SYNTACTIC COMPLEXITY IN L2 COLLEGE ENGLISH WRITING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH (2022-2026)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164097Keywords:
College English Writing, L2 Writing, Second Language Writing, Syntactic Complexity, Systematic Literature ReviewAbstract
Syntactic complexity has become an important construct in second language writing research because it reflects how L2 writers organise ideas, elaborate meanings, and develop academic writing proficiency. In college English writing contexts, it is widely used to examine writing quality, learner development, task performance, and instructional effects. But recent results are still not consistent because of differences in research design, writing task, learner background, assessment focus and measurement approach. To this end, this systematic literature review synthesized recent empirical studies of syntactic complexity in L2 college English writing from 2022 to 2026. Following the PRISMA framework, an advanced search was conducted in Scopus and ERIC using the keywords “syntactic complexity” and “writing”. After screening, eligibility assessment, and removal of irrelevant records, 31 primary studies were included in the final analysis. The findings were organised into four themes: syntactic complexity as an indicator of writing quality, developmental patterns, task- and context-sensitive variation, and pedagogical mediation. The review indicates that syntactic complexity is an important but not independent indicator of L2 writing quality. Its development is now understood to be multidimensional, non-linear and context-sensitive, with increasing attention to fine-grained and genre-sensitive analyses. The review highlights the systematic interaction between learner, task and instructional variables influencing syntactic complexity, and calls for more longitudinal and context-sensitive research to improve theoretical understanding and methodological comparability.
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