The development of complexity, accuracy, and fluency in ESP learners’ writing: A dynamic systems theory
Alireza Ahmadi – Hussein Meihami
DOI: 10.18355/XL.2017.10.03.05
Abstract
There is a paucity of research on the writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) of English for specific purposes (ESP) learners. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the development of CAF in the ESP learners’ writing quality while they wrote essays requiring their topical knowledge and the ones requiring their general knowledge. The study benefited from a dynamic systems theory to investigate the development trends of four ESP learners’ writing quality. During the two months, the essays of the ESP learners were examined through different indicators of complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The results revealed that the complexity index of both topical and general essays written by the ESP learners went through the same trends of development. However, this was not the case for the ESP learners’ writing fluency and accuracy. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the ESP learners had higher index of complexity, accuracy, and fluency in topical essays at the beginning of the program and at the end of it when compared with the general essays. Additionally, some variations had been observed among the participants.
Key words: topical knowledge, ESP learners, complexity, accuracy, fluency