Text Readability and Intuitive Simplification: a Comparison of Readability Formulas
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Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing
CY147/Kroll-FM CY147/Kroll 0 521 82292 0 January 15, 2003 12:46 Char Count= 0 Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing Edited by Barbara Kroll California State University, Northridge v CY147/Kroll-FM CY147/Kroll 0 521 82292 0 January 15, 2003 12:46 Char Count= 0 published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcon´ 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org C Cambridge University Press 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2003 Printed in the United States of America Typefaces Sabon 10.5/12 pt. and Arial System LATEX2ε [TB] A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data Exploring the dynamics of second language writing / edited by Barbara Kroll. p. cm. – (The Cambridge applied linguistics series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-521-82292-0 (hardback) – ISBN 0-521-52983-2 (pbk.) 1. Language and languages – Study and teaching. 2. Composition (Language arts) 3. Rhetoric – Study and teaching. I. Kroll, -
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Salem State University From the SelectedWorks of Sovicheth Boun March 24, 2014 A Critical Examination Of Language Ideologies And Identities Of Cambodian Foreign-Trained University Lecturers Of English Sovicheth Boun Available at: https://works.bepress.com/sovicheth-boun/2/ Table of Contents General Conference Information ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3-‐13 Welcome Messages from the President and the Conference Chair ........................................................................................................................ 3 Conference Program Committee .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Registration Information, Exhibit Hall Coffee Hours, Breaks, Internet Access, Conference Evaluation ................................................ 4 Strand Coordinators and Abstract Readers .................................................................................................................................................................. 5-‐6 Student Volunteers, Individual Sessions and Roundtable Sessions Instructions ............................................................................................ 7 Conference Sponsors ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. -
Language Education & Assessment the Effect of Cohesive Features In
OPEN ACCESS Language Education & Assessment ISSN 2209-3591 https://journals.castledown-publishers.com/lea/ Language Education & Assessment, 2 (3), 110-134 (2019) https://doi.org/10.29140/lea.v2n3.152 The Effect of Cohesive Features in Integrated and Independent L2 Writing Quality and Text Classification RURIK TYWONIW a SCOTT CROSSLEY b a Georgia State University, USA b Georgia State University, USA EmAil: [email protected] EmAil: [email protected] Abstract Cohesion feAtures were cAlculAted for A corpus of 960 essAys by 480 test-tAkers from the Test of English As A Foreign LAnguage (TOEFL) in order to examine differences in the use of cohesion devices between integrated (source-based) writing And independent writing sAmples. Cohesion indices were meAsured using An AutomAted textual Analysis tool, the Tool for the AutomAtic Assessment of Cohesion (TAACO). A discriminant function Analysis correctly clAssified essAys As either integrated or independent in 92.3 per cent of cAses. Integrated writing wAs mArked by higher use of specific connectives And greAter lexicAl overlAp of content words between textual units, whereAs independent writing wAs mArked by greAter lexicAl overlAp of function words, especiAlly pronouns. Regression Analyses found that cohesive indices which distinguish tAsks predict writing quality judgments more strongly in independent writing. However, the strongest predictor of humAn judgments wAs the sAme for both tAsks: lexicAl overlAp of function words. The findings demonstrate that text cohesion is A multidimensional construct shaped by the writing tAsk, yet the meAsures of cohesion which Affect humAn judgments of writing quality Are not entirely different Across tAsks. These Analyses Allow us to better understAnd cohesive feAtures in writing tAsks And implicAtions for AutomAted writing Assessment. -
Application of Coh-Metrix to Determine the Readability Level of Comprehension Texts a Case Study
APPLICATION OF COH-METRIX TO DETERMINE THE READABILITY LEVEL OF COMPREHENSION TEXTS A CASE STUDY 1BOITSHOKO E. OTLHOMILE, 2TSAONA S. MOKGWATHI, 3BENJAMIN M. MOGOTSI Department of Social Sciences & Academic Literacy, Department of Social Sciences & Academic Literacy, Department of Social Sciences & Academic Literacy Botswana International University of Science & Technology, Botswana International University of Science & Technology, Botswana International University of Science& Technology E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract - This paper discusses how the Coh-Metrix system was used to measurereadability levelsof comprehension texts used by the teachers of English for classroom instruction at a junior secondary school. The researchers wanted to determine if the comprehension texts match the readability level of students at this level of education. This is important because all the students atthe school are not native speakers of English. Therefore, they are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). However, the authors of the majority of the English textbooks used in schools are native speakers of English.The study was qualitative in design and five (5) comprehension passages used by English Language teachers for assessment purposes were selected for this study. The data derived were analysed qualitatively. The results showed that random selection of English Language comprehension texts without subjecting them to a readability test such as the Coh-Metrix may compromise the quality of learning. The results also showed that the readability level of textbooks may contribute to the poor performance of ESL learnersand other subject areas. Index Terms - Coh-Metrix, Readability, Classroom Instruction, English as a Second Language I. -
