2.1 Different Types of Readings and Readability

Reading for Various Purposes

Reading accomplishes a variety of purposes. Reading can be categorized into two broad purposes: for pleasure and for application.

We read for application to obtain a broad overview; to locate specific information; to develop a critical understanding; to compare information to previously read information; to critically comment on what was read; or to synthesize information from a variety of texts.

Reading for Application in Business

Business professionals encounter situations in which reading for various applications is required.

Reading to simply locate specific information is a relatively easy task if we are familiar with the context of the required information. On the other hand, reading to critically comment requires intensive reading which is more complex and time-consuming. Additionally, the facility with which we read is dependent on the level of the language of the text and our familiarity with its content.

Readability of a Text

Newspapers are popular sources of information. General information in a newspaper is targeted to a broad audience and, hence, the reading level is at a high readability score. Of course, certain sections of newspapers that are targeted to specific readers, such as the business section, often have lower readability scores.

Understanding Readability Scores

Several computer applications rate readability of a text. A common one is the Flesch Reading Ease Score.

The Flesch Reading Ease gives a text a score between 1 and 100, with 100 being the highest readability score. Scoring between 70 to 80 is equivalent to school grade level 8. This means text should be fairly easy for the average adult to read.

The formula was developed in the 1940s by Rudolf Flesch. He was a consultant with the Associated Press, developing methods for improving the readability of newspapers.

Now, over 70 years later, the Flesch Reading Ease is used by marketers, research communicators and policy writers, amongst many others. All use it to help them assess the ease by which a piece of text will be understood and engaged with.