Impact of task type and task complexity on negotiation of meaning in young learners of Chinese as a second language
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7155486 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jing Yan (0000-0002-0680-657X, Department of Chinese Language Studies , 66390 The Education University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong Special Administrative Region , China, corresponding author), Christine C M Goh (0000-0002-0093-0692, Nanyang Technological University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 2665-2693 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0019-042X • E-ISSN: 1613-4141 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1515/iral-2023-0327 |
| OpenAlex | W4399973146 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 36 |
Negotiation of meaning (NoM) has played a facilitative role in second language acquisition. However, the existing studies have primarily focused on adult English language learners. This study investigated the impact of task type and task complexity on NoM strategies among young learners of Chinese as a second language, an underexplored group. The participants were 110 students in Hong Kong aged 10–12, mainly from Pakistan, India, Philippines, and Nepal. They were asked to perform four tasks with different task types and levels of task complexity in Cantonese (the primary Chinese dialect spoken in Hong Kong). In terms of task type, the study found that required information exchange tasks (i.e., information gap tasks) produced significantly more clarification requests, confirmation checks, self-repetitions, and other repetitions in terms of total numbers and numbers per 100 Chinese characters than the optional exchange tasks (i.e., decision-making tasks). Complex tasks, on the other hand, elicited significantly more confirmation checks than simple tasks. These findings provide useful insights for designing tasks that can promote greater use of NoM strategies in classroom practice
Linguistics · Meaning (existential) · Negotiation · Sociology · Task (project management) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Philosophy · Psychology · Second Language Acquisition and Learning · Second Language Learning and Teaching
Developing and assessing second language listening and speaking
An investigation into the impact of age and task type on oral interactions of young learners of Chinese as a second language
An analysis of negotiation sequences in a higher education EFL context
The effects of pre-task explicit instruction, input modality of task types, and working memory on L2 oral production
The Long March to Biliteracy and Trilingualism
Task complexity, theory of mind, and intentional reasoning
Input, Interaction, and Second Language Development
Input, Interaction, and Second‐language Acquisition
The Role of the Linguistic Environment in Second Language Acquisition
A Classroom Perspective on the Negotiation of Meaning
Non-native/Non-native Conversations
Native speaker/non-native speaker conversation and the negotiation of comprehensible input1
Task complexity, task difficulty, and task production
The effect of task repetition on the patterns of interaction of ESL children
The effects of task types on L2 oral production and learner engagement
Do children negotiate for meaning in task-based interaction? Evidence from CLIL and EFL settings
Interaction and instructed second language acquisition
Negotiated interaction in the L2 classroom
"Information Gap" Tasks
Negotiation of Meaning in Conversational and Information Gap Activities
The Influence of Task Structure and Processing Conditions on Narrative Retellings
Task-Based Interactions in Classroom and Laboratory Settings
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |