Level-Up: Learning to improve proficiency level of essays

Abstract

We introduce a method for generating suggestions on a given sentence for improving the proficiency level. In our approach, the sentence is transformed into a sequence of grammatical elements aimed at providing suggestions of more advanced grammar elements based on originals. The method involves parsing the sentence, identifying grammatical elements, and ranking related elements to recommend a higher level of grammatical element. We present a prototype coaching system, Level-Up, that applies the method to English learners' essays in order to assist them in writing and reading. Evaluation on a set of essays shows that our method does assist user in writing.