1. The Nature of Reading
There are many theorists interested in reading process and there
are many different definitions of reading. For example, Hood, Solomon,
and Burns (1995: 3) states that reading is the way we use language in
daily life in order to communicate with each other. Reading always occurs
in a context. Heilman, Blair and Ruply (1990: 3) say that reading is a basic
communication skill and primary means of learning in our society and
reading is a complex process. It depends on a variety of factors, such as
experimental and conceptual backgrounds, word recognition strategies,
reasoning abilities, purposes for reading, environment, motivation and text
complexity. Rosenblatt (1983) interpreted reading in a different and
interesting way. She said when people read, they actually construct their
own meaning of a text. In other words, people create their own mental
version of what they read. The readers, the material, and the reading
situation all contribute to the meaning that is constructed.