以適讀性公式挑選英文讀本之探究

本研究旨在說明常用的適讀性公式。以三本英文讀本The empty pot（670字）、Smoky night（1,267字），和Sarah, plain and tall（3,158字）為研究對象，以Microsoft Word文書處理軟體的可讀性公式、網路免費適讀工具的適讀公式，以及手算，進行讀物適讀年級程度的計算；其次，比較同一讀本在不同的適讀軟體公式或手算所得的結果是否相同？研究結果指出：㈠三本讀物The empty pot字數最少，適合美國五年級程度閱讀；Sarah, plain and tall字數最多，適合美國三、四年級閱讀程度；Smoky night適合美國三年級程度。㈡Microsoft Word文書處理的可讀性公式統計，可取得文本全文的適讀分數及年級程度，簡易方便使用。㈢適讀性公式會依公式採用分析比較的因素不同，結果稍有差異，但每本書的難度排序或適讀年級的順序是相同的。㈣適讀性公式的決定因素相同，不論手算的Fry圖或使用電腦工具的Flesch-Kincaid，所得年級程度相同。研究並提出臺灣教師、圖書教師或館員應用適讀性公式為臺灣學生選擇英語讀物的建議。

關鍵字

適讀性公式； Microsoft Word文書處理；網路免費適讀工具；年級程度

並列摘要

The purpose of this study was to describe the most common readability formulas. Three children’s books, The empty pot (670 words), Smoky night (1,267 words), and Sarah, plain and tall (3,158 words) were used as the subjects to calculate the numerical or grade-level score. The study also focused on comparing readability formulas that were calculated using different methods: with a tool embedded in a Microsoft Word processing program, with Free Text Readability Consensus Calculator tools found on the web, and by hand. Results were presented as follows: 1. The empty pot that was the least words got a fifth-grade level, Sarah, plain and tall that was the most words got a third-fourth grade level, Smoky night a third grade level. 2. Readability formula embedded in a Microsoft Word processing program was the easiest way to obtain the most accurate readability scores by typing the entire book into a word document. 3. Readability scores differed slightly depending on the readability tool that was used. However, the rank of the three books was the same among the different tools. 4. The readability levels obtained from Fry by hand were the same as results of the Flesch-Kincaid from Microsoft Word and from free web-based calculators. Owing to these two formulas were used the same variables, sentence length and number of syllables per word to calculate the readability levels.