TEXT COMPLEXITY AS INTERDISCIPLINARY PROBLEM

Abstract

The article is the first state-of-the-art review in Russian and foreign (mostly English) studies on text complexity in which we concentrate on both articles and books, addressing text complexity theories and methods of assessment. “Text complexity” is viewed as a construct computed with the help of linguo-mathematical, cognitive, and machine learning methods. The interdisciplinary approach implemented in the study enabled the authors to integrate the research of the problem in a new discipline, i.e. textual complexology viewed as an integral research paradigm focused on assessment of objective and individual complexity of text. Textual complexology provides methods and develops tools of text leveling thus empowering the process of selecting texts appropriate for a specific reader. During the two periods of its timeline, i.e. before and after computer technologies, textual complexology accumulated numerous linguo-mathematical, cognitive, and machine learning methods of text complexity assessment and text leveling. The latter are based on linguo-cognitive abilities of readers and their readiness to be exposed to texts of certain complexity. The research results can be implemented in various pragmalinguistic situations to predict text readability dependency on certain age, year of schooling, and professional specialization.