The effectiveness of English Language Teaching (ELT) materials significantly influences the learning outcomes of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, positioning these resources as cardinal in the acquisition process. Despite this widely acknowledged significance, there remains a notable gap in research concerning the evaluation of key…

At the end of high school in Chile, it is expected that students achieve a B1 English language proficiency level. In the present article, we measure the level of readability of the texts used in the new EFL Chilean textbook and compare it with the readability level of the texts used in the Cambridge B1 preliminary exam to check its appropriacy.…

This article evaluates the mandatory English as a foreign language textbooks provided by the government in Chile in terms of readability and types of questions. Three readability formulas are used to analyze the texts: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and Coh-Metrix L2 reading index (RDL2). To evaluate the cognitive demands that…

Science curriculum standards were mapped onto various texts (literacy readers, trade books, online articles). Statistical analyses highlighted the inconsistencies among readability formulae for Grades 2-6 levels of the standards. There was a lack of correlation among the readability measures, and also when comparing different text sources. Online…

This paper, deriving from a larger study, evaluates the readability of two Grade 4 natural sciences textbooks used by learners who speak English as an additional language in two South African schools. The study is set within the context of the reading-related transitional challenges faced by English second language learners when they move from the…

When selecting a textbook, college instructors must weigh a variety of factors. One is whether the text is written at a level that is accessible to one's students. An important factor in this is how many technical words are used. I developed an index to calculate logodiversity, a term I coined that reflects the number of technical words and the…

Within this article, we introduce our conception of text accessibility. First, we synthesize recent research on informational text quality and present key attributes proven to contribute to comprehension of science texts beyond the readability formula. These features include (a) the concreteness of text, (b) the voice of the author, (c) coherent…

Discusses a method for accurately assessing the internal variations in the readability of a book. (TJ)

This article describes the results of a survey of the readability of most of the intermediate and advanced accounting textbooks currently in use at colleges and universities throughout the United States. (CT)

Indicates that the Rix modification of the Lix Readability Formula is easy to calculate, correlates highly with other popular formulas, and is useful for materials for grades 3 through 12. (AEA)

McLaughlin's Smog Index was compared to the Dale-Chall formula for the determination of reading levels of 48 textbooks in business and distributive education. A Modified Smog Index proved a valid substitute for the Dale-Chall formula when used to evaluate the reading levels of business and distributive education narrative. (Author/CT)

Reports results of a survey on the readability of 12 recently published business communication textbooks. Shows that important differences in readability do exist and that the majority of texts were within or below the lower end of the undergraduate-level reading range. (PD)

A study to evaluate representative technology education textbooks (n=15) in terms of reading difficulty, writing style, and interest level ranked texts from most to least difficult using 6 readability formulas. Results indicated that using texts with appropriate readability reduces additional adaptation or rewriting by the instructor. (JOW)

Determines from empirical information on the application of four readability formulas to a group of widely used college economics textbooks that there is no consistency in the absolute reading levels or the rank orderings of these books. (AEA)

Examines the relationship of readability to usage of main idea clues in introductory texts in sociology and in English composition texts. Concludes that use of main idea clues provides a useful supplement to readability formulas in evaluating college textbooks. (SR)