On the Readability of the English Technical Writing Test: With Special Reference to the Textbooks Used in Technical High Schools and Colleges of Technology in Japan

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the difficulty of the English Technical Writing Test (KOUGYOU-EIKEN) and compare it with the textbooks used in technical high schools and colleges in terms of readability. Since readability is a factor that helps ESL learners learn English effectively and understand target materials easily, it is important to investigate the targeted difficulty level of the test administrated to applicants and the textbooks they use. Additionally, McGrath(2002:11,2006:171) emphasizes the importance of textbooks in a teaching-learning situation. This study examines the readability of the English Technical Writing Test, and that of textbooks used in technical high schools and readability formulas: the Flesch Reading Ease Formula and Flesch-Kincaid Formula. The results are then discussed in the light of previous studies. In conclusion, the present study clarifies the current situation and presents suggestions for further studies and improvements