Readability Level of Arabic Text in the Textbook of “Silsilah Fi Ta’limil Lughah Arabiyah” for Universities in Indonesia

The purpose of this study was to produce readability level of the text in textbook "Silsilah fi Ta'limil Lughah Al-'Arabiyah, Al-Mustawa Ats-Tsaniy, Al Qiraah", knowing the cause of the low level of text readability in terms of word class tendencies and linguistic findings. This study also resulted in the level of reading ability of first-semester Arabic students at universities in Indonesia, as well as the types of texts recommended for use or further development by other researchers. This research was carried out using descriptive qualitative methods, data sourced from the first semester students who took the Qiraah course totalling 83 students, with readability analysis techniques using the Cloze Procedure Test. The research showed that the readability of textbooks was 46% at the frustration level and 29% at the moderate level. The tendency of the word class to make errors generally occur in 1) 27% of perfect verbs (fi’il madhi), 2) 24% of nouns (isim), 3) 16% of imperfect verbs (fiil mudhari). Other factors are 1) Reader Factor, the majority of student inputs to the Arabic Language Education Study Program was 43% from general/vocational high schools; 35% from Islamic high school; and only 22% came from Islamic boarding schools; 2) Reading Factors, the team of writers of textbooks from native Arabic speakers generally relies on their experience, judgment, and culture in presenting the text regardless of the ability of the readers as foreign speakers. The results also showed the low level of readability of textbook due to the scarcity of choice of textbook from Arab countries. 3) Reading Book Factor, this book was minimal in terms of vocabulary and illustrations in the form of pictures so that it was less helpful in independent understanding.

The Readability Level of Reading Texts in Erlangga Straight Point Series: English for Eleventh Grade Students

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong> This study aims to describe the readability level of reading texts in <em>ESPS: English</em> for the 11^th grade students. The measurement tools were Coh-Metrix RDL2, Miyazaki EFL Reading Index and teachers’ professional judgment. The formula were effective in measuring the texts readability by calculating the number of words, letters, and sentences in the text. The Score of Coh-Metrix RDL2 showed that the reading texts was easier for reading level of 11^th graders. MEFLRI claimed that reading texts in <em>ESPS</em> textbook are match for reading level of 11^th graders. Teachers’ judgment claimed, the texts were suitable for eleventh grade students.</p><strong>Abstrak:<em> </em></strong>Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan tingkat keterbacaan 19 teks bacaan dalam <em>ESPS: English</em> untuk siswa kelas 11. Tiga alat ukur digunakan untuk mengukur tingkat keterbacaan yakni Coh-Metrix RDL2 dan Miyazaki EFL Reading Index, dan penilaian guru. Kedua formula terbukti efektif dalam mengukur keterbacaan teks dengan menghitung total huruf, kata, dan kalimat dalam teks. Coh-Metrix menunjukkan bahwa teks bacaan lebih mudah dipahami oleh siswa pada kelas 11, sedangkan MEFLRI menunjukkan bahwa teks bacaan sangat cocok diberikan pada kelas 11. Penilaian guru menyatakan teks bacaan sesuai untuk siswa kelas 11.

The Readability and Usability of Building User Guides

<p>Building user guides are intended to inform building occupants about the building systems within their workplace. They are created to describe and document all the necessary information pertaining to the buildings operation, maintenance, management and basic trouble shooting procedures. They have been found to be useful, as building systems are becoming increasingly complex. There is evidence to suggest that the Building User Guides are designed at a level that is too technical and too difficult to use for the average building user and that they are therefore not doing their job. This research evaluates how easily building occupants are able to read and use building user guides, that have been designed for use in green buildings (where they can contribute to the building’s New Zealand Green Building Council’s sustainability rating). Twenty-three Building User Guides by a range of firms and writers were sampled from all over the country. The building user guides were assessed for their readability and how easy they are to use. Their readability level was assessed using the Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) as a basic measure of readability, while a second measure, a word frequency profiler was used to assess the vocabulary needed to read current building user guides. A usability study was completed through a user survey. This was completed by 47 respondents. The survey used both a Performance Test and a Text Evaluation Questionnaire to assess the building user guide’s usability. The readability study found that the building user guides were written at a level that meant the majority of New Zealanders would struggle to comprehend. The constant use of technical language and jargon present in the building user guides detracted from the overall readability of the document that. A consequence of these results would be the users failing to understand aspects of a building user guides. Furthermore, this could lead to the incorrect use of a building’s services, which in turn could affect the efficient use of GreenStar rated buildings and their performance in practice. The usability study found that users were capable of finding some set information within the building user guide. Of the tested aspects in the usability survey it was found that the contents page had the biggest impact on the participant’s perception of usability. Other key aspects found that would increase the usability include: bolder headings, a clearer layout, the addition of a frequently asked question section as well as the ability for the building user guide to be searched for key words. A set of guidelines were developed from the findings of this research, for future building user guides to follow.</p>

