Informed by task-based approaches to language teaching, recent L2 writing research has sought to determine the effect of task complexity features on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of written L2 production (Johnson, 2017). However, two areas of task-informed research have received scant attention: a) the effect of task complexity features on L2 writers’ use of cohesive devices and b) the effect of task repetition as a form of implicit planning. Furthermore, interaction effects of task complexity and task repetition on different types of cohesive devices in L2 writing have not been explored. To bridge these gaps, this study examines the effects of resource-directing task complexity features (Robinson, 2005), task repetition (Lambert et al., 2017), and their interaction on L2 writers’ use of cohesive devices. Ninety-six participants composed two argumentative essays in counterbalanced order: a) a simple task and b) a complex task and then completed a task difficulty questionnaire. After an interval of one week, the participants repeated each task. Essays were then analyzed using the Tool for Automatic Analysis of Cohesion—or TAACO (Crossley et al., 2018)—for indices found to be predictors of human ratings of essay organization (Abdi Tabari & Johnson, 2023). A factorial repeated-measures MANOVA revealed limited effects of task repetition on the participants’ use of cohesive devices. Rather, task complexity features had a more robust effect on their use of textual and local cohesive devices.

受基于任务的语言教学方法的启发，最近的二语写作研究试图确定任务复杂性特征对二语书面表达的复杂性、准确性和流畅性的影响（Johnson，2017）。然而，任务知情研究的两个领域很少受到关注：a）任务复杂性特征对第二语言作者使用衔接手段的影响；b）任务重复作为隐式计划形式的影响。此外，任务复杂性和任务重复对二语写作中不同类型衔接手段的交互影响尚未被探索。为了弥补这些差距，本研究考察了资源导向任务复杂性特征（Robinson，2005）、任务重复（Lambert 等人，2017）的影响），以及他们对二语作者使用衔接手段的互动。九十六名参与者以平衡的顺序撰写了两篇议论文：a）简单任务和 b）复杂任务，然后完成任务难度调查问卷。间隔一周后，参与者重复每项任务。然后使用凝聚力自动分析工具或 TAACO（Crossley 等人，2018）对论文进行分析，以获取可预测论文组织人类评分的指数（Abdi Tabari & Johnson，2023 ）。阶乘重复测量多元方差分析显示任务重复对参与者使用衔接设备的影响有限。相反，任务复杂性特征对他们使用文本和本地衔接手段有更强大的影响。