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THE READABILITY LEVEL OF THE READING TEXTS ON
ADVANCED LEARNING ENGLISH 2
(An English Textbook for Senior High School; A Descriptive Study at the
Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan)
By:
WIWIN SUTIANAH
1110014000016
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TARBIYA AND TEACHERS’ TRAINING
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
2014
i
ABSTRACT
Wiwin Sutianah, 2014, Readability Level of the Reading Texts on Advanced
Learning English 2 (An English Textbook for Senior High School; A
Descriptive Study at the Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang
Selatan), Skripsi, English Education Department, Faculty of Tarbiya and
Teachers’ Training Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.
Advisors : 1. Zaharil Anasy, M.Hum
2. Ertin, MA TESOL
Key Words : Readability, Texts, Textbook, Flesch Reading Ease Formula
The objective of this study is to find out the readability level of the reading
texts on English textbook for the eleventh grade students entitled Advanced
Learning English 2 at SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan. The writer uses
descriptive method in which the writer describes the readability level of reading
texts in the textbook using Flesch Reading Ease Formula. Units of analysis of this
study are 17 texts. They are the whole reading texts on the textbook Advanced
Learning English 2 especially in the Reading section. The book consists of 3
descriptive texts, 8 narrative texts, 2 analytical exposition texts, 1 hortatory
exposition text and 3 spoof texts. Based on the analysis by using Flesch Reading
Ease Formula, from 17 texts, 1 text is in the Very Easy Level, 4 texts are in the
Easy Level, 4 texts are in the Fairly Easy Level, 4 texts are in the Standard Level,
3 texts are in the Fairly Difficult Level, and 1 text is in the Difficult Level. In
average, the texts are in Fairly Easy Level ( 70.82 ). It is found that according to
the theory of Flesch Reading Ease the texts are in the appropriate level for
eleventh grade students.
ii
ABSTRAK
Wiwin Sutianah, 2014, Readability Level of the Reading Texts on Advanced
Learning English 2 (An English Textbook for Senior High School; A
Descriptive Study at the Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang
Selatan), Skripsi, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Ilmu
Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah,
Jakarta.
Pembimbing : 1. Zaharil Anasy, M.Hum
2. Ertin, MA TESOL
Kata Kunci : Keterbacaan, Teks, Buku Teks, Rumus Flesch Reading Ease
Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menemukan tingkat keterbacaan teks-
teks reading pada buku paket kelas sebelas yang berjudul Advanced Learning
English 2 di SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan. Penulis menggunakan metode
deskriptif yang mana penulis menjelaskan tingkat keterbacaan teks-teks reading
pada buku paket dengan menggunakan rumus Flesch Reading Ease. Analisa unit
dari penelitian ini adalah 17 teks. Ketujuh belas teks ini adalah keseluruhan teks
reading pada buku paket Advanced Learning English 2 khususnya pada bagian
Reading. Teks-teks tersebut terdiri dari 3 teks deskriptif, 8 teks naratif, 2 teks
eksposisi analitis, 1 teks eksposisi hortatori dan 3 teks lelucon. Berdasarkan
analisa dengan menggunakan rumus Flesch Reading Ease, dari 17 teks, 1 teks
berada pada tingkat Sangat Mudah, 4 teks berada pada tingkat Mudah, 4 teks
berada pada tingkat Cukup Mudah, 4 teks berada pada tingkat Standar, 3 teks
berada pada tingkat Cukup Sulit, dan 1 teks berada pada tingkat Sulit. Secara rata-
rata, teks-teks tersebut berada pada tingkat Cukup Mudah (70.82). dapat diketahui
bahwa berdasarkan teori Flesch Reading Ease teks-teks yang ada dalam buku
paket tersebut memiliki tingkat keterbacaan yang sesuai dengan siswa kelas
sebelas.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the king of dayafter and the
Owner of everything in this universe. He is the one who always gives the writer
strength so she can accomplish this research. Shalawat and salam be upon the
prophet Muhammad Shalallahu ‘alaihi wa salam, his family, his relatives and his
faithful followers.
The writer would say her deepest gratitudeto her dear parents,father H.
Hasanuddin and mother Hj.Asmanah, who always give motivation, pray, love,
material and moral support to the writer. Moreover, the writer does not forget to
thank her teachers in pesantren Daar El-Hikam Abi Bahruddin S. Ag. and Umi
Tutik Rosmaya who have educated and advised her patiently.
The writer also would like to give great honor to her advisors, Mr. Zaharil
Anasy, M.Hum. and Mrs. Ertin, MA TESOL. who have spared their busy time to
guide the writer patiently during developing this research.
Furthermore, the writer would like to give special gratitude to :
1. All lecturers in Department of English Education for teaching precious
knowledge and educating the writer during her study from the first
semester .
2. Mr. Drs. Syauki, M.Pd., the Head of Department of English Education.
3. Mr. Zaharil Anasy, M.Hum., the secretary of Department of English
Education.
4. Mr. Didin N. Hidayat, MA TESOL. The academic advisor of class A,
English Education Department, academic year 2010/2011.
5. Mrs. Dra. Nurlena Rifa’i, MA.,Ph.D., the Dean of faculty of Tarbiya and
Teachers’ Training, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.
6. Her beloved brother Muhamad Komarudin who always helps her in any
condition, her much-loved sisters Siti Latifah, Intan Fujiyanti, Indri
iv
Widayanti and Iim Hasna Andini who always remove her tiredness and
change it in to smile and laugh.
7. Her best friends, Mohamad Syafri, Aisyah Mulyani, Ilham Aditiya R.,
Suhendra, Siti Farida R., Teguh Fachmi, Nadia Yani S. A. and all friends
of English Education Department, academic year 2010/2011 esspecially
class A who can not be mentioned one by one.
8. Her lovely friends in Pesantren Daar El-Hikam, Sya, Teti, Nida, Fikri,
Aqila, Eem and Ratu who always be the greatest mates and give
thousands spirits to the writer.
Finally, the writer really hopes that her writing will be useful for the writer
herself and for the readers. Amin
Tangerang Selatan, August2014
Wiwin Sutianah
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................. i
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ........................................................................ iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................ v
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................. vii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................... viii
LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................ ix
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 1
A. Background of the Study ............................................. 1
B. Identification of the Problems ..................................... 4
C. Limitation of the Problem ........................................... 4
D. Formulation of the Problem ....................................... 4
E. Objectives of the Study ............................................... 5
F. Significance of the Study ............................................ 5
CHAPTER II : THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ............................. 6
A. Text ............................................................................ 6
1. Definition of Text .................................................. 6
2. Kinds of Text ........................................................ 7
3. Factors in Text Selection ....................................... 8
B. Textbook ..................................................................... 10
1. Definition of Textbook .......................................... 10
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Textbook ........ 12
3. Selection of Textbook ........................................... 15
C. Readability .................................................................. 17
vi
1. Definition of Readability....................................... 17
2. Factors that Influence Readability ........................ 17
3. Methods in Readability Assessment ..................... 19
D. The Relevant Previous Study ...................................... 25
CHAPTER III : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .............................. 30
A. Time and Place of the Research .................................. 30
B. Method of the Research .............................................. 30
C. Unit of Analysis .......................................................... 30
D. Instrument of the Research.......................................... 32
E. Technique of Data Collecting ..................................... 32
F. Technique of Data Analysis ........................................ 32
CHAPTER IV : FINDING AND INTERPRETATION ...................... 34
A. Finding ........................................................................ 34
1. Textbook Description ............................................ 34
2. Data Description.................................................... 34
3. Data Analysis ........................................................ 36
B. Interpretation ............................................................... 45
CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ....................... 47
A. Conclusion .................................................................. 47
B. Suggestion ................................................................... 47
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................... 49
APPENDICES ......................................................................................... 52
vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Reading Ease Scale of the FleschFormula ............................. 21
Table 2.2 SMOG Conversion Table...................................................... 22
Table 3.1 The Detail Information about the Texts in The Textbook
Advanced Learning English 2 ................................................ 31
Table 3.2 Reading Ease Scale of the Flesch Formula ........................... 33
Table 4.1 The Description of Sentence, Word, and Syllable Calculations
of Reading Texts ..................................................................... 35
Table 4.2 The Result of ASL and ASW Calculation ............................ 40
Table 4.4 The Readability Score of the three reading Text based on
the reading Ease Scale of the Flesch Formula...................... 44
Table 4.5 Data in Percent (%) ............................................................... 46
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.2 Picture of Fry Graph ............................................................. 24
ix
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1Criteria for Coursebook Assessment .................................... 52
APPENDIX 2 The Texts in Reading Section on the Textbook ................ 54
APPENDIX 3 Surat Bimbingan Skripsi .................................................... 69
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The role of teaching English in Indonesia is stated in the School Based
Curriculum or KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan). In the
curriculum, it is stated that developing the ability to communicate is one of
the objectives in teaching English; either in spoken or written form.1
Therefore, teachers and students require some media of instruction in order
to smoothen the process of teaching and learning.
There are many kinds of media of instruction in teaching and learning
process , such as textbook, power point presentation, video, etc. Textbook is
one of the media of instruction which is used in almost every grade levels of
students in the school.2 Textbook is a crucial teaching and learning material
composed of text and/or images that is used in many schools for facilitating
sequences of learning activities.3 Moreover, the role of textbook is dominant
in the teaching and learning process because it is developed based on the
curriculum so it can be useful as a guideline either for the teachers or
students.
Since the dependence of textbook is influenced by the development and
the changes of the curriculum in Indonesia, many writers and publishers offer
various English textbooks for different levels of students. In spite of this,
based on some previous studies and the interview with an English teacher,
there are some texts in textbook which are difficult to be understood by the
1Panduan Penyusunan Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan Jenjang Pendidikan Dasar
dan Menengah, (Jakarta: Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan, 2006), p.31. 2 Andi Prastowo, Panduan Kreatif Membuat Bahan Ajar Inovatif, (Yogyakarta: DIVA
Press, 2011), p. 169. 3 Panduan Pengembangan Bahan Ajar, (Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2008),
p. 12.
2
students. It means that some textbooks which are used in the schools have not
maximally helped the students in improving their reading skill. It is proved by
the low score of students in reading comprehension. They commonly get
difficulty in answering the questions based on the text correctly such as the
question about main idea, details, moral value of the text, etc. The questions
are difficult to be answered correctly by the students because they think that
the text is too hard to be comprehended by them esspecially in grasping the
main idea of the paragraphs and unfamiliar vocabularies.
In order to help students in understanding the texts in the textbook, the
English teachers have to look for appropriate textbooks that can facilitate the
students to practice reading. However, the process of selecting good textbook
is not an easy matter. Penny Ur stated on her book that we should be aware of
textbook’s quality. Therefore we have to assess the textbook based on some
criteria such as the topics, tasks, instructions, vocabulary, grammar, periodic
review, coverage, reading texts etc.4 When the teacher has assessed the
textbook, they will know generally how the quality of textbook is.
