Have you tried Papyrus? Here are the 4 reasons why Papyrus is the ideal software for ELT authors
Traditional methods of creating and managing publishing work can be significantly improved through the efficiency made available by new technologies. One of them is Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, for many publishers, AI still seems abstract and unclear and how it can help them.
Luckily tools like Papyrus make the benefits of AI clear for teachers, publishers and the authors who work with them. Papyrus allows authors working with publishers in English Language Teaching (ELT) industry to correctly ascertain the language level of their writing and adjust it accordingly. For publishers - particularly educational publishers who work with large amounts of content which need to be organised, classified and created according to language level - tools like Papyrus increase efficiency and fit perfectly into a productive publishing value chain.
What is Papyrus?
Papyrus is a digital tool powered by AI which immediately analyses a piece of text to determine its language level. The tool primarily works with CEFR language classification standards, which attributes a level between A1 and C2 to written texts. What is unique about Papyrus is that it doesn't only analyse the text on the word level, but also uses phrases and grammatical structures to determine the CEFR level.
Educational publishers often require texts to be written directed as a particular stage, for example, a Chemistry text written to B2 level.
However, the work of classifying texts is long, arduous and not always correct. Authors and editors generally work through a text several times to ensure that it complies with a certain language level. This iterative process takes time which reduces efficiency and drives up costs.
Why would ELT authors and publishers use Papyrus?
Papyrus is a more complex and useful tool than just a language-level classifier. It has been designed to be useful specifically for ELT publishers and authors, and its features reflect this in several ways.
1. In-depth analysis
When a text is analysed it is given an overall classification alongside a percentage breakdown of the likelihood that a reader of a certain level will understand it. This can help with borderline texts - for example, while a text may be classified as B1, it could be closer to B1+ rather than A2. The percentage breakdowns show this, giving a writer or editor more insight than a single classification. This allows changes to be made according to the context, providing more flexibility.
2. Highlighting problematic words
Papyrus highlights specific words which are considered outliers in a text. This can also be determined when trying to transition a text from one language level to another. If a text is currently classified as C2 - the highest level - but an author wants to downgrade its level to B2, Papyrus allows the author to see which specific words and phrases are problematic. Authors, editors or publishers can then change individual words or edit phrases, rather than re-writing an entire text. This is particularly useful for repurposing one text for several language levels, dramatically increasing efficiency.
3. Word replacement suggestions
While it’s important that writers or editors are aware of the language level of their content, sometimes changing the language classification level is easier said than done. Changing language levels without compromising on accuracy or clarity of the text can be tricky and often takes time and negotiation between different professionals. Papyrus provides word replacement suggestions, but unlike regular synonym suggestions, selects those suggestions based on the language level. This means that a text can be edited for language level without compromising on clarity using AI provided word suggestions.
4. Real-time analysis
The most helpful aspect of Papyrus is its real-time analysis. Texts can be analyzed within seconds and feedback is given directly on the webpage. This reduces time spent clicking through different web pages, waiting for each iteration of a text to be returned via email or other convoluted systems which are used. Papyrus provides real-time editing tools for ELT authors, teachers or editors, making the iterative process significantly faster.
Bonus! Alternative language classification systems
Although Papyrus primarily works with the CEFR language classification system, the most well-known system, analysis of other language classification systems is available in the tool as well. Systems such as ARI, Flesch-Kincaid, Coleman-Liau and other systems are represented, and scores appropriate to levels are given. This ensures that Papyrus can be used by any and all educational publishers, regardless of the system they use.
Conclusion
Writing content to the appropriate language level is more of an art than a science and often requires multiple iterations and various discussions. With Papyrus this is no longer necessary:
ELT authors can work more independently, confident that their work is progressing aligned to the correct language level and requiring less oversight for publishers.
Educational publishers and editors are required to spend less time analyzing texts for their language level and can rely on their authors to make changes at the beginning, rather than the end of the process of content production.
Furthermore, Papyrus technology merges seamlessly into current software systems such as FontoXML and Microsoft Word, making it an easy and efficient addition to a publisher’s digital toolbox.
P.S.: This text was rated B2+ by Papyrus. Try it out for yourself; create an account for free.
If you’re interested in learning more about Papyrus, get in touch with us or check out the White Paper to figure out what technology is behind the tool.
About EDIA
EDIA education technology was founded in 2004 and is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In 2006, EDIA launched its first AI product for education, which used machine learning and natural language processing to curate online text sources for vocabulary training. The product won several international awards and is still widely used today. In recent years EDIA transformed into a SaaS platform by applying Artificial Intelligence technology to analyse text.