Readability, referential cohesion and interaction in texts of websites, textbooks and workbooks for French language learning

Abstract

As Internet carries on its growing in an unceasing manner, more and more students are guided by their teachers to access
language learning websites to support self-studyThe present study examined some linguistic and interactional properties of
French learning websites in terms of readability, referential cohesion and interaction. These properties were comparatively
analysed with French language textbooks and workbooks. The results showed that the websites were close to workbooks in
terms of the number of words and clauses used to teach/learn grammatical subjects. In order to examine readability and
comprehensibility, the websites were analysed for lexical density, clause length and referential cohesion. The results
revealed that they used less readable and comprehensible texts about lexical density and referential cohesion while they
designed readable and comprehensible text regarding clause length. The websites were also analysed for involvement
strategies and the use of imperative verbs to look for their interactional features. The results indicated that they showed
strong interactional properties through involvement strategies but presented low density of imperatives. The findings of the
present study also revealed that the texts of the websites were rather denatured electronic texts which seem to be a simple
transmission of information in printed sources as such into digital environment.