Understanding Advancedness in L2 Spanish Writing: Using Measures of Complexity and Accuracy

CARLA FELLOW PRESENTATION:
This project compares the writing of L2 learners of Spanish at different proficiency levels in order to identify linguistic features unique to the Advanced level. Forty writing samples from ACTFL's Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) comprise the data of this project; 20 from the Intermediate-High proficiency level and 20 from the Advanced-Low. Measures of complexity (lexical and syntactic) and accuracy were used to analyze the written texts. Results reveal implications for the L2 Spanish classroom and what advancedness entails in L2 learners.
Presenter Marie Mangold is a PhD student in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies where she teaches undergraduate Spanish courses. Her research interests include second language acquisition and pedagogy, language teacher preparation and certification, curriculum analysis and design, and language assessment. She was selected to be a CARLA Fellow for 2022-2023.