One of the criteria in assessing textbook is by analyzing the reading text.
The reading texts (provided) in the textbook should be suitable with students’
level. However, it is not an easy job for publishers to put some reading texts
in certain level of textbook. Selecting appropriate texts becomes very
essential for them whereas the information about students’ ability is limited.
Therefore, the reading texts in the textbook are less appropriate for students in
certain level
With the aim of selecting suitable textbook for their students, the teachers
have to know about the information of it because selecting textbook that will
be used is the responsibility of the teachers.5 According to Nuttall on his
book, there are three main criteria that influence the selection of texts:
4 Penny Ur, A Course in language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2009), pp. 185 – 186. 5 Marianne Celce-Murcia, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 2
nd ed,
(Boston: Heinle&Heinle Publishers, 1991), p. 432.
3
Suitability of the content, exploitability and readability.6 The teachers can
analyze the readability level of the texts because it is the most common way
in evaluating a textbook. Edgard Dale and Jeanne Chall as cited by William
H. Dubay said that readability is the sum total of all elements within a text
that affect the success a group of readers have with it.7 The success is the
extent to which the readers understand the text, read it at an optimal speed,
and find it interesting.
By analyzing the readability level of the text, teacher can predict whether
the text is difficult, plain or easy for his students. Actually, there are some
ways in measuring the readability level of the text. The most common ways
used are by using the instructor’s judgment, comprehension testing by cloze
procedure and the last by using statistical readability formulas based on some
type of tally of linguistic elements.8 However, the focus of this study is only
using one of statistical readability formula that is Flesch Reading Ease.
Based on the background above, the writer aims to analyze the
readability level of the reading texts of an English textbook for senior high
school entitled Advanced Learning English 2. The writer chooses this
textbook because it is used in the eleventh grade of SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang
Selatan where the writer did a teaching practice called PPKT (Praktek Profesi
Keguruan Terpadu) at the school. Moreover, the writer also has assessed it by
using Penny’s criteria (See appendix 1). Based on the criteria, the writer
indicated that it has high rating. It means that the textbook is included into
good textbook criteria. Therefore, this textbook is chosen for facilitating the
writer in conducting the research.
Additionally, knowing the readability level can help her in finding out
whether the reading texts on the textbook are appropriate or not for the
eleventh grade students of SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan. Hence, the
6 Christine Nuttall, Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language, (Oxford:
Heinemann, 1996), p.170. 7 William H. DuBay, The Principles of Readability, (California: Costa Mesa, 2004), p. 3.
8 Ibid,. p. 5.
4
writer will do her research entitled The Readability Level of the Reading
Texts on Advanced Learning English 2 (An English Textbook for Senior
High School; A Descriptive Study at the Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri
4 Tangerang Selatan).
B. Identification of the Problems
From the background of the study above, the problems that can be
identified are:
1. The role of textbook has not been maximally helped the students in
improving their reading skill.
2. Students get difficulty in understanding the text.
3. Teacher gets difficulty on selecting the appropriate English textbook.
4. The author who compilled the English textbook and publisher rarely
concern on the aspects of the readability of the textbook.
5. The vocabulary in English textbook is not really appropriate for
students.
C. Limitation of the Problem
The writer focuses her study in the subject matter in analyzing the
readability level of the selected reading texts on an English textbook entitled
Advanced Learning English 2 which is used at the eleventh grade students of
SMA Negeri 4 Tangerangg Selatan, by using the Flesch Reading Ease
Formula. The texts that will be analyzed are all texts in the Reading section.
The total texts in the reading part are 17 texts. (See appendix 1).
D. Formulation of the Problem
After conducting the limitation of the problems, the research problem is
formulated into: Does Advanced Learning English 2 published by Grafindo
Media Pratama have appropriate readability level for the eleventh grade
students?”
5
E. Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study is to find out the readability level of the
reading texts on English textbook for the eleventh grade students entitled
Advanced Learningg English 2 at SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan.
F. Significance of the Study
The significance of the research is addressed to all people who read this
research. However, this study esspecially addressed to:
1. the English teachers at SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan because this
study will be useful for them in choosing the appropriate English
textbook that will be used for their students.
2. the institution of SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan because it will
used as beneficial contributions in improving the teaching and
learning activities.
3. the next authors because this study is expected to give more
information about aspects of readability of the texts in textbook.
4. the publishers because this study is hoped to present the information
in selecting proper book that will be published.
6
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Text
1. Definition of Text
Based on the explanation from Sanggam Siahaan and Kisno Shinoda, a
text is linguistic unit that is put in a context and has meaning.1 The meaning of
context here refers to either linguistic context (the linguistic unit before and
after a text) or non linguistic context (outside a text). A text is both a spoken
text and a written text.
A spoken text is any meaning spoken text. It can be a word, phrase,
sentence or discourse. A spoken discourse can be monolog, dialog or
conversation. It can be a song, poetry, drama, lecture, etc. Moreover, a written
text is any meaningful written text. It can be a notice, direction, advertisement,
paragraph, essay, article, book, etc. A text refers to any meaningful short or
long spoken or written text.2
According to Mark and Kathy Anderson, a text is defined as the result of
some words which are put together to communicate a meaning.
Unconsciously, when someone speaks or writes to communicate a message, he
is constructing a text. When someone reads or listens to a piece of text, he is
interpreting its meaning. Creating a text requires us to make choices about the
words we use and how we put them together. Our choice of words will depend
on our purpose and our surroundings (context).3
1Sanggam Siahaan and Kisno Shinoda, Generic Text Structure, (Yogyakarta:Graha Ilmu,
2008), p. 1. 2 Ibid.
3Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English, (London: Macmillan,
2003), p. 1.
7
In addition, Alan Davies stated on his book, Dictionary of Language
Testing, a text is any piece of written or spoken language of variable length. It
may be as short as a single word (eg. Help!), but is more considered to consist
of two or more utterances or sentences joined together according to rules of
cohesion and rhetorical organization, and may include an extended piece of
spoken discourse or any number of pages of writing.4
It can be concluded that text is meaningful spoken or written words to
communicate the meaning, and the term of text in this study is belong to
reading text (written words); the printed material on the textbook which is
used in the process of teaching and learning reading.
2. Kinds of Text
There are various kinds of text. It is very important for either the teachers
or students to know about these kinds of text because it can help them to
understand about the purpose of texts.
Mark and Kathy Anderson divided text into two types, literary and factual.
Literary texts include aboriginal dreaming stories, movie script, limericks,
fairy tales, novels, song lyrics, mimes and soap operas. Literary text can make
us laugh or cry, think about our own life or consider our beliefs. There are
three main text types in this category narrative, poetic and dramatic. Media
texts such as film, videos, television shows and CDs can also include in this
category.5
Factual texts include advertisement, announcements, internet web sites,
current affairs shows, debates, recipes, reports and instructions. They present
information or ideas and aim to show, tell or persuade the audience. The main
4 Alan Davies, Dictionary of Language Testing, (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2002), p. 210. 5 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English, (London: Macmillan,
2003), p. 1.
8
text types in this category are recount, response, explanation, discussion,
information report, exposition and procedure. 6
Furthermore, Rahmad Wahidi also states that there are 15 text types. They
are, analytical exposition text, anecdote text, recount text, report text, spoof
text, narrative text, hortatory exposition text, discussion text, explanation text,
procedure text, news item text, review text, description text, argument text and
exposition text7. He also gave the example of every text on his writing.
Therefore, the writer can understand the differences among them.
From all explanation above, the text types on this study include descriptive
texts, narrative texts, analytical exposition texts, hortatory exposition text and
spoof texts. Those are the text types that have to be learnt by the students of
eleventh grade base on standard competencies and basic competencies in
KTSP. Those types of text are also written in the textbook Advanced Learning
English 2.
3. Factors in Text Selection
Selecting text is a very important thing that has to be done by the teacher
because the text that will be learned by the student must be appropriate based
on students’ level.
According to Richard R. Day, there are seven factors influence the text
selection. They are:
a. Interest
Interest is an important factor in selecting reading texts. It is important
because it really influences the motivation of students to read. Nuttal states
on Day’s book that teachers should find the reading text that contains of
the proper information. Since, students will get difficulty when the reading
texts contain of too much new information. Furthermore, the reading text
6 Ibid,pp. 1-2.
7 Rachmat Wahidi,Genre of the Text, 2009, (http://rachmatwahidi.wordpress.com).
9
should not contain too little new information because it can make them
bore.
b. Exploitability
Exploitability is the facilitation of learning. Teachers give the students
exercises after they read the reading text. It is one of the ways to determine
the exploitability of the reading texts.
c. Readability
This term is used to refer to the following phenomena: syntactic
appropriateness, logical/rhetorical ordering of ideas, textual phenomena at
the discourse level, lexical appropriateness, and background knowledge of
the reader.
d. Topic
The topic of the reading texts also becomes an important factor to
consider because a wide variety of topics would be helpful to maintain
students’ interest and motivation. It means that a topic and students’
interest has close relationship. Therefore, the teachers are recommended to
explore three or four topics during the reading course as an aid in
facilitating reading comprehension.
e. Political Appropriateness
The teachers have to consider the political appropriateness because for
some countries, the political content of reading texts is a critical issue.
Teachers should not cut the reading texts that do not agree with their
political beliefs.
f. Cultural Suitability
Of course it is very important factor in selecting text because every
country has different culture. It can be very contrast when Indonesian
10
teachers use the western textbook in teaching and learning English. There
will be many texts tell about the western culture which is not appropriate
to be read by Indonesian students.
g. Appearance.
Appearance is also the essential factor because it includes three points.
The first is layout, size, and font.8 The texts that are provided by the
picture can be more interesting and help students in understanding the text.
Moreover, the size of font also must be considered because too small fonts
lead to make students confuse and less motivated in reading the text.
In addition, Christine Nuttal mentioned on Teaching Reading Skills in a
Foreign Language that there are three factors that influence selecting a text.
The first is readability; the texts should be at the appropriate level of
difficulty for students. The second is suitability of the content; the texts
should interest the students. The last is exploitability; it is concern how a text
is exploited.9
From the explanation above, we can get the point that readability is one
of some factors which influences the text selection. Teachers can use it to
measure the appropriateness of reading text for certain level of students. The
readability also becomes the factor that is chosen by the writer in her study
because it is easy to select the textbook by estimating the readability level of
reading texts in the textbook compare with other factors.
