The Effect Of Syntactic Complexity On The Readability Of The Official Textbook

Résumé: Recently, a considerable evidence suggests that EFL readers’ reading ability of the course-book’ texts is largely determined by their syntactic knowledge. Many second- year secondary school pupils are facing a real challenge in understanding their course-book’ texts due to their complexity at the level of syntax. Shedding light on syntactic complexity in specific, a very few attempts have been made to investigate syntactic complexity in association to reading; precisely to the pupils’ reading ability of the course-book’s texts. The majority of studies in syntactic complexity have been conducted in relation to writing skill giving no interest to the importance of reading in relation to syntax. Given these gaps, this research aims at determining if syntactic complexity affects the readability of the official textbook’s texts or not. In pursuance of this aim, a descriptive study is conducted besides to a quantitative method to gather and analyze data targeting both second year secondary school teachers and pupils. Two questionnaires were designed and administrated to volunteer teachers and pupils. To seek out their insights and views about the effect of syntactic complexity on pupils’ reading ability, the nature of the reading inputs presented to learners, and the suitability of the course-book’ texts if they suit the pupils’ syntactic knowledge or not. Results showed that syntactic complexity affects the reading ability of pupils and hinders their comprehensibility of textbook’ texts. The findings also indicate that the course-book’ texts do not suit neither the syntactic level of pupils, nor the pupil’s interests, needs and age. On account of these findings, a number of pedagogical implications are served to teachers, pupils, and most importantly to syllabus designers, with reference to some limitations and constraints which plugged this work from being accurate.

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