organization had readability scores that were too high for average consumers to read.
45
The difference of these studies is the writer used only one method in finding the readability level of the reading texts; that is Flesch Reading Ease
Formula, whereas, the previous studies used more than one method. Yuli Darmayanti and Ade Afrizal used Flesch Reading Ease Formula and Cloze
Procedural Test on their study. Moreover, Naudia Falcouner‟s research also
about readability level of reading text. She used some readability formulas on her study such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Fry
Readability Formula, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook SMOG, Checklist for Patients Education Materials, and Customer Health Website Evaluation
Checklist. The similarity of these studies is about the object of study. Yuli
Darmayanti and Ade Afrizal‟s object of study was reading texts in the textbook that were used in the teaching and learning process at the school.
However, NaudiaFalcouner‟s object of study is reading text on the customer website. The purpose of those studies is also same. It is to find out the
readability level of reading texts for certain students or customer .
The writer just used one method in deciding the readability level of the reading text because it has no bias. The writer saw the readability level based
on the textbook itself; not based on students‟ perception. Therefore, the result of this study was clear and there was not bias. Moreover, the writer decided to
use Flesch Reading Ease formula because it is the easy method in finding the readability level of reading text. Furthermore, the writer also agreed upon the
statements of Hill Walter that shorter sentences usually are more readable than longer ones, especially those which contain numerous prepositional phrases
45
Naudia Falcouner, et al. An Analysis of the Readability of Educational Materials on the Costemer Webpage of a Health Professional Organization: Consideration for Practice. The
Internet Journal of Alliced Health Sciences and Practice. 9, 2011.
and have complex, compound or complex compound constructions.
46
Students will get difficulty in comprehending the main idea of long sentences. On the other hand it will be easier for students to grasping the main idea of
short sentences.
46
Hill Walter, Secondary School Reading: Process Program and Procedures, Boston: Allyn Abcon, 1979, p. 191.
30
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Time and Place of the Research
The writer does the research in SMA Negeri 4 Tangerang Selatan. The research starts on 1
st
March 2014 and finishes on 30
th
July 2014.
B. Method of the Research
In this research, the writer uses descriptive method. The objective of descriptive method is to describe sistematically the facts about the object that is
analyzed.
1
Therefore the writer tries to describe the readability level of an english textbook entittle Advanced Learning English 2. This research also
supportes by library research method to find out the theory which related to the topic of this research such as the theory of textbook, readability, Flesch
Reading Ease, etc. Furthermore, the writer also finds out the theories from other sources such as web-sites, articles and journal.
C. Unit of Analysis
The writer does not use the term of population and sample because the main object in this research is textbook, not the students. Therefore the term
that used is unit of analysis. The text book consists of six chapters and each chapter consists of four sections; they are Listening, Speaking, Reading and
Writing. The writer focused on Reading section. The Total of the reading texts on the textbook Advanced Learning English 2 especially in the Reading section
is 17 texts, which consist of 3 descriptive texts, 8 narrative texts, 2 analytical exposition texts, 1 hortatory exposition text and 3 spoof texts. The writer took
the whole texts in the Reading section as the unit of analysis See appendix 2. The detail information about texts is explained in the table 3.1:
1
Sukardi, Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan, Jakarta: Bumi Aksara, 2009, p. 157.
Table 3.1 The Detail Information about the Texts in The Textbook Advanced
Learning English 2
Text Type of Text
Number of Sentence
Number of Words
Number of Syllables
1 Descriptive
22 283
433 2
Descriptive 20
277 441
3 Descriptive
20 215
348 4
Narrative 29
264 355
5 Narrative
30 271
352 6
Narrative 33
310 418
7 Analytical
Exposition 14
217 349
8 Analytical
Exposition 13
194 311
9 Spoof
11 140
178 10
Spoof 9
140 220
11 Spoof
8 120
167 12
Narrative 24
362 571
13 Narrative
23 310
408 14
Narrative 27
376 529
15 Narrative
12 171
239 16
Narrative 16
193 283
17 Hortatory
Expotition 14
280 479
D. Instrument of the Research
The instrument of the research that is used by the writer is Flesch Reading Ease formula. It is one of statistical analysis formulas. Moreover, the writer
also does the interview to some English teachers and students of eleventh grade in order to add the information about textbook they used.
E. Technique of Data Collecting
To collect the data in this research, the writer counts the number of sentences, words and syllables of each text. The writer then continues to get the
average number of syllables per words and words per sentences from each text.
2
Afterwards, the writer analyzes the data
F. Technique of Data Annalysis
For the next step of the research, the writer processes and analyzes the data. In order to analyze the data of the reading texts, the writer uses Flesch Reading
Ease formula. The procedures are explained bellow: 1.
Count the syllables, words, and sentences of a text 2.
Find the average sentence length ASL and average number of syllable per word ASW
3. Find the readability score by using formula:
Score = 206.835 – 1.015 x ASL – 84.6 x ASW
4. Determine the difficult level and reading grade by reading ease scale of
Flesch formula as stated on table 3.2:
2
Rudolf Flesch, The Art of Readable Writing, New York:Harper and Row, 1949, pp. 213-214.
Table 3.2 Reading Ease Scale of the Flesch Formula
3
Score Difficult Level
Reading Grade
0 to 30 Very Difficult
College graduate 30 to 50
Difficult 13
th
to 16
th
grade college 50 to 60
Fairly Difficult 10
th
to 12
th
grade 60 to 70
Standard 8
th
and 9
th
grade 70 to 80
Fairly Easy 7
th
grade 80 to 90
Easy 6
th
grade 90 to 100
Very Easy 5
th
grade
The writer finds difficulty in converting the reading grade of american standard into Indonesian standard because there are not previous studies or
reliable references which use conversion of reading grade. Therefore, the writer assumes that the reading grade of Flesch Reading Ease formula is similar to
Indonesian school grade. It means that the 5
th
grade is equal to 5
th
grade students of Elementary school. 6
th
grade is equal to 6
th
grade students of Elementary school. 7
th
grade is equal to 7
th
grade of Junior High School. 8
th
and 9
th
grade is equal to 8
th
– 9
th
grade of Junior High School. 10
th
to 12
th
grade is equal to 10
th
– 12
th
grade of Senior High School. 13
th
to 16
th
grade is equal to university students from 1
st
semester until 8
th
semester. College graduate is equal to graduated university students.
3
William H. Dubay, The Principles of Readability, Costa Mesa: Impact Information, 2004, p. 22.
