ERIC Number: EJ1131461
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1792-8788
EISSN: N/A
A Software Application for Assessing Readability in the Japanese EFL Context
Ozasa, Toshiaki; Weir, George R. S.; Fukui, Masayasu
Themes in Science and Technology Education, v3 n1-2 p31-44 2010
We have been engaged in developing a readability index and its application software attuned for Japanese EFL learners. The index program, Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Program, Ver. 1.0, was used in developing the readability metric Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Index but tended to assume a high level of computer knowledge in its users. As a result, the application proved to be difficult to operate for 'lay' users. Since the majority of its expected users are not computer specialists, it is of crucial importance to develop a user-friendly program that can be used easily without any professional knowledge or skills. The goal of the present study was to provide a readability application that was informed by our index development work and sufficiently user-friendly for use by EFL professionals, i.e., Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Program, Ver. 2.0. The present paper describes the background context in which this work was undertaken and details our approach both to readability measurement and to the design of this software application for assessing readability in the Japanese EFL context.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), Computer Software, Readability, Computer Uses in Education, Usability, Second Language Learning, Readability Formulas
Themes in Science and Technology Education. The Educational Approaches to Virtual Reality Technologies Laboratory, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR 45110, Greece. Tel: +30-2651005697; Fax: +30-2651005854; Web site: http://earthlab.uoi.gr/theste
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Flesch Kincaid Grade Level Formula; Flesch Reading Ease Formula
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A