The Readability and Usability of Building User Guides

<p>Building user guides are intended to inform building occupants about the building systems within their workplace. They are created to describe and document all the necessary information pertaining to the buildings operation, maintenance, management and basic trouble shooting procedures. They have been found to be useful, as building systems are becoming increasingly complex. There is evidence to suggest that the Building User Guides are designed at a level that is too technical and too difficult to use for the average building user and that they are therefore not doing their job. This research evaluates how easily building occupants are able to read and use building user guides, that have been designed for use in green buildings (where they can contribute to the building’s New Zealand Green Building Council’s sustainability rating). Twenty-three Building User Guides by a range of firms and writers were sampled from all over the country. The building user guides were assessed for their readability and how easy they are to use. Their readability level was assessed using the Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) as a basic measure of readability, while a second measure, a word frequency profiler was used to assess the vocabulary needed to read current building user guides. A usability study was completed through a user survey. This was completed by 47 respondents. The survey used both a Performance Test and a Text Evaluation Questionnaire to assess the building user guide’s usability. The readability study found that the building user guides were written at a level that meant the majority of New Zealanders would struggle to comprehend. The constant use of technical language and jargon present in the building user guides detracted from the overall readability of the document that. A consequence of these results would be the users failing to understand aspects of a building user guides. Furthermore, this could lead to the incorrect use of a building’s services, which in turn could affect the efficient use of GreenStar rated buildings and their performance in practice. The usability study found that users were capable of finding some set information within the building user guide. Of the tested aspects in the usability survey it was found that the contents page had the biggest impact on the participant’s perception of usability. Other key aspects found that would increase the usability include: bolder headings, a clearer layout, the addition of a frequently asked question section as well as the ability for the building user guide to be searched for key words. A set of guidelines were developed from the findings of this research, for future building user guides to follow.</p>

Readability levels and thematic content analysis of online and printed lead poisoning informational materials

Background Lead poisoning prevention efforts include preparing and disseminating informational materials such as brochures and pamphlets to increase awareness of lead poisoning, lead exposures and lead poisoning prevention. However, studies have demonstrated that patient education materials for diseases and health conditions are prepared at a reading level that is higher than the recommended 7th–8th grade reading level. This study, therefore, aims to assess the reading levels of lead poisoning informational materials. Methods Lead poisoning materials (N = 31) were accessed from three states; Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. The readability levels of the materials were assessed using the Flesh Kincaid Grade Level readability test. The Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to determine if the readability levels differed between the materials obtained from the different states. Thematic content analyses were carried out to assess the inclusion of four themes; definition of lead poisoning, risk factors and exposures, testing and referral and prevention covering 12 subtopics. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to examine if there was a difference in the number of subtopics by readability level (dichotomized to >8th grade and < 8th grade). Results The median readability level of the informational materials was 6.7 (IQR: 5.1–8.1). However, there was variability in the readability levels of the materials (range 3.5 to 10.6); materials obtained from Michigan had the highest median reading level of 8.1 (IQR: 6.9–9.0) followed by Pennsylvania. Heterogeneity was observed in the content of the materials. Most of the materials (80%) from Michigan focused on water as a source of lead poisoning, whereas materials from New York and Pennsylvania focused on lead-based paint and other sources. The materials prepared at >8th grade reading level contained fewer topics than materials prepared at <8th grade reading level. Conclusions We find that the materials were often prepared at reading levels lower than the recommended 8th grade reading level. However, there is variability in the reading levels and in the content of the materials. While the materials met the general readability guidelines, they did not necessarily meet the needs of specific groups, especially groups at risk.