Investigating the Reading-To-Write Construct
Journal of English for Academic Purposes 7 (2008) 140e150 www.elsevier.com/locate/jeap Investigating the reading-to-write construct Yuly Asencio´n Delaney* Modern Languages Department, Northern Arizona University, Babbit Academic Annex, Office 202, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6004, USA Abstract This study explored the extent to which the reading-to-write construct is the sum of one’s reading and writing abilities or an inde- pendent construct. The investigation included an analysis of (a) test tasks, (b) the relationship of test task scores and scores on reading and writing measures, and (c) the effects of proficiency level and educational level on reading-to-write performance. A sample of 139 participants performed two reading-to-write tasksda summary and a response essaydbased on the same source text. Results indicate that the test tasks were different dimensions of the reading-to-write ability, and that the reading-to-write ability seems to be a unique construct weakly associated with reading for comprehension and disassociated from writing an essay without background reading sup- port. In addition, it was found that language proficiency and educational level had a modest effect on the performance of the tasks. Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: L2 reading-to-write; L2 writing; L2 summary writing; L2 reading; EAP 1. Investigating the reading-to-write construct One of the primary tenets of communicative language learning has been the importance of integrative language tasks. This view has been reinforced by English for Specific Purposes (ESP) surveys showing that reading-to-write tasks are common in university settings (Bridgeman & Carson, 1983; Hale et al., 1996; Rosenfeld, Leung, & Oltman, 2001). -
Abdul-Hakim, I
African American English Bibliography A Abdul-Hakim, I. (2002). Florida preservice teachers' attitudes toward African-American Vernacular English. (Doctoral dissertation, The Florida State University, 2002), Dissertation Abstracts International 64(10). (AAT 3109259) Abrahams, R. D. (1962). Playing the dozens. Journal of American Folklore, 75, 209-218. Abrahams, R. D. (1964). Deep down in the jungle...: Negro narrative folklore from the streets of Philadelphia. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates. Abrahams, R. D. (1970). Rapping and capping: Black talk as art. In J. F. Szwed (Ed.), Black American (pp. 132-142). New York: Basic Books, Inc. Abrahams, R. D. (1972). Joking: The training of the man of words in talking broad. In T. Kochman (Ed.), Rappin' and stylin' out: Communication in black America (pp. 215-240). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. Abrahams, R. D. (1974). Black talking on the streets. In R. Bauman & J. Sherzer (Eds.), Explorations in the ethnography of speaking (pp. 240-262). London: Cambridge University Press. Abrahams, R. D. (1975). Negotiating respect: Patterns of presentation among black women. In C. R. Farrer (Ed.), Women and folklore (pp. 58-80). Austin: University of Texas Press. Abrahams, R. D. (1976). Talking black. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Abrahams, R. D. (1993). Black talking on the streets. In L. M. Cleary & M. D. Linn (Eds.), Linguistics for teachers (pp. 173-198). New York: McGraw-Hill. Adams, T. M., & Fuller, D. B. (2006). The words have changed but the ideology remains the same: Misogynistic lyrics in rap music. Journal of Black Studies, 36(6), 938- 957. Adger, C. T. (1994). Enhancing the delivery of services to black special education students from non-standard English backgrounds. -
Proceedings of the Workshop on Computational Linguistics for Linguistic Complexity, Pages 1–11, Osaka, Japan, December 11-17 2016
CL4LC 2016 Computational Linguistics for Linguistic Complexity Proceedings of the Workshop December 11, 2016 Osaka, Japan Copyright of each paper stays with the respective authors (or their employers). ISBN 978-4-87974-709-9 ii Preface Welcome to the first edition of the “Computational Linguistics for Linguistic Complexity” workshop (CL4LC)! CL4LC aims at investigating “processing” aspects of linguistic complexity with the objective of promoting a common reflection on approaches for the detection, evaluation and modelling of linguistic complexity. What has motivated such a focus on linguistic complexity? Although the topic of linguistic complexity has attracted researchers for quite some time, this concept is still poorly defined and often used with different meanings. Linguistic complexity indeed is inherently a multidimensional concept that must be approached from various perspectives, ranging from natural language processing (NLP), second language acquisition (SLA), psycholinguistics