in their writing task.

Having 29 participants to do different types of tasks in English as the L2, it was resulted that
there were significant differences between the performance on accuracy, fluency, and
complexity of learners on simple and complex tasks. However, the findings of the study ran
against the theory proposed by Robinson regarding the prediction of Cognition Hypothesis in
which it was found that there was no significant difference between task complexity and L2
learners’ written performance in terms of accuracy. However, the other two were in line with
the Cognition Hypothesis theory that task complexity had significant effect on L2 learners’
production in terms of both fluency and complexity.

Having been read this study, an insight to what actually a research on task complexity comes
to my mind that it will help me a lot with my later research. By comprehensive yet simple
arrangement of writing, more complex understanding can be reached. Putting a point on
pedagogical implications regarding the study made this study different from others which
mostly did not put this point in their writing. The three aspects on resource-directing area was
being researched; that the findings showed the relationships between task complexity and the
all three factors; accuracy, fluency, and complexity. Although there was a finding which ran

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against the theory of Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis, that will be a big opportunity for me
to know whether the findings can be generalized or not.

Shajeri, E., & Izadpanah, S. (2016). The impact of task complexity along single task
dimension on Iranian EFL learners’ writing production. Theory and Practice in
Language Studies, 6(5), 935

Using Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis as the foundation of the study, Shajeri and
Izadpanah tried to find out the effects of task complexity on the lexical complexity of Iranian
EFL students’ argumentative writing.

By giving a set of writing tests to 48 learners who have randomly selected and assigned into
two different groups (Simple Task Group, n=24 and Complex Task Group, n=24), it is known
that participants (learners) generated greater number of words in the most complex task.
Single task dimension as one of the dimensions under the resource-depleting feature in
Robinson’s Triadic Componential Framework was chosen to be researched. The provision of
task complexity along +/- single task dimension was proven to significantly affect Iranian
EFL learners’ written performance. The manipulation of task complexity resulted to greater
fluency gains in which both lexical and syntactic complexity increased. However, the
findings did not in line with Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis and more into the Limited
Attentional Capacity Model proposed by Skehan.

Shajeri and Izadpanah had successfully done a research answering the research questions
dealing with the possible effect of employing the simple and complex tasks on the lexical
complexity. Since there are only few researches focusing on both task complexity and its
output on lexical complexity, this research becomes very useful for future studies, especially
for me who want to conduct a research on the field of it. By knowing the result of
manipulation for both simple task and complex task, I know which type of task I should focus
on further. Comparing between two different tasks was such a breakthrough that the result
might be used in guiding for other studies also on the field of second/foreign language
acquisition. However, since this study tried to compare and applied the two theories, I might
focus only on the theory proposed by Robinson to be used as guidance for my research. At
last, since the study used only test to gain the data, further studies might add other

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instruments such as interview and questionnaire; hoping that other factors or variables
surrounding the study could be revealed. I, myself, might use those other types of data
collection techniques to further gather the information I need under the topic.