基于任务需求的高校专门用途英语教材Flesch-Kincaid指数分析

本文采用Flesch-Kincaid等级评测公式,通过READABILITY—FORMULAS在线评测国外麦克米伦Campaign和国内南京大学《英语教程》内容的各Flesch-Kincaid相关指数,对比分析这两套基于任务需求的高校专门用途英语教材的章节选材及其难易程度关系。Flesch-Kincaid等级评测公式是美国专业部门为自己量身打造的、美国DOD规定使用的文本测量工具。研究发现,国外Campaign教材内容的难度系数高于大学英语六级考试阅读题;国内对应的《英语教程》内容则介于四、六级之间。Campaign教材的语言能力等级为雅思6.5;国内《英语教程》则对应雅思6.0。Campaign教材侧重于任务行动的“如何开展”,而国内教材则侧重于任务的“情况介绍”。在开展基于任务需求的专门用途英语学习之前,新生需要大学英语的过渡期;而且,为便于推广与使用,这类教材内容的难度系数还需要再降低。

TEM-8与PET阅读理解材料可读性对比研究

可读性是指读者对所读文本的难易度的评估,与阅读理解的难易度有密切关系。采用Flesch-Kincaid和Fog Index可读性计算公式统计分析最近五年高校英语专业八级考试题和全国研究生入学考试题的阅读理解材料的可读性。研究表明英语专业八级测试题的阅读理解材料的可读性总体上高于全国研究生入学考试题的阅读理解材料的可读性,即:前者的难度总体上低于后者难度。分析指出其可读性差异源于它们选材的差异。

Non-Native English Speaker Readability Metric: Reading Speed and Comprehension

This paper presents an investigation to evaluate the reading speed and reading comprehension of non-native English speaking students by presenting a simple analytical model. For this purpose, various readability softwares were used to estimate the average grade level of the given texts. The relationship between the score obtained by the students and their reading speed under average grade level 9 and 14 using font size 12 and 14 is presented. The experimental results show that the reading speed and the score versus the students may be explained by a linear regression. Reading speed decreases as the score decreases. The students with a higher magnitude of reading speed scored better marks. More importantly, we find that the reading speed of our students is lower than the native English speakers. This approach of modeling the readability in linear form significantly simplifies the readability analysis.

大学英语教材学术词汇覆盖率研究——以《新编大学英语综合教程》为例

基于Coxhead研发的学术词汇表(Academic Word List/AWL),文章分析了《新编大学英语综合教程》(第3版)课文的AWL覆盖率,以期验证此套教材语言学术性。研究发现:此套教材介于通用英语与学术英语之间,更倾向于通用英语;一至四册之间AWL覆盖率遵循了循序渐进的趋势;课文之间AWL覆盖率差异较大,但整体呈螺旋上升的趋势;课文AWL覆盖率与语言难度有很强的相关性。研究成果对大学英语教材选用和修订有较高的参考价值。