Easiest, almost easiest and easy : A linguistic examination of three labelling systems for easy-to-read books

Abstract

In this essay easy-to-read books from three different publishers are examined. The publishers use their own type of levelling system and have different backgrounds in such a way that one of them (LL-förlaget) is a state company, while the other two are commercial publishers (Nypon and Vilja). The purpose of the essay is partly to see whether the levelling systems used by these three publishers contain the requested language for easy-to-read books or not, partly to investigate which likenesses and differences there are between the three levelling systems used. The result shows that the system used by the state publisher contains a greater degree of language difficulties regarding the lowest levels as well as the highest levels. The result also shows that the language in the books representing the levelling systems sometimes match the demands set by the publisher, and sometimes not. The greatest discrepancy between what is requested for and what can be seen in the material, is found when the publishers ask for specific language traits, while demands of a more overall nature are easier to meet. Moreover, the result shows that books categorized in one certain level not always match that level, that books representing the same level show differences regarding linguistic complexity, and that books from a certain level not automatically guarantee the increase in language difficulties that the labelling of that level speaks for