The effect of text modification techniques on reading comprehension

In the teaching of a language as a foreign or second language, authentic texts can serve as valuable tools for conveying the features of the target language in its natural form. However, their original design for native speakers and their lack of alignment with the needs of language teaching contexts hinder their effective use as instructional materials. Therefore, enhancing the usability of such texts for learners is recommended. To this end, various linguistic modifications can be applied to authentic texts at different levels. The primary aim of text modification techniques is to improve the comprehensibility of the text. In this process, while preserving the core messages, texts are either simplified or elaborated using more frequent linguistic and grammatical features. Simplification involves reducing linguistic complexity to make the input more easily processable for the learner. Elaboration, on the other hand, aims to improve comprehensibility by clarifying lexically or contextually challenging expressions, explicating implicit meanings, or making cultural references more explicit. A review of the literature reveals that most studies on this topic have focused on literary texts and predominantly targeted beginner proficiency levels. In contrast, the present study targeted the B2 level and, diverging from previous research, employed an informative text that was modified using both simplification and elaboration techniques. The original, simplified, and elaborated versions of the text were submitted for expert review, and their readability scores were calculated. Before the implementation phase, the same set of reading comprehension questions was developed for all three versions. The texts and reading comprehension test were administered to 156 learners of Turkish at the B2 proficiency level, who had been randomly divided into three groups. A pre-test conducted beforehand confirmed that the groups were equivalent. The data were statistically compared. The findings showed that the simplified text was the most comprehensible in terms of reading comprehension performance; however, there was no significant difference between the simplified and elaborated versions. The original text was found to be the least comprehensible. In conclusion, both modification techniques were found to enhance the accessibility of input compared to the original version.