The cognition hypothesis: Task complexity and L2 interaction

Abstract

The Cognition Hypothesis proposed by Peter Robinson (2001a, 2003, 2005, 2007a) has stimulated
considerable research over the last 12 years. This paper briefly reviews the research on task complexity, an
area where the majority of task-based language teaching (TBLT) studies have aggregated—specifically,
where the connection between the task complexity, task types, and task condition was a focus. Although
the research data to date were not in full consensus, the results showed a number of valuable and testable
insights: (a) there is an effect of task complexity on L2 performance; (b) there is an effect of task types on L2
performance; (c) there is an effect of task complexity on L2 development; (d) there is an effect of task
condition on L2 performance; and (e) there is an effect of the interaction between task complexity and task
condition on L2 performance. The existing research has offered not only some important insights that
future research should seek to build on (e.g., the fact that manipulating task complexity, task types, and task
condition has an influence on language learning), but also has provided some pedagogical implications to
actual teaching practice (e.g., having language teachers design and implement tasks with varying
complexity levels is best for encouraging fluency and accuracy).