Analyzing the readability of Khmer language textbooks.

Abstract

Textbooks play a vital role in the process of teaching and learning, especially in education systems where they are the only resources available to teachers and students. Despite this indispensable role, textbooks in Cambodia have ongoing problems concerning their content and design. This paper analyzes the readability of passages in Khmer textbooks (Flesch, 1948); Kincaid et al., 1975, as cited in DuBay, 2004. Reading passages were extracted from the Grade 3, Grade 6 and Grade 9 Khmer textbooks published by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. It was found that the readability of these textbooks was not in line with the reading level of students. For instance, on average, 20 words per sentence were used, which is equivalent to a Grade 10 level (Flesch, 1975). Further, while the number of words and sentences did not significantly vary across the three grade levels, the number of syllables and words did. These findings have implications for publishers and authors when designing reading passages in textbooks if they are to have an appropriate level of readability for their intended users at each grade level.