On the fractal nature of complex syntax and the timescale problem

Abstract

Fundamental to complex dynamic systems theory is the assumption that the recursive behavior of complex systems results in the generation of physical forms and dynamic processes that are self-similar and scale-invariant. Such fractal-like structures and the organismic benefit that they engender has been widely noted in physiology, biology, and medicine, yet discussions of the frac-tal-like nature of language have remained at the level of metaphor in applied linguistics. Motivated by the lack of empirical evidence supporting this as-sumption, the present study examines the extent to which the use and development of complex syntax in a learner of English as a second language demon-strate the characteristics of self-similarity and scale invariance at nested time-scales. Findings suggest that the use and development of syntactic complexity are governed by fractal scaling as the dynamic relationship among the sub-constructs of syntax maintain their complexity and variability across multiple temporal scales. Overall, fractal analysis appears to be a fruitful analytic tool when attempting to discern the dynamic relationships among the multiple component parts of complex systems as they interact over time.