The research was aimed at identifying universal patterns of visual semantic search organization in subjects with different language expertise. The subjects were supposed to perform a kind of lexical decision task – find 10 4-letter English words in a random letter matrix (15*15). Subjects with lower WAT lexical test score demonstrated nearly twice higher blink count, compared to subjects with higher WAT score (F(2;288)=6,6, p<0,01), as well as higher blink duration (F(2;288)=14,2, p<0,01), which must be due to higher level of cognitive load. We also identified two eye movement patterns – “sequential”, with fewer change of direction (prevailing 45° angles) and shorter saccadic amplitude, and “chaotic”, with more angles 45°-180° and longer saccadic amplitude. Subjects with lower WAT score tended to prefer “chaotic” eye movement pattern (81,8% cases compared to 18,2% of “sequential” pattern), while subjects with higher WAT score used sequential pattern more often (49,1% cases of “chaotic” and 51,9% cases of “sequential” pattern). The coefficient of contingency between the WAT group and eye movement pattern was 0,21, p<0,01. The acquired data can be used in computer-based foreign language tests and in textbook design.