We discuss limitations of current research on L2 complexity in terms of conceptualisations, linguistic phenomena investigated, construct operationalisations and methods for gauging complexity. We stress the need for research that focuses on hitherto underexplored complexity phenomena, different conceptualisations and operationalisations of complexity, and novel ways of capturing complexity phenomena.
Complexity is regarded as one of the major research variables in applied linguistic research: measures of complexity have been widely used to describe L2 performance, assess L2 proficiency, and trace L2 development (Housen et al., 2012; Norris and Ortega, 2009; Ortega, 2012; Wolfe-Quintero et al., 1998). Current L2 complexity research, although very prolific, has also been maddeningly inconsistent in its findings. This talk, which serves to frame the symposium, will argue and illustrate that this state of affairs is due to the fact that complexity research in applied linguistics has been too limited in scope in terms of conceptualisations, linguistic phenomena investigated, construct operationalisations and methods for gauging complexity (Biber et al., 2011; Bulté & Housen, 2012; Ortega, 2012; Pallotti, 2009, 2015). We call for research that challenges the status quo in current L2 complexity research by focussing on hitherto underexplored complexity phenomena (e.g. morphological complexity, phonological complexity, lexicogrammatical complexity), by exploring different conceptualisations of complexity (e.g. derived from usage-based, generative or typological approaches to linguistic complexity), by developing novel ways of capturing complexity phenomena and operationalising complexity constructs and their associated dimensions (e.g. multidimensional approaches to diversity, sophistication and compositionality for lexical and syntactic complexity), and/or by investigating the link between absolute and relative complexity in L2 development.
