Theoretical Orientation for Readability Assessment in Bengali Language of Extension Literatures Related to Farming

Abstract

Readability of a text generally refers to how well a reader can comprehend the content of a text, through reading. Readability is closely related to the understandability of the messages. Extension education is an applied behavioural science. Its main purpose is to bring about desirable changes in human behaviour usually through different strategies and programme of change and by applying the latest scientific and technological innovations where extension messages are sent largely through text. In Bengali language, only a few works on readability is found but their study is restricted to broad range of documents like newspaper article, short stories, interviews, and blogs to philosophical articles but there is no such research done on readability of Bengali extension literatures targeting the farming community. So, there is a need for studying on readability of Bengali extension literature for promotion of agricultural education. Assessment of readability of Bengali extension literatures is an imperative task for promotion of agriculture education among the millions of farmers who speaks and read in Bengali language across this subcontinent and Bangladesh with a view that the text messages become more understandable to the target audience. In this context the present theoretical orientation had been prepared with the objectives to measure the readability of Extension literatures in Bengali Language related to farming. Apart from that the analytical tools or procedures used in readability assessment of a Bengali text associated with farming extension literature were also summarized.