these contribute to successful task orientation and increase student’s motivation in learning English especially in reading
comprehension.
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C. Reading Comprehension
1. The Understanding of Reading Comprehension
Before the writer discusses any further detail of reading comprehension, it is essential to know exactly the meaning of reading first.
Reading is an active information seeking process in which readers relate information in the text to what they already know. When we sit down to
read, our knowledge of the language allows us to identify the basic forms and meanings of printed words and sentences. At the same time, our
knowledge of the world in general and of the subject matter in particular allows to comprehend these words and sentences by comparing them to
knowledge stored in our brains.
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To make sure that we know exactly what is reading is here are some definitions of reading according to some
experts. According to Hodgson reading is a process done by the reader to get message conveyed by the writer through written representation.
Reading is an exercise dominated by the eyes and the brain. The eyes receive the messages and the brain then has to work out the significance of
these messages.
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Furthermore, Frank G Jennings states in his book that reading is the art of transmitting the ideas, facts and feeling from the mind
and soul of an author to the mind and soul of reader, with accuracy and undistending, much more.
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The essence of reading act is comprehension; it becomes primary challenge in teaching or learning of reading skill.
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Comprehension means
8
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, third edition, England: Longman
Inc. 2001, p.114
9
Joan Rubin and Irene Thompson, How to be More Successful Language Learner “Toward Learner Autonomy” second edition, New York: Heinle Heinle Publisher. 1994, p. 91
10
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of Engish Language Teaching, New York: Longman Inc. 1989, p.153
11
Frank G Jenings, This is Reading, New York: Teacher College Press, 1965. P. 11
12
F Dubin, D. E Eskey and W. Grabe, Teaching Second Language for Academic Purposes, New York: Addison Wesley Pub, 1986. P. 6
understanding the meaning or the point of a topic, F. Dubin, D.E Eskey and W. Grabe show more specific explanation, comprehension means
relating what we do not know or new information, which is not random collection or facts but a “theory of world” in each of our heads. Reading
comprehension is most likely a simple multiplication of word recognition abilities and general language comprehension abilities.
Reading comprehension is very important in our everyday reading. When we glance at newspapers, magazines, and books, we often need to
understand the reading passage more profoundly. Someone cannot get information completely without comprehension. Comprehension includes
recognizing and understanding main ideas and related details. A good recognizes that many ideas are implied and shehe must read between the
lines to get the full meaning. Penny Ur states that in reading, it is recorded the meaning of text, to get some meaning from what the text means, and
our understanding of which it is composed.
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Based on the previous definitions, it can be synthesized that definition of reading comprehension is the process of interaction between
a reader and a text to get information from the text and to form an interpretation and to draw a conclusion of that information. Delivery of
ideas, opinions, or feeling is some important aspects of the process which a writer’s ideas become real to reader.
2. The Objective of Reading
