The effect of genre on syntactic complexity in English L2 writing

By using second language (L2) written corpus data, this study explores the effect of different genres (i.e., argumentative,
expositive, narrative, and descriptive) on syntactic complexity measures. Previous studies have noted that specific genres require unique sets of linguistic features, including measures associated with syntactic complexity. Therefore, the analysis will identify which complexity features are uniquely associated with specific genres. The expected outcomes include contributions to the measurement of complexity in L2 writing and pedagogical approaches for helping L2 speakers develop the complexity features associated with expert writing.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kim McDonough

Student:

Partner:

Northern Arizona University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Concordia University

Program: