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This article presents a study examining how narrative structure and narrative complexity might influence the performance of second language learners. Forty learners of English in London and sixty learners in Teheran were asked to retell cartoon stories from picture prompts. Each performed two of four narrative tasks that had different degrees of narrative structure (loose or tight) and of storyline complexity (with or without background events). Results support the findings of previous research that tight task structure is connected to increased accuracy and that narratives involving background information give rise to more complex syntax. A comparison of the data from the London and Teheran cohorts showed that the learners in London used significantly more complex syntax and diverse vocabulary even though they did not differ from the Teheran learners in other performance dimensions.

The article discusses the results of a study on the influence of the type of narrative task on oral performance of second-language learners. The two types of narrative task used in the study were narrative complexity and inherent narrative structure. The performance of learners was explored by comparing two groups of learners in a foreign language context in Teheran, Iran and in London, England. The key findings showed that both groups were affected by the design of narrative task and the learning context did not influence accuracy or fluency.