the readability level of the reading texts on...

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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



4 Narrative 29 264 355



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 students of Elementary

school. 7th


grade of Junior High School. 8th

and 9th

grade is

equal to 8th

– 9th

grade of Junior High School. 10th

to 12th


–

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


= 277 : 20 = 13.8


= 441: 277 = 1.6

3. Text 3


= 215 : 20 = 10.7


= 348 : 215 = 1.6

1 William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, (Costa Mesa: Impact Information, 2004),

p. 22.

37

4. Text 4


= 264 : 29 = 9.1


= 355 : 264 = 1.3

5. Text 5


= 271 : 30 = 9


= 352 : 271 = 1.3

6. Text 6


= 310 : 33 = 9.3


= 418 : 310 = 1.3

7. Text 7


= 217 : 14 = 15.5


= 349 : 217 = 1.6

8. Text 8


38

= 194 : 13 = 14.9


= 311 : 194 = 1.6

9. Text 9


= 140 : 11 = 12.7


= 178 : 140 = 1.2

10. Text 10


= 140 : 9 =15.5


= 220 : 140 = 1.5

11. Text 11


= 120 : 8 = 15


= 167 : 120 = 1.4

12. Text 12


= 362 : 24 = 15


= 571: 362 = 1.5

39

13. Text 13


= 310 : 23 = 13.4


= 408 : 310 = 1.3

14. Text 14


= 376 : 27 = 13.9


= 529 : 376 = 1.4

15. Text 15


= 171 : 12 = 14.2


= 239 : 171 = 1.4

16. Text 16


= 193 : 16 = 12


= 283 : 193 = 1.4

17. Text 17


40

= 280 : 14 = 20


= 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


and 9th

Grade

Text 4 88 Easy 6th

Grade

Text 5 88 Easy 6th

Grade

Text 6 87 Easy 6th

Grade


to 12th

Grade


to 12th

Grade

Text 9 92 Very Easy 5th

Grade


and 9th

Grade

Text 11 73 Fairly Easy 7th

Grade


and 9th

Grade

Text 13 83 Easy 6th

Grade


Grade


Grade


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

28th

2014.

http://rachmatwahidi.wordpress.com/

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


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


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.

59

“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.

60

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


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


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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