Using word semantics to assist English as a second language learners

Abstract

We introduce an interactive interface that aims to help English as a Second Language (ESL) students overcome language related hindrances while reading a text. The interface allows the user to find supplementary information on selected difficult words. The interface is empowered by our lexical substitution engine that provides context-based synonyms for difficult words. We also provide a practical solution for a real-world usage scenario. We demonstrate using the lexical substitution engine – as a browser extension that can annotate and disambiguate difficult words on any webpage.