Using a parallel corpus to adapt the Flesch Reading Ease formula to Czech Cover Image

Using a parallel corpus to adapt the Flesch Reading Ease formula to Czech
Using a parallel corpus to adapt the Flesch Reading Ease formula to Czech

Author(s): Klára Bendová
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Applied Linguistics
Published by: Jazykovedný ústav Ľudovíta Štúra Slovenskej akadémie vied
Keywords: complexity; parallel corpus; Czech; Flesch Reading Ease;machine learning;

Summary/Abstract: Text readability metrics assess how much effort a reader must put into comprehending a given text. They are, e.g., used to choose appropriate readings for different student proficiency levels, or to make sure that crucial information is efficiently conveyed (e.g., in an emergency). Flesch Reading Ease is such a globally used formula that it is even integrated into the MS Word Processor. However, its constants are language-dependent. The original formula was created for English. So far it has been adapted to several European languages, Bangla, and Hindi. This paper describes the Czech adaptation, with the language-dependent constants optimized by a machine-learning algorithm working on parallel corpora of Czech and English, Russian, Italian, and French, respectively.

  • Issue Year: 72/2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 477-487
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English