B. Textbook
1. Definition of Textbook
Based on the explanation of Theo van Esl, the term of textbook refers to
“a coherent body of language teaching materials which may consist of either
8 Richard R. Day, Selecting Passages for the EFL Reading Class, Journal of English
Teaching Forum, Vol. 32, 1994, p.20. 9 Christine Nuttall, Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language, (Oxford:
Heinemann, 1996), p.170.
11
just the course book(s) but also of a learning package consisting of several
parts”10
. From the quotation above, it cannot be denied that students are very
familiar with the term of textbook because almost all of the students from
kindergarten up to university use textbook in teaching and learning process.
Textbook is also defined as the crucial teaching and learning aid composed of
texts and/or images that are used in many schools for facilitating sequences
of learning activities. 11
Jack C. Richards said that textbooks are perhaps the commonest form of
teaching materials in language teaching.12
In language program, textbook is
used in different ways. For example, a reading textbook may be the basis for
a course on reading skills. It provides both asset of reading texts and
exercises for skills practice. A writing textbook might provide model
composition and a list of topics for students to practice their writing. A
grammar textbook might serve as a reference book and provides examples as
well as exercises to develop grammatical knowledge. A speaking textbook
might provide passages for students to read and discuss; as a result they can
practice their speaking. A listening textbook together with audio cassettes or
CDs might serve as the primary listening input in a listening course.13
In some schools, textbook become the primary instructional material in
the school and usually are taken for granted. It is also wished that textbook
can make learning easier and more pleasurable.14
Therefore, the existence of
textbook is very important in teaching and learning process. Textbook can
help teachers to decide the material that will be taught to the students based
10
Theo van Esl, et al, Applied Linguistics and the Learning and Teaching of Foreign
Languages, (London: Edward Arnold, 1984), p. 298. 11
Panduan Pengembangan Bahan Ajar, (Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan Nasional,
2008), p. 12. 12
Jack C. Richards, Curriculum Development in Language Teaching, (New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2001), p.254.
13
Ibid. 14
Alan Cunningsworth, Choosing Your Coursebook, (London: McMilan Publisher
Limited, 1995), p. 1.
12
on curriculum. Students also can reread the textbook in order to remind the
materials that had been learnt or will be learnt.
Based on definitions above, it can be summarized that textbook is one of
the most important instructional medium which provides source of teaching
and facilitates the teacher and students to attain the objective of teaching and
learning process. In Indonesia, the role of textbook is very significant. It can
be seen in the Peraturan Mentri Pendidikan Nasional, Nomor 11 Tahun 2005
tentang Buku Teks Pelajaran. In the first article, it is stated as follow:
“ Buku teks pelajaran adalah buku acuan wajib untuk digunakan di
sekolah yang memuat materi pembelajaran dalam rangka peningkatan
keimanan dan ketakwaan, budi pekerti dan kepribadian, kemampuan
penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi, kepekaan dan kemampuan
estetis, potensi fisik dan kesehatan yang disusun berdasarkan standar
nasional pendidikan”15
From the quotation above, we know that in Indonesia, textbook becomes
the main instructional medium that must be used in the school in order to
facilitate either teacher or students in the teaching and learning process in the
class.
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Textbook
There are some advantages and disadvantages of textbook. Penny Ur
states on her book about this matter clearly. Firstly, the advantages of
textbook are:
a. Framework
A textbook provides the clear explanation about material that will be
learnt. Therefore, teachers and students can understand the material
generally.
15
Peraturan Mentri Pendidikan Nasional, Nomor 11 Tahun 2005 tentang Buku Teks
Pelajaran, p. 2.
13
b. Syllabus
Sometimes, textbook serves a syllabus that should be followed by the
teacher in the teaching process. If the teacher has followed the syllabus in
the textbook regularly, whole materials will be covered well.
c. Ready-made Text and Tasks
Almost in every textbook in the school provide the texts and tasks
which are likely to be of an appropriate level for most of the classes.
Therefore, it can facilitate teachers in making the test.
d. Economy; the price of the book is also the cheapest from other
learning materials for each learner.
e. Convenience; It is light and small enough to carry around easily.
f. Guidance; It can help teacher who are inexperiences in teaching.
g. Autonomy
The students can learn the material in the textbook on their own. They
also can use it for review the material that has been learnt.16
Secondly, the disadvantages of the textbook are:
a. Inadequacy
There will not be a textbook that can cover every student’s needs
because every student has different needs. Therefore, choosing the
appropriate textbook is not an easy mater.
b. Irrelevance; The topics in the textbook may not be relevant or
interesting for the students.
c. Limitation; Sometime, textbook leads to boredom and lack of
motivation.
16
Penny Ur, A Course in language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2009), pp. 184.
14
d. Homogeneity; Textbooks have their own rationale and chosen
teaching and learning approach.
e. Over-easiness; Teachers find it too easy to follow the textbook
uncritically instead of using their initiative.17
Moreover, Jack C. Richard also mentioned some advantages and
disadvantages of textbook. The advantages are mentioned as follow:
a. Textbook provides structure and a syllabus for a program
b. Textbook helps standardize instruction
c. Textbook maintains quality
d. Textbook provides a variety of learning resource
e. Textbook is efficient
f. Textbook can provide effective language models and input
g. Textbook can train teacher
h. Textbook is visually appealing18
After mentioning the positive side of textbook, Jack C. Richard also
mentioned the negative effects or the disadvantages of textbook. They are:
a. Textbook may contain inauthentic language
b. Textbook may distort contain
c. Textbook may not reflect students’ needs
d. Textbook can deskill teachers
e. Textbook is expensive19
In order to reduce the disadvantages of the textbook, the teachers have to
be creative and understand about the text that is appropriate for students’ level.
Actually, the main role in the teaching and learning process in the class is not
only a textbook but also the teacher. Teacher has the crucial role in the success
of teaching and learning process. Therefore, teachers have to be innovative
17
Ibid, p. 185. 18
Jack C. Richards, Curriculum Development in Language Teaching, (New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 254 – 255. 19
Ibid, pp.255 – 256.
15
when they find that the textbook is not appropriate for their students especially
in the appropriateness of reading texts.
3. Selection of Textbook
It seems useful to distinguish between the following two stages in the
selection of a textbook:
a. Global Selection
This is a first selection of textbooks where the information needed to
make such a choice can be obtained from textbook reviews, users’
judgment, information from authors, publishers and teacher’s own global
analysis.20
b. Analysis of the Textbook
The information bellow will be very useful in analyzing the textbook.
1) Checklist
2) Comparative textbook description
3) Detailed comments from users
4) Reports on empirical research into the effects of the textbooks in
question21
There are four criteria for selecting textbooks based on Jack C. Richard.
The explanations are mentioned as follow:22
a. They should correspond to learners’ needs. They should match the
objectives of the language learning program.
b. They should help to equip students in using language effectively for
their own purposes.
20
Roger Browers and CJ. Brumfit, Apply Linguistics and English Language Teaching,
(London: McMilan Publisher Limited, 1991), p. 34. 21
Ibid. 22
Jack C. Richards, Curriculum Development in Language Teaching, (New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp.258 – 259.
16
c. They should take account of students’ needs as learners and should
facilitate their learning processes, without dogmatically imposing a
rigid “method.”
d. They should have a clear role as a support for learning. Like
teachers, they mediate between the target language and the learners.
In addition, he also mentions other factors that influence textbook
selection. The first is program factors; relating to concerns of the program.
The second is teacher factors; relating to teacher concerns. The third is
learner factors; relating to learner concerns. The fourth is content factors;
relating to the content and organization of the material and reading texts in
the book. The last is pedagogical factors; relating to the principles
underlying the materials and the pedagogical design of the materials,
including choice of activities and exercise types.23
Furthermore, Penny Ur also mentioned some points in selecting
English reading texts. They are coverage, text and task. The first is coverage.
It means that every single unit of textbook should cover a fair range of
language content and skills. The second is text. It should be in appropriate
level and interesting. The text also should be readable for the certain
students’ level in order to facilitate their understanding. The last is task. It
should provide opportunities for plenty of use of the target language. It also
should be interesting, relevant and useful for students.24
Therefore,
analyzing the readability level of the reading texts in the textbook is one
technique of selecting textbook from the textbook itself.
In selecting textbook that will be used in the school, every school has
its own reason. Sitepu said on his journal that schools, esspecially in
Indonesia, often choose the textbook that is offered by the publisher.25
23
Ibid, pp.254. 24
Penny Ur, A Course in language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2009), pp. 185 – 186.
25
Sitepu, Memilih Buku Pelajaran, Jurnal Pendidikan Penabur, 4, 2005, p. 113.
17
Therefore, it is very important for the school to know about the quality of
the textbook especially about readability level of reading text in the textbook
because there are so many choises of textbook from different publisher.
C. Readability
1. Definition of Redability
Readability is one of the most important aspects that should be considered
in selecting a good passage for students.26
Since readability can determine the
achievement of the goal in teaching reading, some experts or researchers
define the term readability of a text differently. Actually, readability is not
only determined by the length of the passages or the length of the words, but it
is also determined by how interestingly and attractively the text is written.27
Barbara Woods also defined that the readability of text was investigated to
measure the writing complexity and to estimate the reading or education level
required for comprehension of the text.28
There are so many textbooks that are published by the publishers.
However, it is not an easy matter to decide the appropriateness of the textbook
that will be used with the students’ level. As a result, analyzing the readability
level can be used to help the teachers in assessing the textbook.
Based on some definitions above, it can be concluded that readability is
the complexity level of the reading text which is influenced by some factors in
accordance with the level of a certain readers.
2. Factors that Influence Readability
There are many factors can influence readability of a written text. These
factors include vocabulary, use of conversational elements in narrative,
26
Hill Walter, Secondary School Reading: Process Program and Procedures, (Boston:
Allyn & Abcon, 1979), p. 190. 27
William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, (Costa Mesa: Impact Information,
2004), p. 3. 28
Barbara Woods, Giana Moscardo and Tanya Greenwood, A Critical Review of
readability and Comprehensibility tests, The Journal of Tourism Studies, 9, 1998, p. 51.
18
frequency of affixed morphemes, level of abstraction, amount of detail or
amplification of abstract ideas, non-language qualities, including text
legibility, and interest29
Richard R. Day also explains about the factors that influence readability.
He mentions five factors as follow:
a. Lexical knowledge
Lexical knowledge is an important factor because when the number of
unknown lexical items in a reading passage increases, students will get
more difficulty in comprehending the text.
b. Background knowledge
Background knowledge is essential in the readability of a text. The
more readers know about a particular topic, the more quickly and
accurately they can read it.
c. Organization
Organization refers to both the rhetorical organization of the text and
the clarity of the organization. A passage that is not well organized might
present problems for EFL students, especially at the beginning stages.
d. Discourse phenomena
Textual phenomena at the level of discourse include the arrangement
of topics and comments in a reading passage, and considerations of
cohesiveness and coherence.
