CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Theoretical Review
In this chapter, the researcher discussesed some related theories on reading comprehension; the nature of reading, schema-building theory, experience-text-
relationship method, and several related studies that support this study.
1 The Nature of Reading
a. Definition of Reading
In general, reading can be defined in many ways. According to Grabe and Stoller 2002:9, reading is a way to draw information from the printed
page and interpret the information appropriately. In line with the statement, Urquhart and Weir in Grabe 2009: 14 propose that reading is the process of
receiving and interpreting information encoded in language via the medium of
print.
In another study, Grabe 1997 points out that reading is an interaction between reader and text. Grabe adds that reading requires efficient knowledge
of world and a given topic also an efficient knowledge of the language. In addition, Wixson, Peters, Weber, Roeber, 1987 states “Reading is the
process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among: 1 the reader’s existing knowledge; 2 the information suggested by the text
being read; and 3 the context of the reading situation”. Based on the definitions above, it can be concluded that, first, reading
is a process in which interaction between a reader and a text is occurred in 9
order to extract information from the printed page. Second, in the process of extracting information, the reader needs to make use of his or her prior
knowledge and relate it to the content of text to create meaning.
b. Skills in Reading
To construct meaning from a text, a reader needs skills to succeed. Hollas 2002 suggests that a reading skill is a helpful tool that a student
practices in order to improve reading. Brown 2004 classified reading skills into two major elements,
namely micro skills and macro skills. The two classifications of reading skills by Brown are described as follows:
Micro skills 1
Discriminating among the distinctive graphemes and orthographic patterns of English,
2 Retaining chunks of language of different lengths in short-term
memory, 3
Processing writing at an efficient rate of speed to suit the purpose 4
Recognizing a core of words, an interpreting word order patterns and their significance,
5 Recognizing grammatical word classes noun, verb, etc., systems
e.g. tense, agreement, pluralisation, patterns, rules, and elliptical forms.
6 Recognizing that a particular meaning may be expresses in different
grammatical forms, 7
Recognizing cohesive devices in writing discourse and their role in signaling the relationship between and among clauses.
Macro skills 1
Recognize the rhetorical forms of written discourse and their significance for interpretation.
2 Recognize the communicative functions of written text, according to
form and purpose. 3
Infer context that is not explicit by using background knowledge. 4
From described events, ideas, etc., infer links and connection between events, deduce causes and effects, and detect such relations
as main idea, supporting idea, new information, generalization and exemplification.
5 Distinguish between literal and implied meanings.
6 Detect culturally specific references and interpret them in a context
of the appropriate cultural schemata. 7
Develop and use battery of strategies, such as scanning and skimming, detecting discourse markers, guessing the meaning of
words from context, and activating schemata for the interpretation of texts.
Brown, 2004: 187-188
2 Reading Comprehension
a. Definition of Reading Comprehension
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