LexTALE — a tool for quick assessment of language proficiency

LexTALE is a tool for quick assessment of language proficiency based on a lexical decision task, developed by Lemhöfer & Broersma (2012). Participants are asked to decide whether the presented word is a real word in the target language. At the Center for Language and Brain, digital versions of LexTALE have been created for Russian, Tatar, Adyghe, and Uzbek. Versions in Kazakh, Yakut, and Koryak are currently in development.

Who will find LexTALE useful?

Our tool makes it possible to measure language proficiency quickly and reliably, which makes it an ideal solution for studies where proficiency needs to be taken into account, as well as for comparing proficiency levels across different languages with the help of equivalent test materials (for example, in bilinguals).

Advantages

• Speed: the test takes only about 5 minutes to complete.

• Simplicity: clear instructions for everyone — press "yes" if the presented word exists in the language, and "no" if it doesn’t.

• Convenience: portable, with automated scoring and saving of results for statistical use.

• Reliability: the test has been validated and shows a high correlation with language proficiency.

• Availability: accessible in many languages of Russia and the CIS.

Structure

The test consists of only two parts: entering the participant’s ID number and completing the lexical decision task itself. After the test, the result is displayed on the screen.

Language versions

• Russian (see citation below)

• Adyghe (A.F. Khanova, M.M. Bricheva)

• Tatar (A.F. Khanova, F.R. Minvaleeva, A.A. Luchenkova, S.R. Makerova)

• Uzbek (Khanova A.F., Akbarova Z.A., Sobirova Z.M., Umarova N., Zokirova S., Abdukodirova L.)

• Kazakh (in development)

• Yakut (in development)

• Koryak (in development)

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us: softneuroling@hse.ru

Citation

For the Russian version of the test:
Khanova, A.F., Mayorova, S.A., Luchenkova, A.A., Zakirova, L.I., Eremina, O.S., & Dragoy, O.V. (2024). Development and validation of a quick and objective test for assessing Russian as a foreign language proficiency: LexRus. In Proceedings of the LII International Scientific Philological Conference in memory of Liudmila Alekseevna Verbitskaya, March 19–26, 2024, St. Petersburg (pp. 1443–1446). St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Press. https://dspace.spbu.ru/items/2745bf9f-d21f-4a3b-ac8d-747ef5ce532d

For other language versions, please cite the original work along with the authors of the adaptation:
Lemhöfer, K., & Broersma, M. (2012). Introducing LexTALE: A quick and valid lexical test for advanced learners of English. Behavior Research Methods, 44(2), 325–343.