29
Thomas Oakland and Holly B. Lane, Language, Reading, and Readability Formulas:
Implications for Developing and Adapting Tests, International Journal of Testing, Vol. 4, 2004, p.
9.
19
e. Length of passage
The final factor of readability concerns the length of the potential
reading passage. The most common mistake of inexperienced teachers or
teachers who are not able to judge the reading abilities of their students is
to select a passage that is too long.30
Therefore, the teachers have to know about these factors because by
knowing the factors that influence readability, the teacher can decide the
readability level of the texts. When the textbook that will be used has higher
readability level for students, it means that a teacher has to choose another
reading text from another source. However, when the text that will be used has
lower readability level for students, the teacher has to look for or change some
sentences in order to make it appropriate for certain students
3. Methods in Readability Assessment
In assessing readability, there are some methods that can be applied.
Teachers who want to select appropriate text for the students in the process of
teaching and learning reading can use any kind of method depend on their
beliefs. The purpose of readability assessment is to help someone in knowing
the readability level of text for certain reader. Basically, the readability of the
text can be measured in two ways, they are:31
a. Readability formulas
Jeanne S. Chall states on his book that readability formula is a tool for
predicting the difficulty of text.32
Principally, readibility formula is an
instrument to estimate the difficulty level in understanding reading text.
30
Richard R. Day, Selecting Passages for the EFL Reading Class, Journal of English
Teaching Forum, Vol. 32, 1994. P.
31
Tim Peneliti, Laporan Kajian Keterbacaan Buku Teks Sekolah Dasar, (Jakarta: Pusat
Perbukuan Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2006), p.1.
32
Liselott Langeborg, Readability; An Analysis of English Textbook, Akademin for
Utbildning Och Economy,2010, p. 2.
20
The readability score based on this formula is got by amount of difficult
words, amount of words in a sentence and the length of sentences in the
reading text.33
The parts of readability formulas are mentioned as bellow:
a) Flesch Reading Ease formula
Flesch reading Ease formula is created by Rudolf Flesch. It is a
statistical readability formula that analizes the readability level through
the numbers of syllables, words and sentences. Chall states on Dubay’s
book that It is the most popular formula and the most tested and
reliable.34
Furthermore, Flesch formed the formula as follow:
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 x ASL) – (84.6 x ASW)35
Where:
Score : Position on a scale of 0 – 100.
ASL : Average Sentence Length (the number of words divided
by the numbers of sentences)
ASW : Average Number of Syllables per word (the number of
syllables divided by the number of words)
It calculates reading ease on a scale from 1 to 100, with the range
of 0 – 30 being “very difficult”, 30 – 50 being “difficult”, 50 – 60
being “fairly difficult”, 60 – 70 being “standard”, 70 – 80 being “fairly
easy”, 80 – 90 being “easy” and 90 – 100 being “very easy”. The
description can be easier to be understood in the table 2.1:
33
Ibid 34
William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, (Costa Mesa: Impact Information,
2004), p. 22. 35
Bidyarani Asem, Readability Asssessment of Printed Materials: Going Beyond
Readability Formulas. International Journal of Environment, Vol. 2, 2012, p. 49.
21
Table 2.1
Reading Ease Scale of the Flesch Formula36
Score Difficult Level Reading Grade
0 to 30 Very Difficult College graduate
30 to 50 Difficult 13th
to 16th
grade
(college)
50 to 60 Fairly Difficult 10th
to 12th
grade
60 to 70 Standard 8th
and 9th
grade
70 to 80 Fairly Easy 7th
grade
80 to 90 Easy 6th
grade
90 to 100 Very Easy 5th
grade
b) SMOG Formula
G. Harry McLaughlin developed the SMOG (Simple Measure of
Gobbledygook) Readability Formula in 1969 through an
article, SMOG Grading – A New Readability Formula in the Journal
of Reading. It is a tool designed to estimate the readability level of the
texts by taking the sample of word and sentence length. The SMOG
examines 10 consecutive sentences from the beginning, middle and
end of the text. 37
Here are the steps in analyzing readability using
SMOG formula:
36
Dubay, op. cit., p. 22.
37
Naudia Falcouner, et al. An Analysis of the Readability of Educational Materials on the
Consumer Webpage of a Health Professional Organization: Consideration for Practice, The
Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, Vol. 9, 2011, p. 3.
22
1. Count 10 sentences in a row near the beginning, 10 in the middle,
and 10 in the end for a total of 30 sentences.
2. In the 30 selected sentences, count every word of three or more
syllables in each group of sentences, even if the same word
appears more than once.
3. Calculate the square root of the number arrived at in Step 3 and
round it off to nearest 10.
4. Estimate the square root of the number of polysyllabicnwords
counted. This is done by taking the square root of the nearest
perfect square. For example, if the count is 95, the nearest perfect
square is 100, which yields a square root of 10. If the count lies
roughly between two perfect squares, choose the lower number.
For instance, if the count is 110, take the square root of 100 rather
than 121.
5. Add 3 to the approximate square root. This gives the SMOG
grade.38
The conversion table of SMOG formula is stated in table
2.2 :
Table 2.2
SMOG Conversion Table
Word Count Grade Level
0-2 4
3-6 5
7-12 6
13-20 7
21-30 8
31-42 9
38
Hill Walter, Secondary School Reading: Process Program and Procedures, (Boston:
Allyn & Abcon, 1979), p. 194.
23
43-56 10
57-72 11
73-90 12
91-110 13
111-132 14
133-156 15
157-182 16
183-210 17
211-240 18
c) Fry Readability Graph
Fry readability graph is developed by Burns, Roe and Ross in
2006. He claimed did not require the use of long vocabulary and
mathematical computations. He explained that Fry’s Graph has its own
advantage. By using a chart, the teacher can write down his own
criteria. The procedure involves counting the number of sentences and
syllables in each hundred word samples and plotting on the graph the
average number of syllables per hundred words. This method was
popular because it was purposely designed to save time. The attempt to
save time and effort make Fry’s Graph achieve wide usage because of
its convenience and ease of application.
The following are the directions for computing Fry’s Formula:
1. Select three 100-word passages from near the beginning, middle
and end of the book
2. Count the total number of sentences in each 100-word passage,
estimating to the nearest tenth of a sentence. Average these three
numbers.
24
3. Count the total number of syllables in each 100-word sample and
average them for the three samples
4. Plot on graph the average number of sentences per 100 words.
Burns, Roe and Ross further assert that the teacher’s first step in
helping children to read content material is to be aware of the difficulty
of the textbook assignments they make.39
The example of fry graph is
shown in table 2.2 :
Figure 2.2
Picture of Fry Graph
However, the most common used formula is Flesch Reading
Ease because the formula is easy and simple to be analyzed.40
39
Bertola Perekeme, Readability of Language Textbooks Prescribed for Junior Secondary
Schools and Students’ Performance in Reading Comprehension in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, British
Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2012, p. 92. 40
William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, (Costa Mesa: Impact Information,
2004), p. 22..
25
b. Cloze procedure test
The readability level also can be estimated by cloze procedure test. Cloze
procedure text is a readability test which uses the students’ ability in
comprehending the text. In addition, it is a test constructed by deleting words
from a selection and requiring students to fill in the blanks. The deleted
words can be at random or mechanical procedure (every nth
word) where n is
usually a number 5 or above.41
As a final point, the writer concerned to the readability assessment using
Flesch Reading Ease Formula to identify the sentence length and the number
of syllables in a reading passages. This method will be used because the
writer believes that shorter sentences usually are more readable than longer
ones, especially those which contain numerous prepositional phrases and
have complex, compound or complex compound constructions.42
D. The Relevant Previous Study
a. The Readability Level of the Reading Texts on Link to the world: An
English Textbook For Senior High School.( A Case Study at the Tenth
Grade of MA Pembangunan UIN, Jakarta)
This study had been done by Yuli Darmayanti, a student in English
Education Departement, Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. This study was
conducted to analyze the reading text on the English textbook entitled
“Link to the World”. The problem of this research is that the students often
encounter difficulties in understanding the texts in the textbook. This
textbook was used by the tenth grade students of MA Pembangunan UIN
Syarif Hidayatullah. On this research, the writer used descriptive analysis
41
Bertola Perekeme, Readability of Language Textbooks Prescribed for Junior Secondary
Schools and Students’ Performance in Reading Comprehension in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, British
Journalnof Arts and Social Sciences, 2012, p. 92. 42
Hill Walter, Secondary School Reading: Process Program and Procedures, (Boston:
Allyn & Abcon, 1979), p. 191.
26
method. To find out the readability level of the reading text, she conducted
the study by analyzing the reading text using the Flesch Reading Ease
Formula and the Cloze Test. From the 12 reading text, she chose 6 texts as
the sample. As the result, among the 6 reading texts analyzed, by using the
Flesch reading Ease Formula, there are 5 texts which is readable for the
tenth grade students and one text is appropriate for university students’
level. While by using Cloze Test, there are 4 texts categorized as
independent level and two texts are categorized as instructional level.43
b. The Readability of Reading Passages in English Textbook of
“Contextual Learning” Published by Grafindo Media Pratama. (A Case
Study at the Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri 9 Tangerang Selatan)
In 2012, Ade Afrizal conducted the research about readability of
Reading Passages in English Textbook of “Contextual Learning”
Published by Grafindo Media Pratama as this textbook is used at the
Eleventh Grade of SMA Negeri 9 Tangerang Selatan. The research
problem is that students feel bored with reading, not only with reading
materials but also many unfamiliar words which are not suitable with the
basic ability of students. This research used Descriptive Annalysis method.
The objective of the research is to see the readability reading passages in
English textbook untittled “Contextual Learning” Published by Grafindo
Media Pratama. The result shows that according to the analysis through
the Flesch Reading Ease Formula, from 5 texts, 2 texts are catagorized in
the Very Easy Level. 2 text are in the Easy Level, 1 text is in the fairly
Easy Level and 4 texts are in the Plain English Level. While, from the
43
Yuli Darmayanti, “The Readability Level of the Reading Texts on Link to the world:
An English Textbook For Senior High School”, Skripsi of Undergraduate of Syarif Hidayatullah
State Islamic University Jakarta, Jakarta, 2010, unpublished.
27
analysis through Cloze Test, the result is that 1 text is in the Independent
Level, and 4 texts are in the Instructional Level.44
c. An Analysis of the Readability of Educational Materials on the
Costumer Webpage of a Health Professional Organization:
Consideration for Practice.
Nadia Valconer conducted this study in 2011. The problem of this
research is that the reading texts for many patient education materials were
too high for patients to comprehend. The purpose of this study was to
determine the readability level of educational brochures found on the
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) consumer website.
