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Chapter II Review of Related Literature
In this chapter, the writer describes the concept of theories, such as: theoretical descriptive, reading comprehension, directed reading, rationale and action
hypothesis.
A. Theoretical Descriptive
1. The nature of reading
a. Definition of reading
Many people assume that reading is an activity of looking at and understanding writing form. Mean while, reading has different definitions for
different people. According to Harris 1962: 9 reading is the meaningful interpretation of printed or written verbal symbols. It also involves sensing,
perceiving, achieving meaning, learning and reacting in a variety of ways. Menyan and Leeuw 1965: 49 as quoted by Sabrina 2002: 5 state that
reading is digestive process and it has two principles, first they are learning by understanding, it means selecting, discriminating and organizing. The second
principle is flexibility. He must take time to read slowly when the meaning of word recognition and intellects and emotion interrelated with prior knowledge to
understand the message communicated Callahan and Clark, 1988: 245. Furthermore, Harris 1962: 10 also explains that the sense of reading starts with
focusing of two eyes so that they center on particular symbols. At this level, reading requires legible symbols, adequate light so eyes are able to focus clear pattern on
retina. The meaning of perceiving is reading has visual sensations. The visual sensations are aroused by the printed symbols and already existing memory traces of
visual appearances, of the thing, of the spoken word and of its meaning. In addition, Hudgson in Kamidjsn 1996: 67 cites that reading is s process
that is done and used by the reader to get message and information that is obtained by the writer through written form. Mean while, Depdikbud also states that reading in
commit to user wide meaning is a process of formulating the text, the value, the function and the
impact of the text itself Depdikbud, 1985: 11. Base on the definition above, the reader begins reading from letter to larger
units, they read letter by letter to sound and combine them into words, then connect the individual words into sentences. It can be concluded that reading is a silent and
individual activity, an active cognitive process to establish meaning, word recognition to understand the message communicated and the language symbols to re present
what sound shows the writer’s idea. What is really happening when we are reading? When we are reading our eyes
move from left to right going through long line of print and they make a series of small jerky movements, stopping momentarily on each word or group of words. In
general, good comprehension means recognizing and understanding general idea and specific fact and seeing how these ideas and facts are organized and developed
Sonka, 1979: 2. However, the reading process does not deal with the eyes only, it also concern with our brain. Lado 1964: 119 defines reading comprehension as a
process of gaining meaning from words and sentences as the presentation of the language through the process decoding the writer symbols. That definition is intended
to emphasize two essential elements in reading, the language itself and the graphic symbolization used in representing it. It means that reading is a process of
understanding the symbols. Goodman 1967: 104 describes the reading process as followings:
Reading is psycholinguistic guessing game. It involves an interacting between thought and language. Efficient reading does not result from precise
perception and identification of all elements, but from skill in selecting the fewest, most productive cues necessary to productive cues necessary to
product guesses. From the statement above it can be concluded that reading is not passive
activity. The reader must make an active contribution if the acquires the available information. In the case, the reader forms a preliminary expectation about the reading
text, and then selects the fewest most productive cues necessary to confirm or reject
commit to user that expectation. This is a process in which the reader utilizes his knowledge for
vocabulary, syntax, discourse, and experimental background. Here the reader makes plan and decision, and coordinate number of skill and strategies to facilitate
comprehension. The great emphasis is placed on the importance of background knowledge.
b. Types of Reading
Kategori