Analysing Turkish reading books for foreigners in terms of readability

In addition to textbooks, which are the primary materials used in foreign language instruction, there are also supplementary reading books designed to support and enhance the learning process. These supplementary books are frequently used by both teachers and learners, and their appropriateness in terms of language level and readability is of great importance. In foreign language teaching, texts used to convey elements such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling must possess certain qualities. One such quality is readability, which refers to how easily a text can be understood by the reader. To ensure that reading materials serve their intended purpose effectively, their readability levels must align with the learners' language proficiency, which generally ranges from basic to intermediate and advanced. If reading materials are not suited to the learners' level, it may reduce motivation or hinder the learning process. Furthermore, texts that are either too simple or overly difficult can negatively impact progress. Therefore, evaluating the readability of supplementary reading books used in teaching Turkish as a foreign language is essential for increasing their effectiveness and supporting more efficient learning. A review of the literature reveals that no previous research has specifically focused on determining the readability levels of 17 reading books prepared for Turkish language learners at levels A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1. This study aimed to address that gap. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research examined 17 books, and data were collected through document analysis. The collected data were analyzed using the formulas developed by Ateşman (1997) and Çetinkaya-Uzun (2010), with results presented in descriptive tables. Findings indicated that books intended for basic language levels generally had readability levels classified as easy and independent, while those for intermediate and advanced learners were found to be easy and at an educational reading level. Interestingly, comparisons based on readability scores showed no consistent decline in readability as language levels increased, suggesting that the difficulty of texts did not rise proportionally with the learners' language level.