Fourteen educational brochures on the APTA website in March 2008 were
analyzed using the following assessments: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level,
Flesch Reading Ease, Fry Readability Formula, Simple Measure of
Gobbledygook (SMOG), Checklist for Patients Education Materials, and
Customer Health Website Evaluation Checklist. According to Flesch-
Kinchaid and Flesch Reading Ease, over 90% of the brochures were
written at greater than a sixth grade level. The mean reading level was
grade 10.2 with a Flesch Reading Ease score was between 31.5 to 79.9.
Using the SMOG formula showed that the brochures had a mean reading
level of grade 11.5. The Fry Readability showed that 85% of the brochures
were written higher than sixth grade level, with a mean reading level of
grade 9.5. Findings suggest that most of the customer education
information available on the website of this health professional
44 Ade Afrizal, “The readability of Reading Passages in English Textbook of “Contextual
Learning” Published by Grafindo Media Pratama”, Skripsi of Undergraduate of Syarif
Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, Jakarta, 2012, unpublished.
28
organization had readability scores that were too high for average
consumers to read.45
The difference of these studies is the writer used only one method in
finding the readability level of the reading texts; that is Flesch Reading Ease
Formula, whereas, the previous studies used more than one method. Yuli
Darmayanti and Ade Afrizal used Flesch Reading Ease Formula and Cloze
Procedural Test on their study. Moreover, Naudia Falcouner’s research also
about readability level of reading text. She used some readability formulas on
her study such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Fry
Readability Formula, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Checklist
for Patients Education Materials, and Customer Health Website Evaluation
Checklist.
The similarity of these studies is about the object of study. Yuli
Darmayanti and Ade Afrizal’s object of study was reading texts in the
textbook that were used in the teaching and learning process at the school.
However, NaudiaFalcouner’s object of study is reading text on the customer
website. The purpose of those studies is also same. It is to find out the
readability level of reading texts for certain students or customer.
The writer just used one method in deciding the readability level of the
reading text because it has no bias. The writer saw the readability level based
on the textbook itself; not based on students’ perception. Therefore, the result
of this study was clear and there was not bias. Moreover, the writer decided to
use Flesch Reading Ease formula because it is the easy method in finding the
readability level of reading text. Furthermore, the writer also agreed upon the
statements of Hill Walter that shorter sentences usually are more readable than
longer ones, especially those which contain numerous prepositional phrases
45
Naudia Falcouner, et al. An Analysis of the Readability of Educational Materials on
the Costemer Webpage of a Health Professional Organization: Consideration for Practice. The
Internet Journal of Alliced Health Sciences and Practice. 9, 2011.
29
and have complex, compound or complex compound constructions. 46
Students will get difficulty in comprehending the main idea of long sentences.
On the other hand it will be easier for students to grasping the main idea of
short sentences.
46
Hill Walter, Secondary School Reading: Process Program and Procedures, (Boston:
Allyn & Abcon, 1979), p. 191.
30
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Time and Place of the Research
The writer does the research in SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan. The
research starts on 1st March 2014 and finishes on 30
th July 2014.
B. Method of the Research
In this research, the writer uses descriptive method. The objective of
descriptive method is to describe sistematically the facts about the object that is
analyzed.1 Therefore the writer tries to describe the readability level of an
english textbook entittle Advanced Learning English 2. This research also
supportes by library research method to find out the theory which related to
the topic of this research such as the theory of textbook, readability, Flesch
Reading Ease, etc. Furthermore, the writer also finds out the theories from
other sources such as web-sites, articles and journal.
C. Unit of Analysis
The writer does not use the term of population and sample because the
main object in this research is textbook, not the students. Therefore the term
that used is unit of analysis. The text book consists of six chapters and each
chapter consists of four sections; they are Listening, Speaking, Reading and
Writing. The writer focused on Reading section. The Total of the reading texts
on the textbook Advanced Learning English 2 especially in the Reading section
is 17 texts, which consist of 3 descriptive texts, 8 narrative texts, 2 analytical
exposition texts, 1 hortatory exposition text and 3 spoof texts. The writer took
the whole texts in the Reading section as the unit of analysis (See appendix 2).
The detail information about texts is explained in the table 3.1:
1 Sukardi, Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan, (Jakarta: Bumi Aksara, 2009), p. 157.
31
Table 3.1
The Detail Information about the Texts in The Textbook Advanced
Learning English 2
Text Type of Text Number of
Sentence
Number of
Words
Number of
Syllables
1 Descriptive 22 283 433
2 Descriptive 20 277 441
3 Descriptive 20 215 348
4 Narrative 29 264 355
5 Narrative 30 271 352
6 Narrative 33 310 418
7 Analytical
Exposition
14 217 349
8 Analytical
Exposition
13 194 311
9 Spoof 11 140 178
10 Spoof 9 140 220
11 Spoof 8 120 167
12 Narrative 24 362 571
13 Narrative 23 310 408
14 Narrative 27 376 529
15 Narrative 12 171 239
16 Narrative 16 193 283
17 Hortatory
Expotition
14 280 479
32
D. Instrument of the Research
The instrument of the research that is used by the writer is Flesch Reading
Ease formula. It is one of statistical analysis formulas. Moreover, the writer
also does the interview to some English teachers and students of eleventh grade
in order to add the information about textbook they used.
E. Technique of Data Collecting
To collect the data in this research, the writer counts the number of
sentences, words and syllables of each text. The writer then continues to get the
average number of syllables per words and words per sentences from each
text.2 Afterwards, the writer analyzes the data
F. Technique of Data Annalysis
For the next step of the research, the writer processes and analyzes the data.
In order to analyze the data of the reading texts, the writer uses Flesch Reading
Ease formula. The procedures are explained bellow:
1. Count the syllables, words, and sentences of a text
2. Find the average sentence length (ASL) and average number of syllable
per word (ASW)
3. Find the readability score by using formula:
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 x ASL) – (84.6 x ASW)
4. Determine the difficult level and reading grade by reading ease scale of
Flesch formula as stated on table 3.2:
2 Rudolf Flesch, The Art of Readable Writing, (New York:Harper and Row, 1949), pp.
213-214.
33
Table 3.2
Reading Ease Scale of the Flesch Formula3
Score Difficult Level Reading Grade
0 to 30 Very Difficult College graduate
30 to 50 Difficult 13th
to 16th
grade (college)
50 to 60 Fairly Difficult 10th
to 12th
grade
60 to 70 Standard 8th
and 9th
grade
70 to 80 Fairly Easy 7th
grade
80 to 90 Easy 6th
grade
90 to 100 Very Easy 5th
grade
The writer finds difficulty in converting the reading grade of american
standard into Indonesian standard because there are not previous studies or
reliable references which use conversion of reading grade. Therefore, the writer
assumes that the reading grade of Flesch Reading Ease formula is similar to
Indonesian school grade. It means that the 5th
grade is equal to 5th
grade students
of Elementary school. 6th
grade is equal to 6th
grade students of Elementary
school. 7th
grade is equal to 7th
grade of Junior High School. 8th
and 9th
grade is
equal to 8th
– 9th
grade of Junior High School. 10th
to 12th
grade is equal to 10th
–
12th
grade of Senior High School. 13th
to 16th
grade is equal to university students
(from 1st semester until 8
th semester). College graduate is equal to graduated
university students.
3 William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, (Costa Mesa: Impact Information,
2004), p. 22.
34
CHAPTER IV
FINDING AND INTERPRETATION
A. Finding
1. Textbook Description
The writer annalized an English textbook entitled Advanced Learning
English 2 that is published by Grafindo Media Pratama in 2012. This textbook
is compiled by Herman Benyamin. This textbook is dedicated for the eleventh
grade students of Senior High Schools which is developed based on KTSP
(Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan). Moreover, in order to facilitate the
process of teaching and learning English, the eleventh grade students of SMA
Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan are recommended to use this textbook.
The textbook consists of 258 pages and 6 units. Each unit is presented in
four-skill sections Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Furthermore,
this textbook also takes a concern in grammar and pronunciation. The whole
units have a topic based on the genre of the text such as descriptive, narrative,
hortatory exposition and spoof. For the reading sections, there are 3
descriptive texts, 8 narrative texts, 2 analytical exposition texts, 1 hortatory
exposition text and 3 spoof texts. The writer took all reading texts in reading
sections.
2. Data Description
The writer uses Flesch Reading Ease Formula to find out the readability
level of the reading texts on the textbook Advanced Learning English 2, The
readability score is gotten by counting the syllables, words, and sentences of a
text by calculating it in countwordsworth.com.
35
The calculation result of the sentences, words, and syllables of each text is
presented in table 4.1:
Table 4.1
The Description of Sentence, Word, and Syllable Calculations of Reading Texts
Text Number of
sentences
Number of
Words
Number of
Syllables
Text 1 22 283 433
Text 2 20 277 441
Text 3 20 215 348
Text 4 29 264 355
Text 5 30 271 352
Text 6 33 310 418
Text 7 14 217 349
Text 8 13 194 311
Text 9 11 140 178
Text 10 9 140 220
Text 11 8 120 167
Text 12 24 362 571
Text 13 23 310 408
Text 14 27 376 529
Text 15 12 171 239
Text 16 16 193 283
Text 17 14 280 479
36
3. Data Analysis
According to Willim H. Dubay, the readability of text by using the Flesch
Reading Ease Formula can be analyzed by this formula:
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)1
For the first, the writer counts the number of ASL (Average Sentence
Length) or the number of words per sentence.
1. Text 1
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
=283 : 22 = 12.8
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 433 : 283 = 1.5
2. Text 2
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 277 : 20 = 13.8
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 441: 277 = 1.6
3. Text 3
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 215 : 20 = 10.7
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 348 : 215 = 1.6
1 William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, (Costa Mesa: Impact Information, 2004),
p. 22.
