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adds that the questions are simply stated in the text, so “such questions could be answered by quoting parts from the text” p. 34.
The second type is inferential questions. This level requires the readers to “think and search” as well as inferring meanings. Unlike the first type, the
words used in the questions may be a bit different from the words used in the text. Furthermore, Nation 2009 argues that inferential questions take
messages from the text by “working out the main idea of the text, looking at
the organization of the text, determining the writer’s attitude to the topic, interpreting characters, and figuring out cause and effect” p. 34.
The next type is higher than literal and inferential questions; they are critical questions. Cecil, Baker, and Lozano 1999 see the answers to the
questions are in the mind of “the author and you”. The readers here are required to combine their own ideas and the authors’ implicit opinions within
the text. Some possible elements involved in this text are “applying ideas from
the text to solve problems, applying the ideas in the text to personal experience, comparing ideas inside and outside the text, imagining extensions
of the text, and fitting ideas in the text to wider field” Nation, 2009, p. 34. The highest level of comprehension questions is creative questions.
Here, the answers have to be on the readers’ own. Answering these questions probably requires students to
“find qualified evidence in the text, evaluate adequate content of the text, and express agreement or disagreement with the
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ideas in the text” Nation, 2009, p. 34. Therefore, there are no right or wrong answers since each student perceives things differently.
In regard to four types of comprehension questions, it is recommended that teachers get the students used to answering all types of questions. It can
be said that the questions are improper if they include one type only. It is better to include all types gradually. Including all types in a test might also
enable teachers to detect students’ difficulties.
g. Teaching Reading Comprehension
An English subject in the Indonesian curriculum must include reading comprehension activities. Casanave 1988 states that successful reading
comprehension depends not only on read ers’ ability to access appropriate
content and formal schemata. The success also depends on their ability to monitor what they understand to take an appropriate strategic action. Here, the
teachers’ role is crucially required to help them monitor their understanding and guide them to take the right strategy. This is what makes teaching reading
difficult. The process of comprehension occurs inside the brain and the way to assess it is by tests. Students may score high in terms of answering the
questions but it does not always show that students have learned something from the text. If the answers to the questions are explicitly stated in the text, it
might be easy. If the answers are implicit, students must be able to decode the words and extract meaning.
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It is clear that teachers have to make sure that the text is not only to be read, but also to be understood as well. Therefore, teachers have to set
learning goals and smartly choose suitable strategy to help students achieve the goals. When applying a strategy, teachers have to do it in sequence so the
students will get used to it. According to Harvey and Goudvis 2000, there are five types of comprehension strategies. The first one is making connection.
Connection here refers to the topic or information within the text and what the readers already know about themselves, about other texts, and about the
world. This strategy is strongly related to the background knowledge about the topic being discussed. Moore 2008 calls this
as “reading beyond the lines.” The next strategy is asking questions. Harvey and Goudvis argue that readers
are supposed to ask themselves questions about the text, their reactions and the author’s purpose for writing it. Besides, readers can also ask questions to
discern relationships among ideas and information within the text Gersten, Fuchs, Williams Baker, 2001.
The next strategy is to visualize the text. Here, Gersten et al. 2001 state that visualization as a strategy forms readers’ sensory and emotional
images of textual contents, especially visual images. To help readers visualize the text, the use of pictures or graphic organizer might be utilized. The next
strategy is by making inferences. Moore 2008 remarks that making inferences is often known as “reading between the lines.” It is done by linking
parts of texts that are not explicitly stated by the authors. Readers utilize what PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
