Assessing the validity of new paradigmatic complexity measures as criterial features for proficiency in L2 writings in English
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: This article addresses Second Language (L2) writing development through an investigation of new grammatical and structural complexity metrics. We explore the paradigmatic production in learner English by linking language functions to specific grammatical paradigms. Using the EFCAMDAT as a gold standard and a corpus of French learners as an external test set, we employ a supervised learning framework to operationalise and evaluate seven microsystems. We show that learner levels are associated with the seven microsystems (MS). Using ordinal regression modelling for evaluation, the results show that all MS are significant but yield a low impact if taken individually. However, their influence is shown to be impactful if taken as a group. These microsystems and their measurement method suggest that it is possible to use them as part of broader-purpose CALL systems focused on proficiency assessment.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institutions: Université Rennes 2, Linguistique Ingénierie et Didactique des Langues, Laboratoire d'Électronique et d'Electromagnétisme, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway, Université Paris Cité, Approches Linguistiques Théoriques, Appliquées et Expérimentales : langues et cultures connectées, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Laboratoire d’Informatique de l’Université du Mans
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4415261768