37
4. Text 4
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 264 : 29 = 9.1
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 355 : 264 = 1.3
5. Text 5
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 271 : 30 = 9
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 352 : 271 = 1.3
6. Text 6
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 310 : 33 = 9.3
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 418 : 310 = 1.3
7. Text 7
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 217 : 14 = 15.5
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 349 : 217 = 1.6
8. Text 8
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
38
= 194 : 13 = 14.9
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 311 : 194 = 1.6
9. Text 9
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 140 : 11 = 12.7
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 178 : 140 = 1.2
10. Text 10
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 140 : 9 =15.5
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 220 : 140 = 1.5
11. Text 11
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 120 : 8 = 15
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 167 : 120 = 1.4
12. Text 12
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 362 : 24 = 15
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 571: 362 = 1.5
39
13. Text 13
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 310 : 23 = 13.4
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 408 : 310 = 1.3
14. Text 14
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 376 : 27 = 13.9
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 529 : 376 = 1.4
15. Text 15
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 171 : 12 = 14.2
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 239 : 171 = 1.4
16. Text 16
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
= 193 : 16 = 12
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 283 : 193 = 1.4
17. Text 17
ASL = Number of words : Number of sentences
40
= 280 : 14 = 20
ASW = Number of syllables : Number of words
= 479 : 280 = 1.7
To make easier, the result of ASL and ASW calculation of each text can be
seen in the table 4.2:
Table 4.2
The Result of ASL and ASW Calculation
Text Average Sentence Length Average Syllable per Word
Text 1 12.8 1.5
Text 2 13.8 1.6
Text 3 10.7 1.6
Text 4 9.1 1.3
Text 5 9 1.3
Text 6 9.3 1.3
Text 7 15.5 1.6
Text 8 14.9 1.6
Text 9 12.7 1.2
Text 10 15.5 1.5
Text 11 15 1.4
Text 12 15 1.5
Text 13 13.4 1.3
Text 14 13.9 1.4
Text 15 14.2 1.4
Text 16 12 1.4
Text 17 20 1.7
41
After counting the number of ASL and ASW, the next step is finding
the readability score by using Flesch Reading Ease formula:
Text 1
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 12.8 ) – (84.6 X 1.5 )
= 206.835 – (12.992) – (126.9)
= 66.9 = 67
Text 2
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 13.8 ) – (84.6 X 1.6)
= 206.835 – (14.007) – (135.36)
= 57.4 = 57
Text 3
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 10.7) – (84.6 X 1.6)
= 206.835 – (10.86) – (135.36)
= 60.6 = 61
Text 4
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 9.1) – (84.6 X 1.3)
= 206.835 – (9.236) – (109.98)
= 87.6 = 88
Text 5
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 9) – (84.6 X 1.3)
= 206.835 – (9.135) – (109.98)
= 87.7 = 88
42
Text 6
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 9.3) – (84.6 X 1.3)
= 206.835 – (9.439) – (109.98)
= 87.4 = 87
Text 7
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 15.5) – (84.6 X 1.6 )
= 206.835 – (15.732) – (135.36)
= 55.7 = 56
Text 8
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 14.9) – (84.6 X 1.6 )
= 206.835 – (15.123) – (135.36)
= 56.3 = 56
Text 9
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 12.7) – (84.6 X 1.2 )
= 206.835 – (12.89) – (101.52)
= 92.4 = 92
Text 10
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 15.5) – (84.6 X 1.5 )
= 206.835 – (15.732) – (126.9)
= 64.2 = 64
Text 11
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 15) – (84.6 X 1.4 )
43
= 206.835 – (15.225) – (118.44)
= 73.1 = 73
Text 12
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 15) – (84.6 X 1.5 )
= 206.835 – (15.225) – (126.9)
= 64.7 = 65
Text 13
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 13.4) – (84.6 X 1.3)
= 206.835 – (13.601) – (109.98)
= 83.2 = 83
Text 14
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 13.9) – (84.6 X 1.4 )
= 206.835 – (14.108) – (118.44)
= 74.2 = 74
Text 15
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 14.2) – (84.6 X 1.4 )
= 206.835 – (14.413) – (118.44)
= 73.9 = 74
Text 16
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 12) – (84.6 X 1.4)
= 206.835 – (12.8) – (118.44)
= 75.6 = 76
44
Text 17
Score = 206.835 – (1.015 X ASL) – (84.6 X ASW)
= 206.835 - (1.015 X 20) – (84.6 X 1.7)
= 206.835 – (20.3) – (143.82)
= 42.7 = 43
The calculation then be put in the table 4.4:
Table 4.4
The Readability Score of the Reading Texts Based on the Reading Ease
Scale of the Flesch Formula
Text Readability Score Difficult Level Reading Grade
Text 1 67 Standard 8th
to 9th
Grade
Text 2 57 Fairly Difficult 10th
to 12th
Grade
Text 3 61 Standard 8th
and 9th
Grade
Text 4 88 Easy 6th
Grade
Text 5 88 Easy 6th
Grade
Text 6 87 Easy 6th
Grade
Text 7 56 Fairly Difficult 10th
to 12th
Grade
Text 8 56 Fairly Difficult 10th
to 12th
Grade
Text 9 92 Very Easy 5th
Grade
Text 10 64 Standard 8th
and 9th
Grade
Text 11 73 Fairly Easy 7th
Grade
Text 12 65 Standard 8th
and 9th
Grade
Text 13 83 Easy 6th
Grade
Text 14 74 Fairly Easy 7th
Grade
Text 15 74 Fairly Easy 7th
Grade
Text 16 76 Fairly Easy 7th
Grade
45
Text 17 43 Difficult 13th
to 16th
Grade
(college)
Average
Score
70.82 Fairly Easy 7th
Grade
B. Interpretation
After getting the result of the data analysis from the Flesch Reading
Ease Formula, 17 reading texts on the textbook Advanced Learning English 2
are classified into six levels:
1. Very Easy, there is 1 reading text in this level. The readability score is
between 90 – 100.
2. Easy, there are 4 reading texts in this level. The readability scores are
between 80 – 90.
3. Fairly Easy, there are 4 reading texts in this level. The readability scores
are between 70 – 80.
4. Standard, there are 4 reading texts in this level. The readability scores are
between 60 – 70.
5. Fairly Difficult, there are 3 reading texts in this level. The readability
scores are between 50 – 60.
6. Difficult, there is 1 reading text in this level. The readability score is
between 30 – 50.
It can be interpreted that if the readability score of a text is higher than
other texts, it will be easier to be understood by the students. However, if the
readability score of a text is lower than other texts, it will make the text
difficult to be understood. Furthermore, the writer continues to percentage the
data as in table 4.5:
46
Table 4.5
Data in Percent (%)
No Level Numbers of Text Percentage
1 Very Easy 1 5.9 %
2 Easy 4 23.5 %
3 Fairly Easy 4 23.5 %
4 Standard 4 23.5 %
5 Fairly Difficult 3 17.6 %
6 Difficult 1 5.9 %
In average, the texts in the textbook Advanced Learning English 2
especially in the Reading section are in Fairly Easy Level ( 70.82 ). It is
found that according to the theory of Flesch Reading Ease by Rudolf
Flesch, the texts are in the appropriate level for eleventh grade students.
Based on the writer’s belief, the low score of eleventh grade students of
SMA N 4 Tangerang Selatan in reading comprehension is affected by
other factors, beside the textbook. Furthermore, the result of this study
gives an idea about improving other factors such as method in teaching
reading, building students’ vocabulary and reading practice.
47
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
After analyzing the data of reading texts on the textbook Advanced
Learning English 2 by using Flesch Reading Ease Formula and finding the
result, it can be concluded that from 17 reading texts, they are categorized into
six levels; Very Easy for 1 text, Easy for 4 texts, Fairly Easy for 4 texts,
Standard for 4 texts, Fairly Difficult for 3 texts, and Difficult for 1 text.
In average, the texts are in Fairly Easy Level. It means that according to
the theory of Flesch Reading Ease by Rudolf Flesch, the texts are in the
appropriate level for eleventh grade students.
B. Suggestion
Finally, the writer really hope that this study will be useful for the readers.
Therefore, the writer would like to give some suggestion that expectantly can
improve the teaching and learning process as follow:
1. The English teachers
a. Although the average result of this study shows that the texts on the
textbook Advanced Learning English 2 are in the Fairly Easy level, the
English teachers still have to facilitate students in comprehending the
texts because every student has different reading ability.
b. An English teacher also must know that readability is not the only
factor that influence students’ comprehension in reading the text, but
also it is very important to improve other factors such as teaching
method, students’ vocabulary and reading practice.
48
2. The students
a. The students should be diligent in reading English text in order to
practice their reading ability.
b. The students should enrich their vocabulary.
c. The students should pay attention carefully to the teacher when he/she
explains about reading material.
3. The principal
The principal should not take for granted every textbook that is offered
by the publishers. The principal has to observe about the quality of the
textbook before it is used in the teaching and learning process.
4. The author and publisher
It is very important for the author and publisher to consider the
suitability of the texts that will be learnt by students in certain level before
published.
5. The other researchers
a. The writer hopes to other researchers to examine other factors that
influence the text such as interest, exploitability, topic, political
appropriateness, cultural suitability and appearance.
b. Other researchers also can find out the readability level of English
texts by using other techniques such as Cloze Procedure test, SMOG
formula, Raygor formula etc.
.
49
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Afrizal, Ade. “The readability of Reading Passages in English Textbook of
Contextual Learning Published by Grafindo Media Pratama”, Skripsi of
Undergraduate of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta:
2012. Unpublished.
Anderson, Mark and Kathy Anderson. Text Types in English. London: Macmillan,
2003.
Asem, Bidyarani. Readability assessment of printed materials: Going beyond
readability formulas. International Journal of Environment. 2, 2012.
Browers, Roger and CJ. Brumfit. Apply Linguistics and English Language
Teaching. London: McMilan Publisher Limited, 1991.
Cunningsworth, Alan. Choosing Your Coursebook. London: McMilan Publisher
Limited, 1995.
Darmayanti, Yuli. “The Readability Level of the Reading Texts on Link to the
world: An English Textbook For Senior High School”, Skripsi of
Undergraduate of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta:
2010. Unpublished.
Davies, Alan. Dictionary of Language Testing. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2002.
Day, Richard R. Selecting passages for the EFL reading class. Journal of English
Teaching Forum. 32, 1994.
DuBay, William H. The Classic Readability Studies. Costa Mesa: Impact
Information, 2006.
.The Principles of Readability. Costa Mesa: Impact Information, 2004.
Falcouner, Naudia et al. An analysis of the readability of educational materials on
the costumer web page of a Health Professional Organization:
Consideration for Practice. The Internet Journal of Alliced Health Sciences
and Practice.9, 2011.
Flesch, Rudolf. The Art of Readable Writing. New York: Harper and Row, 1949.
Langeborg, Liselott. Readability; An Analysis of English Textbook. Akademin for
Utbildning Och Economy. 2010.
50
Celce-Murcia, Marianne. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language.
Boston: Heinle&Heinle Publishers, 1991.
Nuttall, Christine. Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language. Oxford:
Heinemann, 1996.
Oakland, Thomas and Holly B. Lane. Language, Reading, and Readability
Formulas: Implications for Developing and Adapting Tests, International
Journal of Testing. 4,2004.
Panduan Pengembangan Bahan Ajar. Jakarta: Departemen PendidikanNasional,
2008.
Panduan Penyusunan Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan Jenjang Pendidikan
Dasar dan Menengah. Jakarta: Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan, 2006.
Peraturan Mentri Pendidikan Nasional, Nomor 11 Tahun 2005 tentang Buku Teks
Pelajaran.
