AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION LEVELS OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS FOUND IN THE SHORT STORIES

Marwa Putri Bulkhairi; Nur Rosita

doi:10.24036/jelt.v14i1.133090

AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION LEVELS OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS FOUND IN THE SHORT STORIES

Marwa Putri Bulkhairi⁽¹⁾, Nur Rosita⁽²⁾,
(1) Universitas Negeri Padang

Indonesia
(2) Universitas Negeri Padang

Indonesia

Corresponding Author
Copyright (c) 2025 Marwa Putri Bulkhairi

DOI : https://doi.org/10.24036/jelt.v14i1.133090

Abstract

This study aimed to find out the students’ reading comprehension levels and difficulties in understanding idiomatic expressions in the short stories. The population of this study was the third-year students of the English department at Universitas Negeri Padang with a total of 294 students. Based on the population, the sample of this research was 35 students selected using cluster random sampling. Employing descriptive quantitative method, data were collected through tests and questionnaires. The result showed that 60% of students were categorized on the Failed level, 26% on the Inadequate, 11% on the Adequate, and 3% on a Good level. The primary difficulties identified include idioms that are not literal (3.00), lack of context (2.97), unknown vocabulary and unfamiliar idioms (2.94), lack of experience dealing with idioms (2.84), and cultural differences (2.80). The study underscores the need for context-rich teaching strategies and tailored instructional resources to enhance students' idiom comprehension, contributing to their linguistic and cultural proficiency.

Keywords

Idiomatic expressions, reading comprehension level, students’ difficulties, short stories

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