CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
A. Theoretical Review 1. Reading
2. Reading Comprehension
Comprehension is the most important of reading. According to Tankersley (2003, p.90), reading is primarily about understanding. It implies that reading's greatest strength is understanding. Additionally, it is modified by the reader's knowledge. Reading is therefore a two-way interaction between the reader and the text. supported by Willis (2008, P.138) states that comprehension is defined as deliberate thought in which the reader and the author interact to create meaning. It indicates that comprehension is acquired through text reading. Understanding of the text is being developed by interaction between texts and readers.
According to Elizabeth (2014, p.6) Comprehension is necessary for reading to get the main idea and more information from the text which is read.
There are so many experts explain about comprehension. “Comprehension is an active process in the construction of meaning”. Then, “Comprehension is
the ability to understand what is read-the ultimate goal of reading (Carolyn Denton, et al., 2014). It means that students are not only to understand but also to construct the meaning to find more information by comprehending.
According to Richard and Renandya “comprehension is the primary purpose for reading to raise students‟ awareness of main ideas in a text and to explore the organization of a text is essential for good comprehension”
Richards, Jack and Willy (2002, p.230). Next, comprehension is interpretation of experience that connecting new information with the prior knowledge, and also to answer the cognitive questions Tarigan, (1991, p.9).
So, comprehension is the process to construct the meaning for getting more information and understanding the material deeply.
Basically, reading and comprehension cannot be separated. Because, reader must read the text by comprehending to get more information. Reading comprehension is the process of making sense of text, a complex, multifaceted activity that calls on the reader‟s thinking and problem-solving skills (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2003). It means that reading comprehension involves mind for thinking and making sense of text.
Next, Tarigan (1991, p9) gives the definition of reading comprehension;
it is reading activity that interpreting the experience in connecting new information with the prior knowledge, and also to answer the cognitive questions. It can be concluded that reading comprehension is connecting background knowledge of reader to the written text which is read by reader for answering the cognitive questions.
Additionally, Snow defines “reading comprehension as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language” Snow, (2002, p.11). It means that reading comprehension is not only read the text fully, but also extracting and constructing meaning in the text. The comprehension skills categories are amased, in that one is built on the others.
According to Brown (1998, p.306) states that reading comprehension is primarily a matter of developing appropriate, efficient comprehension strategies. It implies comprehension is ability to understand and getting information something. There are some aspects in reading comprehension:
a. Main idea
Main idea is basically the most important thought about the topic.
According to Sandra et.al (2009, p. 12), main idea is what the author wants to you to know and understand about the topic. It means that main idea refers to important information that tells more about the overall idea of a paragraph or section of a text. In other words, main idea is actually the point of paragraph.
b. Expression/idiom/phrase in context
The question of expression/idiom/phrase in context is a common word or phrase with a culturally understood meaning that differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest. In other word, a passage may have multi meaning word and special, so the reader must identify which meaning from the information the passage.
c. Inference (implied detail)
Hatch (2004, p.27) states that inference questions ask you about information that is implied by the passage rather than directly stated. In other words, inference question is guessing something that is not directly stated in the text.
d. Grammatical Features (reference)
According to Dummett (1973, p.204) states that reference is a relation that obtains between expressions and what speakers use expressions to talk about. It means that reference is a relation between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object.
e. Detail (scanning for a specifically stated detail)
In discussion about reading, this skill is frequently referred to as scanning. In contrast to reading for gist, we read because we want to specific details (Harmer: 2001, p.215). It means that the reader must read with comprehend in order to get the point from the text.
f. Excluding fact not written
Excluding fact not written question ask you the information in text that is not explains directly.
g. Supporting idea
Supporting idea underscores the writer‟s main idea by providing clarification of its meaning or evidence to corroborate (Sandra: 2009, p. 13).
It means supporting idea clarifies the topic sentence or main idea of a written passage.
h. Vocabulary in context
Vocabulary in context question asks about the meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in the passage. It means that, vocabulary in context question is a question that asks reader to determine the meaning of vocabulary (Brown: 2004, p.206).
Based on the explanation above, reading comprehension is reading text by comprehending to find what the readers want to know and also the information they need by process thinking in their mind. The process of understanding involves the reader making an effort to comprehend the text's substance. While reading, information is being gleaned from the text. The main idea, expression/idiom/phrase in context, inference (implied detail), grammar (reference), detail (scanning for precisely stated detail), eliminating fact not written, supporting idea, and vocabulary in context are all things the readers want to learn from the text. The readers explain such elements in their own words. Reading comprehension refers to the ability of the reader to comprehend the aim and significance of the material.