Grammatical Analysis Is Required to Describe Grammatical (and “Syntactic”) Complexity: A Commentary on “Complexity and Difficulty in Second Language Acquisition: A Theoretical and Methodological Overview”.

The article discusses the importance of conducting grammatical analysis to describe grammatical complexity in learner language. It critiques the use of omnibus measures that overlook specific grammatical structures and syntactic functions, advocating for a more principled linguistic analysis. The authors argue that a comprehensive understanding of grammatical complexity in English learner language requires a detailed examination of grammatical structures and syntactic functions. They highlight the limitations of relying on general measures and emphasize the need for collaboration between SLA researchers and grammarians to develop linguistically adequate methods. [Extracted from the article]