The ability to objectively quantify the complexity of a text can be a useful indicator of how likely learners of a given level will comprehend it. Before creating more complex models of assessing text difficulty, the basic building block of a text consists of words and, inherently, its overall difficulty is greatly influenced by the complexity of…

A study investigated the readability of current laws for Canadian francophones and anglophones. The 63 subjects were asked to read a variety of brief legal texts available in parallel styles in both languages and to answer questions about the texts' content. Subjects were also surveyed about their preference for a formal or vulgarized style of…

This handbook for the bilingual vocational curriculum specialist contains seven modules which describe the process of developing curriculum materials to be used by students of limited-English-speaking ability. Module 1 is an introduction to the handbook which discusses bilingual education in the United States and the role of the teacher in…