Average Collocation Frequency as an Indicator of Semantic Complexity

The present paper elaborates the nature of the Average Collocation Frequency and proposes specific roles for this measure. In addition to its potential as a factor in gauging readability, we propose that the ACF affords a practical measure for estimating the language complexity of texts for use in English language teaching. Particularly, in the context of English as a Second Language, collocational content represents a dimension of language sophistication that is especially challenging to learners. For this reason, the ACF has potential as a discriminator of texts that may allow us to match learning materials to differing levels of learner.