A Different View of Phraseological Complexity: The Role of Density, Diversity and Distance

This study discusses the current approach to the construct of phraseological complexity, which has captured the attention of second language research in the last few years. It assumes that the two current dimensions of phraseological complexity – diversity and sophistication – do not adequately represent, in its application to phraseology, the notion of structural complexity, that is, the objective dimension of linguistic complexity, independent from any cognitive and developmental dynamics. Echoing Pallotti’s (2015) “simple view of linguistic complexity”, the study thus proposes a different view of phraseological complexity as a multidimensional construct. It suggests that structural phraseological complexity can be described by the three complementary dimensions of density, diversity and distance. Finally, it presents a case study exploring the correlation between the three proposed dimensions and proficiency in texts produced by intermediate and advanced learners of Italian, and by Italian native speakers.