affect to their academic progress and those who are not able to read properly will have difficulties in their study.
Up to now, many definitions have been defined by hundreds of education scientists. There are some experts who defined reading. Paul C Burn defines
reading into two part, they are reading process and reading product. Reading process means that several sequences steps that students should accomplished
while reading text material. While reading as a product means that the reader has to understand about interaction between a reader and a text and meaning-getting
process, simply it called communication.
1
Process of reading also explained by Heilman, he says that “Reading is an active process that is affected directly by an
individual’s interaction with language that has been coded into print.”
2
All in all reading actually is a process of communication in which the readers use strategies
in order to look for meaning from printed symbols. In other words, good readers generally understand about their reading purpose and try to translate the codes that
are contained in the text into meaning. Reading as process also noted as follows. Definitions states by Nunan, he
said that “Reading is usually conceived as solitary activities in which the reader
interacts with text in isolation .”
3
It can inferred that reading is not only looking at word in the form of graphic symbol but reading is a communication process that
involved an enjoyment of a reader’s to interact with text. Margaret Ann and
friends have attempted to define reading. They stated that “Reading is the process
of constructing meaning trough the dynamic interaction among reader, the text and the context of the reading situation.”
4
It could be synthesized that a truly reader, therefore should follow several steps of getting meaning process. Not only
several steps that a reader should follow, but a reader should also consider linking
their knowledge, interest and condition with the process of constructing meaning.
1
Paul C. Burn, Betty D. Roe, and Elinor P. Ross,Teaching Reading in Today’s
Elementary Schools, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984, p. 2.
2
Arthur W. Heilman, Timothy R. Blair, and William H. Rupley, Principle and Practices of Teaching Reading Fifth Edition, Ohio: Charles E. Merril Publishing Company, 1981, p. 4.
3
David Nunan, Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook for Teachers, New York: Prentice Hall, 1998, p. 72.
4
Margaret Ann Richeck, Lynne K. List, and Janet W. Lerner, Reading Problems Assessment and Teaching Strategies Second Edition, New Jersey: Prentice hall Inc., 1989, p. 7.
Those theories above showed the various definitions of reading. Therefore it can be conclude that reading is an active thinking process whereby people involve
many steps of getting meaning or message from the author. All in all the students have to use codes, experiences, and background knowledge, along with all their
strategies in order to understand the written text.
2. Purposes of Reading
An expert said that the characteristic of the efficient reader is heshe can extend the purpose of hisher reading. The readers’ purpose actually plays an
important role in determining how the readers read a text. Some people might read to get general idea reading an essay, articles, chapters, etc; they specify the
information they can get from the source. The people might also read to extract a specific detail as in reading a phone book, an instruction sign, and a warning sign.
Some other might read for their happiness, such as in reading novel, short stories,
etc. Henry Guntur Tarigan mentions seven purposes on reading. They are:
1 reading for details and fact is reading to know what is done by the subject of the story. 2 reading for main ideas is reading to get the problem
statement. 3 reading for sequences of organization is reading to know each part of the story. 4 reading for inference is reading to know what is the
writer mean by its story. 5 reading for classifying is reading to find unusual things. 6 reading for evaluating is reading to know the value of the story.
7 reading for comparing is reading to compare the way of life of the story with the life of reader.
5
Dalmann further mentions several important reading purposes. He classifies three purposes of reading as follows
6
: a Reading purpose on the factual level
This reading purpose enable reader to understand the information directly stated in the passage.
7
There are many skills that the reader should have to achieve factual level. First, the readers are required to know the meaning
of words. Second, this reading purpose needs the ability to find main idea
5
Henry Guntur Tarigan, Membaca Sebagai Suatu Ketrampilan Berbahasa, Bandung: Angkasa Bandung, 1995, pp. 9
—10.
6
Martha Dallmann, et al., The Teaching of Reading Sixth Edition, New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1982, pp. 161
—163.
7
Ibid., p. 161.
in the written information. Third, the ability to note important point supports the students in gaining their purpose on reading. Fourth, the
ability to follow directions demands students to organize, to note the information is essential to this level.
b Reading purpose on the interpretative level Reading inferential level often called as reading between lines.
8
In the same way it also means that the readers need the ability to recognize
unstated information in the passage. To achieve this goal the readers to summarize and to organize the information and feel the relationship
between key points and details. Skill in making generalization is also needed; the readers should present conclusion on what they read.
c Reading purpose on the evaluative level The ability to make evaluative judgments is the most important step in
reading purpose.
9
Before setting up the purpose the reader should consider this level. To arrive on the evaluative level the readers should create
critical feedback. The readers should be able to detect relevant information proposed by the authors with the fact; to compare it with another source of
information and to give suggestion to the author for better writing.
3. Strategies of Reading
There are so many strategies in reading techniques. Grellet proposes the way of reading; he defines the strategies of reading into several points, and they are
skimming, scanning, intensive and extensive.
10
a. Skimming
In skimming, readers are reading rapidly over a text in order to get main point.
11
In other word, skimming is a process of over viewing the general concept of the material; it can be started by selecting sub chapter move to
8
Ibid., p. 162.
9
Ibid., p. 163.
10
Frangoise Grellet, Developing Reading Skills A practical Guide to Reading Comprehension Exercise, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1999, p. 4.
