Analysis of readability of reading texts on English national examination on junior high school

This research aims to find out whether texts in the English National Examination at Junior High School. Conform with students' readability level or not. This research is research that uses quantitative methods. It aims to investigate the readability of the texts used in the English national examination texts for junior high school students. Subjects are 8 texts used in the English national examination texts. The instrument used to collect data is the Flesch Reading Ease readability formula. The results of the study it was found that the reading text on the National Examination test was not suitable for junior high school students. Based on the readability formula for the eight reading texts, there are 4 texts in the very easy category, in the easy category there is 1 text, in the quite difficult category there is 1 and there are only 2 reading texts that are suitable for students who are included in the standard category and are fairly easy. For those interested in studying readability, besides Flesch reading ease formula. The writer hopes this research can give more information for further research. The author expected to pay attention to producing better texts which suitable with the level of the students’ readability as the good text can help students to get a high score.

Spotting fake in the news: an easy task?

Fake news is a widespread element of the nowadays news websites. The research focuses on students’ abilities to detect fake news stories. 72 % of respondents successfully identified fake texts. The experiment proves that students concentrate on reading texts carefully, check their credibility, facts and pictures that accompany news texts. Students believe that among linguistic features that contribute to creating fake news texts there is repetition of lexemes, illogical structure of narration, exaggeration, confusing numbers. It was also pointed out that photos do not illustrate information given in fake texts.

The Readability Level of Reading Texts in Erlangga Straight Point Series: English for Eleventh Grade Students

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong> This study aims to describe the readability level of reading texts in <em>ESPS: English</em> for the 11^th grade students. The measurement tools were Coh-Metrix RDL2, Miyazaki EFL Reading Index and teachers’ professional judgment. The formula were effective in measuring the texts readability by calculating the number of words, letters, and sentences in the text. The Score of Coh-Metrix RDL2 showed that the reading texts was easier for reading level of 11^th graders. MEFLRI claimed that reading texts in <em>ESPS</em> textbook are match for reading level of 11^th graders. Teachers’ judgment claimed, the texts were suitable for eleventh grade students.</p><strong>Abstrak:<em> </em></strong>Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan tingkat keterbacaan 19 teks bacaan dalam <em>ESPS: English</em> untuk siswa kelas 11. Tiga alat ukur digunakan untuk mengukur tingkat keterbacaan yakni Coh-Metrix RDL2 dan Miyazaki EFL Reading Index, dan penilaian guru. Kedua formula terbukti efektif dalam mengukur keterbacaan teks dengan menghitung total huruf, kata, dan kalimat dalam teks. Coh-Metrix menunjukkan bahwa teks bacaan lebih mudah dipahami oleh siswa pada kelas 11, sedangkan MEFLRI menunjukkan bahwa teks bacaan sangat cocok diberikan pada kelas 11. Penilaian guru menyatakan teks bacaan sesuai untuk siswa kelas 11.

READER-TEXT CONNECTION: REPORTING THE ENGAGEMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEXTS

Maintaining students’ engagement with reading texts that reflect their background knowledge has positive effect on their comprehension. Culturally relevant materials provide more equitable opportunities to students, in the sense that more of them can reap the benefits of being able to connect to the text (Christ & Sharma, 2018). This article aims to identify the characteristics of texts, particularly those categorized as culturally relevant, which make them appropriate for a specific group of students. Three data gathering methods were used: ratings of texts, reflective journals, and discussion points during Literature Circles. Results indicate that the students participating in the study consider that similar experiences, relatability of the story in terms of feelings and motivation conveyed, actions of the characters, and possibility of experiencing the same event are the main factors that made reading texts culturally relevant to them. These text characteristics can guide classroom teachers, materials developers, and curriculum designers in choosing materials and preparing lessons for specific groups of students, as these underscore the importance of text relatability in building and keeping the students’ reading interest and motivation.

Exploring Reciprocal Teaching Method on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

This research was carried out as the learning activities in the reading classroom were not yet effective. As a result, the student's ability to comprehend reading texts was poor. This study aims to improve the EFL students’ reading comprehension by implementing the Reciprocal Teaching Method (RTM), especially in comprehending IELTS reading texts. Classroom action research was conducted by following four stages; planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting the actions. The Reciprocal Teaching Method (RTM) consists of four stages; predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing to engage the learners in groupwork activities, boost motivation, as well as enhance their comprehension. 28 learners from the English department who enrolled in the Reading course were selected as participants. Data were gathered through observations, tests, interviews, as well as document reviews. The results revealed that the Reciprocal Teaching Method (RTM) boosts students' ability to comprehend the IELTS reading texts and engages them during the teaching and learning process.

