The Effect of Syntax on Readability for ESL Students in Puerto Rico

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of manipulating the degree of sentence combining on reading comprehension for two groups of ESL students. This approach to the effect of syntax on readability challenged the usual sentence length criterion of commonly used readability formulas which deem short sentences easy to read. Eighteen short passages were developed in three versions. Vocabulary and content were held constant while sentence structure varied. Version 1 consisted of short, simple sentences, version 2 of complex sentences with clues to underlying relationships left intact, and version 3 of complex sentences without such clues. The instrument was administered to college students. Contrary to what readability formulas imply, version 2 rather than version 1 yielded the highest comprehension scores. The same instrument was administered to a sample of eighth graders to determine if the formulas are a more accurate indicator for younger students. Results revealed that they are not. It was concluded that lower readability level material, as measured by common readability formulas, does not facilitate comprehension for these ESL students. The sentence structure typical of such material may actually impede comprehension and is thus not recommended for these students.