AI Insight
This study examined the linguistic complexity of English writing produced by 66 EFL students at a Chinese application-oriented university, analyzing compositions across lexical, syntactic, and textual dimensions. Findings indicate that lexical and syntactic complexity measures vary in their sensitivity to proficiency levels, and that both lexical and syntactic development follow non-linear trajectories rather than simple linear progression. Text coherence emerged as a consistent predictor of overall writing quality across all proficiency groups.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that EFL writing instruction in Chinese universities should be differentiated according to students' proficiency levels and should account for the uneven, non-linear nature of linguistic development. Curriculum designers may benefit from integrating explicit metalinguistic awareness training to support students' growth across multiple dimensions of writing complexity.
by Jinhua Zhang
English writing competence is a significant manifestation of students’ second language proficiency. However, comprehensive synchronic empirical research remains scarce regarding how students at application-oriented universities perform in terms of linguistic complexity in their compositions. To bridge this gap, this study analyzes 66 students’ compositions hierarchically at the level of lexis, syntax, and text. Results demonstrate that: (1) Lexical and syntactic complexity indicators exhibit different sensitivities to writing proficiency. (2) Both lexical and syntactic competence display non-linear developmental features. (3) Students’ text coherence is consistently correlated with the writing quality. Future research should prioritize students’ metalinguistic cognition towards different linguistic dimensions. EFL instruction should be tailored to students’ varying language proficiency levels. This study highlights the need for curricula that evolve alongside students’ English linguistic complexity development, offering new insights into English writing education at Chinese application-oriented universities.