Readability Assessment of Business English Textbooks

Wenling CHEN

Abstract


Business English: An Integrated Course published in 2010 is the first series of textbook compiled in accordance with the National Teaching Curriculum for BA Program in Business English of China. This paper uses Flesch Reading Ease to conduct a readability assessment of its textual difficulty. The quantitative analysis indicates that there is room for improvement: 1) the four books in the series lack a scientific hierarchy of readability, 2) the readability in the same book covers an unreasonably wide range, 3) some texts are too difficult. These defects prove the important role readability can play in the compilation of business English textbooks. This research is hoped to shed light on the use of readability assessment in the compilation, revision and evaluation of business English textbooks.

 


Keywords


Readability; Flesch Reading Ease; Business English textbook

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/11280

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