Linguistic complexity,as research hotspot in the second language acquisition,plays an important role in evaluating language proficiency of L2 learners.CiteSpace 6.3.1 is used to conduct bibliometric statistics and visual analysis on 342 relevant articles on linguistic complexity.Domestic research has witnessed three stages of development:from its inception to stable development and then to rapid development.Current domestic research mainly focuses on the single and dual dimensions of linguistic complexity in writing by L2 learners at intermediate or low proficiency levels.Frontier focuses on the linguistic complexity of continuation writing by high school students.Future research on linguistic complexity in China should focus on morphological complexity and the multidimensional study of linguistic complexity,considering high-level English learners as the primary subjects of study.
维普
万方数据