The Development Of Syntactic Complexity In L2 Writing Of English Majors From The Perspective Of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory

According to the complex dynamic systems theory,the language system of second language learners is an example of a typical complex system with numerous interrelated sub-systems.It exhibits non-linear development traits during the growth process,including great variability and both forward and backward movements.As a sub-system of language system,syntactic complexity itself is also a complex dynamic system,which can reflect the complexity and diversity of learners’ syntactic output structures,and thus serve as an important indicator to measure learners’ level and ability of second language development.Although the current research focus on syntactic complexity has shifted from horizontal comparison of output results to diachronic changes in complexity development,most of them are case studies,lack of discussion on the common characteristics of group development,and the selected indicators are not sufficient.Therefore,the primary focus of this study is the pattern and trend of the length of output,and the structures of phrase and clause in syntactic complexity over five semesters of writings by English majors.The interactions within syntactic complexity system are also studied.TAASSC syntactic complexity analyzer is used to analyze indicators in different dimensions.The acquired data is visualized using a developmental curve and a trend line,and correlation analysis is then applied.The main research questions of this study are as follows:(1)How do different indicators of syntactic complexity in L2 writing of English majors develop over time?Are there individual differences between learners?(2)What are the general developmental trends in L2 writing of English majors in terms of syntactic complexity?What sort of characteristics does it possess?(3)Is there an interactive relationship between the internal indicators of syntactic complexity?Does this relationship change over time?It’s found that the syntactic complexity of learners is developing non-linearly across all dimensions.Length indicators develops similarly to phrase indicators,and also develops like coordination indicators early on and clause indicators late on.Learners’ patterns of development are constant at broad indicators but diverge at fine ones.Besides,most indicators indicate a gradual decreasing trend,with the exception of the clause indicators,which almost all displayed one or two ups and downs.In the syntactic complexity system,the indicators of phrase and clause are both significantly correlated with the those of output length,whereas the coordinate indicators are significantly inversely correlated with the subordinate indicators.Such associations are dynamic and subject to shifts throughout time.This is in line with how language exposure and acquisition occur for learners.This study both explores dynamics and complexity,strengthening the explanatory power of this theory to the development of syntactic complexity.The findings also motivate teachers to pay closer attention to how language forms change dynamically and to tailor their instructions to certain developmental traits,which has some implications for the second language teaching.