and cognitive science, as well as contrastive linguistics. In 2015, a one-day workshop dedicated to the question of Measuring Linguistic Complexity was organized at the catholic University of Louvain (UCL) with the aim of identifying convergent approaches in diverse fields addressing linguistic complexity from their specific viewpoint. Not only did the workshop turn out to be a great success, but it strikingly pointed out that more in–depth thought is required in order to investigate how research on linguistic complexity and its processing aspects could actually benefit from the sharing of definitions, methodologies and techniques developed from different perspectives. CL4LC stems from these reflections and would like to go a step further towards a more multifaceted view of linguistic complexity. In particular, the workshop would like to investigate processing aspects of linguistic complexity both from a machine point of view and from the perspective of the human subject in order to pinpoint possible differences and commonalities. -
Reading and Writing Accompaniment for Future Preschool Teachers
Reading and writing accompaniment for future preschool teachers Allan Amador Díaz Rueda Magíster en Didáctica de la Lengua UIS Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia Correo electrónico del autor: [email protected] Artículo recibido: mayo 27 de 2029 Artículo aceptado: junio de 2019 Cómo citar este artículo: Diaz, R. Allan, A. (2019). Reading and writing accompaniment for future preschool teachers. Espiral, Revista de Docencia e Investigación, 9(2), 153 - 172. Abstract This document presents the systematization results of scenario, reading and writing are fundamental, the accompaniment to the reading and writing processes since they combine key elements for learning, of 21 undergraduate students of the Early Childhood such as the relationship between thought, Education program at UNAB University. The work languages, emotions, interactions and the consisted in the implementation of didactic sequences to elaborate reading cards, infographics, summaries and scientific development of communities. Hence reviews. The pedagogical actions were evaluated based the need to bet on the improvement of on the analysis of the teacher’s field diary records, the students’ communicative processes through products elaborated by the undergraduate students and the articulated development of humanistic, the results of a survey on their learning. It was concluded academic and professional training. that the participants showed signs of reading and writing as epistemic processes. To fulfill this purpose, the institution has, among other strategies, the “Expression” Keywords: Mother tongue teaching, reading, writing, pre-school teacher training. course in the first semester of undergraduate programs. The class is expected to train new Introduction students to strengthen their understanding and textual production in an autonomous way, The “Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga” through learning experiences that meet their (UNAB University) stipulates in its Development communication needs and expectations. -
A Coh-Metrix Study of Writings by Majors of Mechanic Engineering in the Vocational College
ISSN 1799-2591 Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 5, No. 9, pp. 1929-1934, September 2015 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0509.23 A Coh-metrix Study of Writings by Majors of Mechanic Engineering in the Vocational College Ronggen Zhang Shanghai Publishing and Printing College, Shanghai, China Abstract—Through Co-Metrix analyses of the writings of the mechanic vocational students, some findings are as follows: First, the students prefer to use more concrete and familiar content words. Second, they seldom use pronouns and parallel structures, as a result, the writing is not central to the main idea and not coherent enough. Third, those in favor of simple sentences tend to prefer similar sentence structures and repetitive tenses and aspects. Fourth, they prefer to use overlapping pronouns and content words. Finally, the students use hypernymous verbs can make the writing more diverse in sentence structure. In summarizing the findings, the paper also gives some suggestions on how to improve the writing proficiency of the students. Index Terms—English exposition, corpus, Co-metrix, writing proficiency I. INTRODUCTION Coh-Metrix is a computational tool that produces indices of the linguistic and discourse representations of a text. Coh-Metrix was primarily used to improve reading comprehension in classrooms. Then it is used to calculate the coherence texts on many different measures and to study vocabulary (Graesser et al., 2004, 2011, 2013). Duncan (2008) uses Coh-Metrix to provide a computational linguistic analysis of the English-language biomedical research abstracts and posit how these conventions differ among native and nonnatice speakers of English. -
Second Language Research Forum 2020