Deepening the Postcolonial Theological Gaze: Frantz Fanon and the Psychopathology of Colonial Christianity

Postcolonialism is not simply an optic, but also a particular practice, a way of reading texts and contexts that sees the interconnections of the psychological, cultural and theological nature of the traumatic legacies of colonialism and empire. In this article, I reflect on postcolonial theology suggesting that any postcolonial gaze pay particularly attention to the psychological dimension of coloniality that continues to operate within Christian discourses. I engage Franz Fanon, African Caribbean postcolonial or rather, anti-colonial, radical and revolutionary intellectual whose academic work and activist lifestyle have embodied this attention to the psychological.

The Invisible Ethnic: Vladimir Nabokov, Richard Rodriguez, and Ethnic Literature

This essay explores the possibilities and constraints of reading texts as ethnic literature. It does so by tracing the master theme of transcendence in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory and by drawing comparisons with Latino autobiographer and essayist Richard Rodriguez. To date Speak, Memory has transcended categorization as a particular conception of ethnic literature that precludes also reading it as universal. Rodriguez, in contrast, laments that his books are less likely to be read as universal precisely because shelved and categorized as ethnic literature rather than as memoir or simply “literature.” As Rodriguez notes, the conception of Ethnic Literature as a genre marginalizes even as it celebrates ethnic cultures. That is, treating works by ethnic authors as a conventional genre—in the sense that memoirs, westerns, and mystery novels are genres—can have a ghettoizing effect. I argue that ethnic literature is universal despite its focus on a particular culture. To the extent that any work of literature can said to be universal it achieves that status through the particular: a story grounded in a particular culture and, usually, focusing on the particularity of individual characters. There is no view from nowhere. As with other works of literature, ethnic literature is the view from somewhere. I conclude that, when it comes to how we read ethnic literature, it is time for a paradigm shift.

An Examination of Reading Texts in a Journey to Turkish A1 and A2 Level Textbooks in Terms of Readability

Textbooks, which have a very important place in educational activities, are also a widely used material in teaching Turkish to foreigners. Therefore, the texts in these textbooks play an effective role in learning. For this reason, it is very important to determine the readability levels of Turkish teaching textbooks for foreigners. The aim of this research is to determine the readability levels of the reading texts in the Turkish Journey A1 and Turkish Journey A2 textbooks prepared for teaching Turkish to foreigners. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. In the study, the syllable, word and sentence lengths of the reading texts in the textbooks were calculated. The obtained data were analyzed with the Flesch formula adapted to Turkish by Ateşman (1997) and the readability levels of the reading texts were determined. Then, the reading texts in the books were compared in terms of ease and difficulty. According to the results obtained, it has been determined that the reading texts of both textbooks are generally of medium difficulty, easy and very easy. In addition, it was determined that the Turkish Journey A2 textbook and the Turkish Journey A1 textbook consisted of more difficult texts. As a result, it was determined that both books consisted of reading texts suitable for A1 and A2 levels.

Gender Representation on Pictures, Dialogues and Reading Texts in “Bahasa Inggris Untuk Kelas X SMA/Ma”.

This study focuses on gender representation of the picture, dialogue, and reading texts in a textbook – Bahasa Inggria Untuk Kelas X SMA/MA. For Grade X Senior High School. It used a descriptive qualitative approach, and its objective was both to investigate gender representation in the pictures, dialogue, and reading text and, the representation between them. The study revealed that male domination was found in the picture, dialogues and, reading text as seen from gender visibility, gender-specific nouns, gender-stereotypes. Only, in the dialogues gender stereotype was dominated by female. The relation between picture, reading text and, dialogues, have similarity was dominated by a male, as seen from gender-neutral and gender-specific nouns. Although gender stereotypes and gender visibility in the dialogue were dominated by a female. Gender visibility, gender stereotype, gender-neutral and gender-specific noun between reading texts and pictures, have similarity was dominated by male. The representation between reading text and pictures support each other because they are mutually sustainable. Gender visibility and gender stereotype in the reading text and dialogue have unequal dominated. Gender visibility in the reading text is dominated by a male, while gender visibility in the dialogue is dominated by a female.

Reading Texts on The Violence of God in The Bible

<p><em>Violent texts in the bible</em><em> both in the Old Testament or in the New Testament</em><em>, especially in the Old Testament, arise a problem</em><em> for a potential reader</em><em> on how to read </em><em>and understand their message and the theology of the author of the Book.</em><em> </em><em>For this reason, b</em><em>iblical scholars try to read it and they propose the way to read such texts</em><em>, such as to read them in the historical context of the Book itself, and interpret them as a reflection of the author and their experience</em><em>. This article tries to propose another way to read violent texts, in particularly that involve God as author of violent deeds. The methode of this discussion is exegetical analysis on the texts of the Old Testament</em><em>, especially on those which narrate the violent deeds of God </em><em>. The result of the study is the violent deeds of God aim to recreate the creation; that is why such violent texts might be read in the frame of the new creation.</em></p><p><strong><em>Key words</em></strong><em>: </em>Alkitab, Keluaran, Kekerasan, Allah, Penciptaan (Baru)</p>