Online Test Tool to Determine the CEFR Reading Comprehension Level of Text

On the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale, the average reading comprehension level of the Dutch population is B1 and the average level of text provided by Dutch government organisations requires a considerably higher reading skills level (C1). This means that part of the population may have difficulty reading texts delivered to them by their own government. We built a simple and freely available online tool to give content editors an indication of the CEFR reading comprehension level of their texts. This paper describes the parameters of the tool and proposes a list of possible extensions to improve the quality and usability of the output. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Programme Committee of the 5th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion (DSAI 2013).