Second Language Research Forum 2020 C Colloquium P Paper Session L Plenary Speech S Poster Session W Work-in-Progress R Workshop OCTOBER 23 • FRIDAY S Pre-Poster Session Viewing (Access to SLRF Figshare Repository) PINNED This page provides access to Figshare, where all posters and supplementary materials are posted. We 12:00am – 11:59pm recommend attendees to preview the posters of interest before attending the live poster sessions with the presenters. The link to the database will be available October 15, 2020. 8:45am – 10:00am P Paper Session 1.C (Keywords: Morphology, Language processing, Language learning) Speakers: Jongbong Lee, Myeongeun Son, Alex Magnuson, Katherine Kerschen, Kevin McManus, Kelly Bayas, Yulia Khoruzhaya, Jingyuan Zhuang, Maria Kostromitina, Vedran Dronjic, Daniel Keller, Maren Greve, Tiana Covic, Tali Bitan, Mathieu Lecouvet [8:45 am - 9:00 am] Attention to Form and Meaning in Written Modality: Evidence from L2 Learners’ Eye Movements - Myeongeun Son & Jongbong Lee Motivated by a series of replication studies on simultaneous attention to form and meaning, this study revisits L2 learners’ online processing of text by using eye-tracking as an unobtrusive method to provide concurrent data. The L2 learners’ (a) responses to the comprehension questions and (b) reading behaviors reflected in eye movement data demonstrate that they attended to form and meaning simultaneously, consistent with previous studies. --- [9:00 am - 9:15 am] How Input Variability Affects the Learning of Case and Number Morphology - Vedran Dronjic, Daniel Keller, Maria Kostromitina, Maren Greve & Tiana Covic We trained English speakers to understand sentences featuring case (inessive, superessive) and number (singular, plural) inflection in three typologically distinct artificial languages. -
Validity of a Computational Linguistics-Derived Automated Health Literacy Measure Across Race/Ethnicity: Findings from the ECLIPPSE Project
Validity of a Computational Linguistics-Derived Automated Health Literacy Measure Across Race/Ethnicity: Findings from The ECLIPPSE Project Dean Schillinger, Renu Balyan, Scott Crossley, Danielle McNamara, Andrew Karter Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Volume 32, Number 2, May 2021 Supplement, pp. 347-365 (Article) Published by Johns Hopkins University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2021.0067 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/789674 [ Access provided at 27 Sep 2021 09:00 GMT with no institutional affiliation ] ORIGINAL PAPER Validity of a Computational Linguistics- Derived Automated Health Literacy Measure Across Race/ Ethnicity: Findings from The ECLIPPSE Project Dean Schillinger, MD Renu Balyan, PhD Scott Crossley, PhD Danielle McNamara, PhD Andrew Karter, PhD Abstract: Limited health literacy (HL) partially mediates health disparities. Measurement constraints, including lack of validity assessment across racial/ ethnic groups and admin- istration challenges, have undermined the field and impeded scaling of HL interventions. We employed computational linguistics to develop an automated and novel HL measure, analyzing >300,000 messages sent by >9,000 diabetes patients via a patient portal to create a Literacy Profiles. We carried out stratified analyses among White/non- Hispanics, Black/ non- Hispanics, Hispanics, and Asian/ Pacific Islanders to determine if the Literacy Profile has comparable criterion and predictive validities. We discovered that criterion validity was consistently high across all groups (c- statistics 0.82– 0.89). We observed consistent relation- ships across racial/ ethnic groups between HL and outcomes, including communication, adherence, hypoglycemia, diabetes control, and ED utilization. While concerns have arisen regarding bias in AI, the automated Literacy Profile appears sufficiently valid across race/ ethnicity, enabling HL measurement at a scale that could improve clinical care and popu- lation health among diverse populations. -
EMPIRICAL STUDY Particle Placement in Learner Language
Language Learning ISSN 0023-8333 EMPIRICAL STUDY Particle Placement in Learner Language Stefanie Wulff and Stefan Th. Gries University of Florida and University of California at Santa Barbara This study presents the first multifactorial corpus-based analysis of verb–particle con- structions in a data sample comprising spoken and written productions by intermediate- level learners of English as a second language from 17 language backgrounds. We annotated 4,911 attestations retrieved from native speaker and language learner corpora for 14 predictors, including syntactic complexity, rhythmic and segment alternation, and the verb framing of the speaker’s native language. A multifactorial prediction and deviation analysis using regression (Gries & Deshors, 2014), which stacks multiple regression analyses to compare native speaker and learner productions in identical con- texts, revealed a complex picture in which processing demands, input effects, and native language typology jointly shape the degree to which learners’ choices of constructions are nativelike or not. Keywords verb–particle construction; particle placement; learner corpus research; multifactorial regression; mixed-effects model; second language Introduction The acquisition of multiword units constitutes a challenging aspect of learning a language, be it a learner’s first language (L1) or second language (L2). One type of multiword unit in English is verb–particle constructions (VPCs; also called transitive phrasal verbs), that is, combinations of a verb and a particle such as pick up NP, take out NP, or throw away NP (where NP stands for a noun phrase). VPCs are particularly difficult to acquire for several reasons. For one, they, although ubiquitous in English, are not particularly frequent in non- Germanic languages, so many L2 learners of English do not benefit from having We are grateful to the three anonymous reviewers and to Associate Editor Scott Crossley for their helpful and insightful comments.