Identifying Features of Pakistani Learners Writing Through MDA and Coh-Metrix

Learner language has been a source of interest for researchers of all times as it possesses common features of language in use. For investigating this, Multi-dimensional analysis (MDA) by Biber is one such approach that empirically studies practiced language and establishes grounds for those varieties too which are striving for their place in linguistic cline (Crossely, et al., 2014). The present research is an effort to explore common patterns of learner language, which are explored throughCoh-Metrix (an online data tagging tool used to assess cohesion, coherence,readability level, etc.) to study those features and their respective functions while partially using MDA methodology. Following Biber's methodology,Factor analysis was conducted, and four dimensions were identified, which provided clues for the functional association of these dimensions. The results show that Pakistani learners' argumentative writing possesses narrative features and is dominatingly overlapping at the level of vocabulary,syntactic constructions, and passage development, and even in argumentation. These findings help us to establish the fact that Pakistani English has its own identity. These results are helpful for linguists as well as teachers as the knowledge of common linguistic and syntactic structures can be assessed easily while keeping in mind the grade level of the students.

Readability Assessment of HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Information: A Systematic Scoping Review

It is important to provide information on HPV vaccination and on early detection and early treatment for cervical cancer. Readability is a key aspect in the success of cancer communication using written health information. We reviewed studies assessing the readability of information on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer. We conducted a systematic literature search in June 2021 using four online databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsycArticles, and PsycINFO). Studies that assessed the readability level of online and offline information regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer were included in the review. Twelve articles were deemed fit for study inclusion. Our results showed that most of the materials assessed were difficult to read and higher than eighth-grade reading level. Few of the materials assessed were at the recommended grade 5–6 level or below. Readability assessments of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer information are scarce. Additional studies on the readability of information regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer are recommended. Health professionals should develop health information on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer that is easy to read.

Readability formulas: An analysis into reading index of prose forms

Text comprehension will suffer if the readability level is not accessible to the students. Readability formulas predict text complexity, assisting in appropriate text selection that complements students’ reading abilities to improve their language development. Therefore, the study aims to find out the reading index of the prose forms in the literature component catered to lower secondary school students ages 13 and 14 years old in Form One (seventh grade) and Form Two (eighth grade) classrooms in Malaysia. The reading index is measured by using four readability formulas which are Dale-Chall, Fog, SMOG, and Flesch-Kincaid that focuses on the words, sentences, syllables, and polysyllable words. These formulas are used to predict the level of difficulty of the prose forms. The reading index calculated from these readability formulas reveals the grade level of the prose forms. The grade level indicates the best age for reading and understanding the prose forms. Two prose forms were chosen as samples in the study. A passage is chosen from each prose form to be uploaded using the online tool. The indices obtained from the readability formulas predicted that both of the prose forms were below students’ reading age. The study implicates reading index must be taken into consideration in literary texts selection because it is an indicator of the years of education that an individual requires to comprehend the literary text clearly. Suitable reading material at students’ age level can enhance literature learning and teaching in the ESL classroom.

Negative Tone and Readability in Management Discussion and Analysis Reports: Impact on The Cost of Debt

Companies use disclosure as a strategy to transfer and communicate selected information to stakeholders. This study examines the association between the firm's textual disclosure strategy and cost of debt by looking at the tone and readability of Management Discussion and Analysis (MDandA) reports and using a sample of 1596 Indonesian listed companies from all industries except the financial industry, from 2011 to 2018, and using ordinary least square (OLS) regression to test the research hypotheses. The findings suggest that both negative tone and poor readability level are associated positively with the cost of debt. This paper contributes to knowledge of the important aspects firms need to consider when setting their disclosure strategies, mainly how the tone and readability of firms' annual reports may be interpreted by users/creditors and affect the amount they will charge the firm for debt.

Text Readability Level Investigation about Biology Subjects-related Units in 'Science 7 Textbook'

This study investigates text readability level investigation about biology subjects-related units in 'Science 7 Textbook'. A document analysis method was used in this study based on a qualitative research approach. The textbook, which has been used since the 2019-2020 academic year, has been selected as the study material. In the textbook, a total of 15 texts were randomly determined from two units related to biology subjects, one for each of the learning outcomes specified in the 2018 Science Course Curriculum. In calculating the readability levels of the texts, the 'Ateşman Readability Formula' was used. The findings obtained as a result of the analysis showed that the overall readability levels of the texts in both units were in the 'medium difficulty' category. Furthermore, when the findings of each unit were examined on a subject basis, it was determined that the texts belonging to all of the topics included in both units (Cell and Divisions, Reproduction, Growth and Development in Living Beings) were found in the 'medium' category. These findings were interpreted as the science textbook prepared for the seventh grade for the student level in terms of readability.