Perekeme, Bertola. Readability of Language Textbooks Prescribed for Junior
Secondary Schools and Students’ Performance in Reading Comprehension
in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences. 9,
2012.
Prastowo, Andi. Panduan Kreatif Membuat Bahan Ajar Inovatif. Yogyakarta:
DIVA Press, 2011.
Richards, Jack C. Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Siahaan, Sanggam and Kisno Shinoda. Generic Text Structure. Yogyakarta: Graha
Ilmu, 2008.
Sitepu. Memilih buku pelajaran. Jurnal Pendidikan Penabur. 4, 2005.
Sukardi. Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara, 2009.
Tim Peneliti. Laporan Kajian Keterbacaan Buku Teks Sekolah Dasar. Jakarta:
Pusat Perbukuan Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2006.
Ur, Penny. A Course in language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2009.
Van Els, Theo, et al. Applied Linguistics and the Learning and Teaching Foreign
Language. London: MacMillan Publishers Limited, 1991.
Walter, Hill. Secondary School Reading: Process Program and Procedures.
Boston: Allyn&Abcon, 1979.
51
Woods, Barbara, et al. A critical review of readability and comprehensibility tests.
The Journal of Tourism Studies. 9, 1998.
Rachmat Wahidi,”Genre of the Text”, http://rachmatwahidi.wordpress.com, May
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2014.
52
Appendix 1
Criteria for Coursebook Assessment1
Importance* Criterion There is (√)
/there is not(X)
√√ Objectives explicitly laid out in an
introduction, and implemented in the material
√
√√ Approach educationally and socially
acceptable to target community
√
√√ Clear attractive layout; print easy to read √
√√ Appropriate visual materials available √
√√ Interesting topics and tasks √
√√ Varied topics and tasks, so as to provide for
different learner levels, learning styles,
interest, etc
√
√√ Clear instructions √
√√ Systematic coverage of syllabus √
√√ Content clearly orgenized and graded
(sequenced by difficulty)
√
√√ Periodic review and test sections √
√√ Plenty of authentic language √
√ Good pronunciation explanation and practice √
√√ Good vocabulary explanation and practice √
√√ Good grammar presentation and practice √
√√ Fluency practice in all four skills √
1 Penny Ur, A Course in language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2009), pp. 185 – 186.
53
√√ Encourages learners to developown learning
strategies and to become independent in their
learning
√
√ Adequite guidance for the teacher; not too
heavy preparation load
X
√ Audio cassettes X
√√ Readily available locally √
* Very important : √√
Fairly important : √
Not sure : ?
Not important : X
Totally unimportant : X X
54
Appendix 2
The Texts in Reading Section on the Textbook
Text 1
Bullfrog
The American bullfrog (Rana Catesbeiana), often simply known as the
bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the
family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog
of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually
found along the water‟s edge. On rainy nights, bullfrogs, along with many other
amphibians, travel overland, and may be seen in numbers on country roads.
If you‟ve ever checked a pond for tadpoles and saw huge six-inch beasties,
they were likely young American bullfrogs. Like all tadpoles, bullfrog tadpoles
live in the water. They face many predators, including fish, snakes, and birds. As
they grow, the torpedo-shaped tadpoles sprout legs and lose their tails. In two to
four years, the tadpoles emerge from the water as fully-formed bullfrogs.
The male bullfrog‟s call is distinctive-deep and loud. Jug-o-rum, jug-o-
rum, it calls. Some people think it sounds like a cow mooing, which is why the
frog has „bull‟ in its name. Walking through a marsh or near a pond, you might
hear a whole chorus of these calls as male bullfrogs let other bullfrogs where their
territory is.
Bullfrogs eat all kinds of insects, mice, snakes, fish, and other small
creatures. They hunt at night, waiting patiently until they see something pass by
that they figure would make a good meal. Then, with a powerful leap, they lunge
at their prey with their mouths wide open. Gulp! Down the gullet the unlucky (but
tasty!) critter goes.
Bullfrogs like warm weather. When it turns cold, they dig down into mud
to hibernate. Once the warm weather returns, they emerge from under the mud.
55
Text 2
Flowers
The main function of a tree‟s flowers is to produce seeds which
will grow into new trees. Flowers contain the tree‟s reproductive parts. They can
be male or female or contain both male and female parts. Willows and poplars
have male flowers on one tree and female on another. Most conifers have separate
clusters of male and female flowers on the same tree. The wind carries pollen
from the male flowers to fertilize the female flowers.
A flower‟s shape, color, and smell are designed to transfer male pollen
grains to the female parts efficiently. Pollen is mainly transfeered by insects or
wind. Plants that rely on insects carriers have evolved brightly-colored, sweetly-
scented flowers that have a landing platformfor insects. Warm climates, birds and
bats transfer pollen when they fly from flower to flower sipping nectar.
Pollination
For a new seed to grow, male pollen grains must reach the females ovules,
which are contained in the ovary in the carpel. This is called pollination. Even if a
flower contains both male and female parts, it very rarely polinates itself. Pollen
usually ttravels from the male parts of a flower to female parts of a different
flower-this is called pollination.
The design of a tree‟s flowers shows how they are pollinated. Willow
catkins use the wind to carry their pollen. Their dangling shape allows the wind to
scatter the pollen grains. Flowers pollinated by insects, such as bees and
butterflies, attract them with their color, smell, and a store of sweet nectar to eat.
Pollen stickd to the insects‟ legs and hairy backs, and is carried to the next flower
they visit where it may join with an ovule.
56
Text 3
Komodo Dragon
The Komodo dragon, Varanus Komodoensis, also known as the
Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of
Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor
lizard family (Varanidae).
Komodo dragons are the world‟s heaviest living lizards. They can grow to
a length of 10 feet (over 3 meters), with an average length of 8 feet (2.5 meters)
and weight of 200 lbs (91 Kg). Females are usually under 8 feet and weight about
150 lbs. (68 Kg.).
The natural habitat of Komodo dragons is extremely harsh by human
standards. These arid volcanic islands have steep slopes and little available water
most of the year. A short monsoon season often produces local flooding. The
average annual temperature at sea level on Komodo Island is 80 F degrees.
Dragons are most abundant in the lower arid forest and savanna.
In the wild, Komodo dragons are generally solitary animals, except during
the breeding season. Males maintain and defend a territory and patrol up to 1.2
miles (2 Km) per day. Territories are dependents on the size of the dragon.
Feeding ranges extend further and may be shared with other males. A dragon will
allow other dragons to cross its territory when they are on a food run.
Text 4
The Ugly Duckling (Section 1)
Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother
Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs
hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the
rest, and it didn‟t hatch. Mother Duck couldn‟t recall laying that seventh egg.
57
How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his
shell.
“Did I count the eggs wrongly?”Mother Duck wondered. But before she
had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling
with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The
duckling grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.
“I can‟t understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!” she said
to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling
certainly wasn‟t pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was
outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and
more unhappy. His brothers didn‟t want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and
all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother
Duck did her best to console him.
“Poor little ugly duckling.” She would say. “Why are you so different
from the others?” and the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at
night. He felt nobody wanted him.
“Nobody loves me, they all tease me. Why am I different from my
brothers?”
Text 5
The Ugly Duckling (Section 2)
Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a
pond and began to question all the other birds. “Do you know of any ducklings
with gray feathers like mine?” But everyone shook their heads in scorn.
“We don‟t know anyone as ugly as you.” The ugly duckling did not lose
heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. He went to another pond, where a
pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What‟s more, they
58
warned him: “Don‟t stay here! Go away! It‟s dangerous. There are men with guns
around here. “The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.
Then one day, his travels took him near an old country woman‟s cottage.
Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him.
“I‟ll put this in a hutch. I hope it‟s a female and lays plenty of eggs. “ said
the old woman, whose eyesight was poor. But the ugly duckling laid not a single
egg. The hen kept frightening him.
“Just wait. If you don‟t lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and
pop you into the pot. “And the cat chipped in: “Hee. Hee. I hope the woman cooks
you, then I can gnaw at your bones. “ The poor ugly duckling was so scared that
he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and
grumbling: “If you won‟t lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump.”
“Oh, dear me.” moaned the now terrified duckling. “I‟ll die of fright first.
And I did so hope someone would love me.”
Text 6
The Ugly Duckling (Section 3)
Then one night, finding the hutch door ajar, he escaped. Once again he
was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a
thick bed of reeds. “If nobody wants me, I‟ll hide here forever.” There was plenty
a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One
day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful bird‟s wing overhead. White, with long
slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.
“If only I could look like them, just for a day.” Said the duckling,
admiringly. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling
left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a
farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.
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“I‟ll take him home to my children. They‟ll look after him. Poor thing,
he‟s frozen. “The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer‟s house.
In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.
However, by spring time, he had grown so big that the farmer decided:
“I‟ll set him free by the pond. “That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored
in the water.
“Goodness! How I‟ve changed. I hardly recognize myself.” The flight of
swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw
them, he realized he was one of their kinds, and soon made friends.
“We‟re swans like you.” they said, warmly. “Where have you been
hiding?”
“It‟s a long story,” replied the young swan, still astounded. Now, he swam
majestically with his fellow swans. One day, he heard children on the river bank
exclaim:”Look at that young swan. He‟s the finest of them all.”
And he almost burst with happiness.
Text 7
Renewable Energy Change Our Life
Renewable Energy source such as nuclear energy, solar energy, and wind
energy is safer and has more advantages than the use of petroleum as number
reasons:
Firstly, the use of renewable energy will support the program of „Blue
Sky‟. As it doesn‟t burn the petrol it will not produce the hazard or smoke because
it doesn‟t involve burning process that is used to spin the turbines to generate
power. The energy itself spins the turbine instead. Even it only produces small
amount of solid waste (or even none for water and wind energy). So, it is safer for
our environtment.
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Secondly, it costs less than the burning petroleum. If we burn petroleum
everyday to spin the turbine, why don‟t we use the power resource that is
available? We need only a small amount of uranium to generate the turbine to
produce electricity and to light thousands of homes.
Thirdly, it leads us to the future. The energy that is at present will be used
up, and no more left. If we use something that gives more advantages, i think we
can maintain human lives and increase the human civilization.
One thing is clear, that renewable energy is much better than petroleum. If
we support the government‟s plan to use the renewable energy, we can change our
life.
Text 8
Obesity is a Nightmare
As the rate of obesity continues to climb in the United States, one age
group is feeling the ramifications more than most. More than half of Americans
are overweight-including at least 1 in 5 children. Teenage obesity is becaming an
epidemic and for many teens, a living nightmare.
The foods we eat every day contribute to our well-being. Foods provide us
with the nutrients we need for healthy bodies and the calories we need for energy.
