Unveiling Indonesian EFL Textbooks Content: Lexical Density and Readability

Authors

  • Alifia Berlianti Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Muria Kudus, Kudus, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
  • Slamet Utomo Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Muria Kudus, Kudus, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
  • Atik Rokhayani Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Muria Kudus, Kudus, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v13i2.7487

Keywords:

Indonesian EFL, Lexical Density, Readability, SFL, Textbooks

Abstract

The complexity of reading text can be determined by lexical density and readability levels. The purposes of the research are to find the lexical density and readable level of reading text in local textbooks of Indonesian EFL. This research took a descriptive qualitative approach; the document of this study was fourteen reading text selected from each chapter from Modul Belajar Praktis Bahasa Inggris. The researcher grounded on Ure’s (1971) for lexical density and Flesch’s (1994) for determine readability level. After analyzing the data, the result show that all lexical density of the reading texts was high and the readability score ranging from 43.46 to 80.36. Based on Flesch’s (1994) from the fourteen reading texts from this textbook was classified into 5 level: easy for two texts, fairly easy for five texts, standard for two texts, fairly difficult for three and difficult for three.

References

Arikutno, S. (2006). Prosedur penilaian suatu pendekatan praktek. PT. Rineka Cipta.

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Sorensen, C., & Razavieh, A. (2010). Introduction to research in education eight edition. United State: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Bahrudin, D. V. Y. (2016). The effect of textbook readability on students’ reading comprehension. Jurnal Pemikiran Penelitian Pendidikan Dan Sains, 4(1), 42–54. https://doi.org/10.31102/wacanadidaktika.4.1.42-54

Halliday, M. (1985). Spoken and written language. Oxford University Press.

Madjdi, A. H., & Rokhayani, A. (2018). Does the writer of English textbook integrate norms in reading passage he/she wrote. PROMINENT Journal, 1(1), 65–71. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24176/pro.v1i1.2503

Miskiyah, N., & Amalia, T. Z. (2022). Analyzing lexical density and readability of reading texts in English textbook “stop bullying now” by Mahrukh Bashir. Journal of English Teaching and Learning Issues, 5(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.21043/jetli.v5i1.12199

Nunan, D. (1992). Research methods in language learning. Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

Nurcahyo, A. D., Rusiana, Mutohhar, & Nuraeningsih. (2024). Teachers’ efforts for students’ literacy development through extensive reading. Teaching English to Young Learners in Indonesia (TEYLIN), 5, 260–263.

Nurhidayah, S., Faridi, A., & Shakiyya, Z. (2023). Evaluating the appropriateness of English textbook used for teaching English for specific purposes. http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/eej

Putri, A. S., Anshary, E. P., Sinar, T. S., & Maharani, P. (2024). Analyzing lexical density and readability in IELTS band 4 students’ writing test. International Journal Linguistics of Sumatra and Malay, 2(2), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.32734/ijlsm.v2i2.17886

Rizkiani, D., Mahdi, S., & Sujatna, E. T. S. (2022). Lexical density and readability of the facil’s ‘advanced learning textbook’ for Indonesian high school students. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 14(1), 741–752. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v14i1.1157

Sudrajat, M. W., & Wachidah, S. (2022). The lexical density and experiential structure of nominal groups of the discussion section of skripsis and research articles. STAIRS: English Language Education Journal, 3(2).

Ure, J. (1971). Lexical Density and Register Differentiation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 96–104.

Wekes, P., Rombepajung, P., & Kumayas, T. (2022). An analysis on readability level of English reading texts in the English textbook entitled Bahasa Inggris unruk siswa SMA-MA/SMK-MAK kelas XI by Otong Setiawan DJ. and Supeni. Journal of Teaching English Linguistics, and Literature, 1(1), 1–22.

Yulianto. (2019). An analysis on readability level of english reading texts for eighth grade students. Journal of English For Academic.

Zeeland, H. van, & Schmitt, N. (2013). Lexical Coverage in L1 and L2 Listening Comprehension: The Same or Different from Reading Comprehension? Applied Linguistics, 34(479), 457.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-27

Citation Check