Definition of Reading Reading

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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Reading

1. Definition of Reading

Reading is one of the four language components; it is an important element that cannot be separated from each other in language learning process. As a result, it becomes important for foreign language learners to learn and to master on it. Simply put, reading is making meaning from print and from visual information. 1 But reading is not a simple activity, reading is a complex activity and need some process, as De Boer and Dallmann state that “Reading is a much more complex process. Reading involves recall, reasoning, evaluation, imagining, organizing, applying, and problem solving.” 2 This statement explains that reading requires a lot of skills to achieve the purposes of reading itself. In addition, according to Bamman , “Reading is a many-sided, very complex activity. It has been variously described as a process, a mode of thinking, a kind of real experience, a type of vicarious experiencing, an aspect of communication, and a tool subject.” 3 It must be viewed from every angle to complete the process of understanding. Therefore, in reading is needed full attention to comprehend the content, because it involves brain to work. Alderson stated that there are two aspects in reading: process and product. 4 In the process of reading there happened many things. The reader thinks about what he is reading, what the text means or what he expects from the text. This statement proves that in reading, there is cognitive process in reader‟s mind. 1 Judi Moreillon, Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact Chicago: American Library Association, 2007, p. 10. 2 John J. De Boer Martha Dallmann, The Teaching of Reading, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1964, Revised Edition, p. 17. 3 Henry A. Bamman, Fundamentals of Basic Reading Instruction, New York: David McKay Company, 1963, 2 nd Editon, p. 1. 4 J. Charles Alderson, Assessing Reading New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 3. Reading is an activity or process in getting information. Reading involves the interaction because it is one of skills which are highly connected with someone‟s language ability. When people read they construct and research for meaning based on their own perception to the text brings to them. Penny Ur stated, “Reading is understanding. If you read the words but you do not know what they mean, that is not reading. A foreign language learner, who says „I can read the words, but I don‟t know what they mean‟.” 5 Someone cannot be said reading if he does not understand what he read. Reading needs deeper comprehension to understand the text. Therefore we need to analyze what we are reading to know the content of the text. Knowing the text involves the minds to work. It relates to cognitive ability. As Alderson said “The number of different theories of reading is simply overwhelming, how reading relates to other cognitive and perceptual abilities, how it interfaces with memory. ” 6 This means that reading stage involve s reader‟s mind to work hard in interpreting the text. Moreover Daiek and Anter said “Reading is an active process that depends on both an author‟s ability to convey meaning using words and your ability to create meaning from them. ” 7 So, to read well, someone needs a skill in reading. This skill must be built as frequently as people can, because reading skill needs behavior to be better understanding. Therefore, we can get information about what the author has written. From these definitions, reading is not only to read the printed text into spoken language, but also to decode the text and to make a connection between the readers‟ knowledge and the text they read in order to understand the text based on their purposes. In addition, reading also is a process which involves the readers ‟ previous knowledge and the text they read in order to comprehend the text. 5 Penny Ur, A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 138. 6 Alderson, op. cit., p. 1. 7 Deborah Daiek Nancy Anter, Critical Reading for College and Beyond, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 5.

2. Reading Comprehension