If we eat too much, however, the extra food turns to fat and is stored in our
bodies. If we overeat regularly, we gain weight, and if we continue to gain weight,
we may become obese.
Obesity means accumulation of excess fat on the body. Obesity is
considered a chronic (long-term) disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes. It
has many serious long-term consequences for your health, and it is the second
leading cause of preventable deaths.
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Obesity is caused by the false life style. People have meals at the fast food
restaurant which serve the junk food; they do not control their appetite, they like
to attend parties where food is abundant while physical activity is lack.
Text 9
Two Trips
When George was thirty-five, he bought a small plane and learned to fly it.
He soon became very good and made his plane do all kinds of tricks.
George had a friend. His name was Mark. One day George offered to take
Mark up in his plane. Mark thought, “I‟ve travelled in a big plane several times,
but I‟ve never been in a small one, so I‟ll go.”
They went up, and George flew around for half an hour and did all kinds
of tricks in the air.
When they came down again, Mark was very glad to be back safely, and
he said to his friend in a shaking voice, “Well, George, thank you very much for
those two trips in your plane.”
George was very surprised and said, “Two trips?”
“Yes, my first and my last,” answered Mark.
Text 10
John Gilbert
While John Gilbert was in hospital, he asked his doctor to tell him whether
his operation had been successful, but the doctor refused to do so.
The following day, the patient asked for a bedside telephone. When he was
alone, he telephoned the hospital exchange and asked for Dr. Milington. When the
doctor answered telephone, Mr. Gilbert said he was inquiring about a certain
patient, a Mr. John Gilbert. He asked if Mr. John Gilbert‟s operation had been
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successful and the doctor told him that it had been. He then asked when Mr.
Gilbert would be allowed to go home and the doctor told him that he would have
to stay in hospital for another two weeks.
Then Dr. Millington asked the caller if he was a relative of the patient.
“No,” the patient answered, “I am Mr. John Gilbert.”
Text 11
Emptying the Doctor’s Waiting Room
A patient goes to the doctor‟s office where, much to his surprise the doctor
asked him, “Would you please help me with a problem I‟m having an
appoinment?”
“Sure, doctor, what can I do for you,” said the patient.
“Would you scream in the most earsplitting, piercing screams you can
manage? Try to make it sound as if you‟re in terrible pain,” the doctor said.
“But why, doctor, you‟ve always been gentle with me and your treatments
have never caused me any pain?” asked the patient.
“Yes,” said a doctor in a matter-of-fact tone, “but I have a 4 o‟clock tee
time at the golf course I don‟t want to miss, and my waiting room is still full of
patients.”
Text 12
Romeo and Juliet
The story revolved around three families from Verona. The Ruling House,
the House of Capulet from where Juliet hails and that of Montague, the male
protagonist‟s family. The story commenced with a street brawl fired by the feud
between the Montague and Capulet families. When the Prince of Verona
announced that any further feud would result in punishment, Count Paris of the
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ruling house expressed his desire to marry Juliet, from the House of Capulet, who
was only thirteen.
Meanwhile, after the brawl, Benvolio learned about Romeo‟s lost-love
Rosaline, one of Lord Capulet‟s nieces. The estranged meeting between Romeo
and Juliet took place at the ball arranged for Count Paris to meet Juliet. Romeo
met and fell head-over-heels in love with Juliet. Romeo disclosed his identity to
her on being „encouraged in love‟. They sought the support of Friar Laurence,
who longed for a reconciliation between the two families and were secretly
married. Tybalt, Juliet‟s cousin challenged Romeo to a duel on discovering that he
had sneaked into the ball. However, because of Juliet, Romeo refused to fight him
and called on the ire of Mercuito, who accepted the duel instead of Romeo.
When Mercutio was wounded in the duel, Romeo slew Tybalt and was
exiled for the latter‟s death. Juliet‟s grief was worsened when Lord Capulet made
plans for her wedding with Count Paris. She sought a help from Friar Laurence.
The plan they came up with was that Juliet would consume a drug that would take
her into a coma for nearly three hours. Romeo was to be informed of the plan via
a messenger, who didn‟t reach him in time. On the eve of her marriage to Count
Paris, Juliet took the drug and was declared dead.
Romeo heard about her „death‟ and bought poison before visiting the
family crypt. Fate had other plans as Paris encounters Romeo and was killed by
the latter. Believing that his lady-love was dead, Romeo drank the poison. When
Juliet awoke to discover Romeo‟s corpse, she stabbed herself. The families met at
the tomb and heard the story of the lovers from the friar. They reconciled and the
violent feud was declared over.
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Text 13
Momotaro the Peach Boy
Once upon a time there was an old man and his old wife lifing in th e
country in Japan. The oldman was a woodcutter. He and his wife were very sad
and lonely because they had no children.
One day the oldman went into the mountains to cut firewood and the old
woman went to the river to wash some clothes.
No sooner had the old woman begun her washing, she was very surprised
to see a big peach come floating down the river. It was the biggest peach she‟d
ever seen in all her life. She pulled the peach out of the river and decided to take it
home and give it to the old man for his supper that night.
Late in the afternoon the oldman came home, and the old woman said to
him: “Look what a wonderful peach I found for your supper.” The old man said it
was truly a beautiful peach. He was so hungry that he said:”Let‟s divide it and eat
it right away.”
So the old woman brought a big knife from the kitchen and was getting
ready to cut the peach in half. But just then there was the sound of a human voice
from inside the peach. “Wait! Don‟t cut me!” said the voice. Suddenly the peach
split open, and a beautiful baby boy jumped out of the peach.
The old man and woman were astounded. But the baby said: “Don‟t be
afraid. The god of Heaven saw how lonely you were without any children, so he
sent me to be your son.”
The old man and woman were very happy, and they took the baby to be
their son. Since he was born from a peach, they named him Momotaro, which
means Peach Boy. They loved Momotaro very much and raised him to be a fine
boy.
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Text 14
Momotaro the Peach Boy (Section 2)
When Momotaro was about fifteen years old, he went to his father and
said: “Father, you have always been very kind to me. Now I am a big boy and I
must do something to help my country. In a distant part of the sea there is an
island named Ogre Island. Many wicked ogres live there, and they often come to
our land and do bad things like carrying people away and stealing their things. So
I‟m going to go to Ogre Island and fight them and bring back the treasure which
they have there. Please let me do this.”
The old man was surprised to hear this, but he was also very proud of
Momtaro for wanting to help other people. So he and the old woman helped
Momotaro get ready for his journey to Ogre Island. The old man gave him a
sword and armor, and the old woman fixed him a good lunch of millet dumplings.
Then Momotaro begun his journey, promising his parents that he would come
back soon.
Momotaro went walking toward the sea. It was a long way. As he went
along he met a spotted dog. The dog growled at Momotaro and was about to bite
him, but then Momotaro gave him one of the dumplings. He told the spotted dog
that he was going to fight the ogres on Ogre Island. So the dog said he‟d go along
too and help Momotaro.
Momotaro and the spotted dog kept on walking and soon they met a
monkey. The spotted dog and the monkey started to have a flight. But Momotaro
explained to the monkey that he and the spotted dog were going to fight the ogres
on Ogre Island. Then the monkey asked if he could go with them. Momotaro gave
the monkey a dumpling and let the monkey come with them.
Momotaro and the spotted dog and the monkey kept on walking. Suddenly
they met a pheasant. The spotted dog and the monkey and the pheasant were about
to start fighting. But when the pheasant heard that Momotaro was going to fight
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the ogres on Ogre Island, he asked if he could go too. So Momotaro gave the
pheasant a dumpling and told him to come along.
Text 15
Momotaro the Peach Boy (Section 3)
So, with Momotaro as their general, the spotted dog and the monkey and
the pheasant, who usually hated each other, all became good friends and followed
Momotaro faithfully. They walked a long, long away, and finally reached the sea.
At the edge of the sea Momotaro built a boat. They and all got in the boat and
started across the sea toward Ogre Island.
When they came within sight of the island, they could see that the ogres
had a very strong fort there. And there were many, many ogres. Some of them
were red, some blue, and some black.
First the pheasant flew over the walls of the fort and began to peck at the
ogres‟ heads. They all tried to hit the pheasant with their clubs, but he was very
quick and dodged all their blows. And while the ogres weren‟t looking, the
monkey slipped up and opened the gate of the fort. Then Momotaro and the
spotted dog rushed into the fort and started fighting the ogres too.
Text 16
Momotaro the Peach Boy (Section 4)
It was a terrible battle! The pheasant pecked at the heads and eyes of the
wicked ogres. And the monkey clawed at them. And the spotted dog bit them.
And Momotaro cut them with his sword. At last the ogres were completely
defeated. They all bowed down low before Momotaro and promised never to do
wicked things again. Then they brought Momotaro all the treasure they had stored
in the fort.
It was the most wonderful treasure you can imagine. There was much gold
and silver and many precious jewels. There was an invisible coat and hat, arid a
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hammer that made a piece of gold every time you hit it on the ground, and many
other wonderful things. Momotaro and his three helpers carried all this in their
boat back to the land. Then they made a chart and put all the treasure in the cart
and pulled it back to Momotaro‟s house.
How happy the old man and woman were when they saw their son return
safely from Ogre Island! They were very rich now with all the treasure that
Momotaro had brought, and they all lived together very, very, happily.
Text 17
Drinking Coffee has Health Benefits
Drinking coffee may not harm people. Tea, coffee and soda are few
beverages which contain drug called caffeine. In its natural state, caffeine, a silky
crystalline substance, is a white or yellow powder, which is bitter tasting and
odorless. Why should I say that? I propose some arguments as follows:
First, according to an old legend, ever since the third century, monks
began using caffeine in order to help them stay awake during evening prayer
services. Now, almost seventeen centuries later, we still use caffeine for the same
purpose as well as other purposes.
Second, caffeine is absorbed through the stomach and small intestine into
the bloodstream, it takes anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes to reach its
peak levels. The blood flow through the kidneys increases, which triggers
urination.
Third, some more therapeutic uses for caffeine are: to help analgesics
work more efficiently, to relieve depression to drug addicts, to kill skin funguses,
to improve the movement of sperm, and to keep people from having seizures
during electroconvulsive therapy.
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Fourth, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted
an extensive study and concluded that there is no evidence that caffeine will
decrease the quality of your health in any way.
Finally, caffeine enhances the performance of small tasks and physical
work, which requires endurance, like running or swimming. Apparently, the
Ethiopians mixed crushed dried coffee beans with fat and rolled them together and
ate it during their journeys.
Thus if we want to say that first, we may drink coffee, without feeling
scare of bad impact of the caffeine; second, don‟t drink too much; third, drink
coffee for therapeutic purposes, at last we needn‟t to addict to coffee.
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