Syntactic complexity in Finnish-background EFL learners’ writing at CEFR levels A1–B2

Abstract The increasing importance of the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) has led to research on linguistic characteristics its levels, as this would help application CEFR in design teaching materials, courses, and assessments. This study investigated whether levels can be distinguished with reference syntactic complexity (SC). 14- 17-year-old Finnish learners English (N=397) wrote three writing tasks which were rated against levels. ratings analysed multi-facet Rasch analysis texts automated tools. Findings suggest that clearest separators at lower (A1–A2) mean sentence T-unit length, variation infinitive density, clauses per or T-unit, verb phrases T-unit. For higher (B1–B2) they modifiers noun phrase, clause complex nominals clause, left embeddedness. results support previous findings length longer production units (sentences, T-units) are SC indices most clearly separate whereas best terms clausal phrasal