Readability Progression and Students’ Perceptions of Gontor Press English Lesson Textbooks in Indonesian Pesantren

Abstract

This study investigates the readability level of English textbooks published by Gontor Press and used in pesantren affiliated with Darussalam Gontor. The study aims to evaluate the readability of the textbooks using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) formulas and to examine students’ perceptions of the texts. Employing a descriptive quantitative case study design, the research analyzed 18 reading passages from three English Lesson textbooks (Grades 1, 2, and 3) and collected questionnaire responses from 400 students in pesantren located in Central Java. The findings revealed that most reading texts fell within the easy to very easy categories based on FRE scores, indicating relatively low estimated linguistic complexity. The FKGL analysis showed that the texts ranged from lower to intermediate grade levels, with variations in difficulty and an inconsistent progression across grades. The questionnaire results further indicated that the majority of students perceived the texts as easy and understandable. These findings suggest that the English textbooks published by Gontor Press generally contain accessible reading materials, although formula-based readability estimates do not always correspond to students’ perceived reading difficulty. Therefore, a more systematic progression of text complexity across grade levels may be necessary to provide appropriate linguistic challenges and support continuous language development. The study highlights the importance of considering both textual characteristics and learners’ reported experiences when reviewing the selection and sequencing of reading passages in pesantren EFL contexts.