BARRETTS TAXONOMY

(Reading)
The taxonomy was introduced at a conference in 1968. It dealt with
reading although the ideas apply to listening as well. Some of the ideas
may be dated (c.f., 1.2. The idea of checking comprehension for a written
text by recalling it from memory might be questioned), it is still a good
guide to the levels at which we are trying to measure comprehension.
It was cited in Alderson & Urquhart (1984) although only the main
categories were listed. What follows is a handout I got from Jack
Richards. The specific source wasn't listed. It appears to be a
conference handout. Not that this order is reversed from the one earlier)
1. Literal comprehension (concern with information stated explicitly in
the text)
1.1

Recognition (locate specific information stated explicitly)

Recognition of details (names of characters, places,times) /

Recognition of main

ideas
Recognition of a sequence
Recognition of comparison (identify similarities among characters, places and names)
Recognition of cause and effect relationships
Recognition of character traits
1.2 Recall (produce from memory ideas stated explicitly)
Recall of details
Recall of main ideas
Recall of a sequence
Recall of comparisons
Recall of cause and effect relationships
2. Reorganization (analyzing, synthesizing, and organizing information that
has been stated explicitly)
2.1 Classifying (placing persons, things, and places into groups)
2.2 Outlining (organizing a selection in outline form)
2.3 Summarizing (paraphrasing or condensing a selection)
2.4 Synthesizing (consolidating information from more than a single source.)
3. Inferential comprehension (using information explicitly stated along

with one's own personal experience as a basis for conjecture and

hypothesis.
3.1 Inferring supporting details (suggesting additional facts that might
have made the selection more informative, interesting or appealing)
3.2 Inferring main ideas (providing the main idea when it is not stated
explicitly)
3.3 Inferring sequence (conjecturing about what might have happened or
will happen when no explicit statements are included in the text)
3.4 inferring comparisons
3.5 Inferring cause and effect relationships (inferring the author's
intentions, motivations, or characters)
3.6 Inferring character traits (hypothesizing characteristics of persons)
3.7 Predicting outcomes (predicting what will happen as a result of
reading part of the text.
3.8 Interpreting figurative language (inferring literal meanings from the
figurative use of language).
4. Evaluation (judgments and decisions concerning value and worth)
4.1 Judgments of reality or fantasy (judging whether an event is possible)
4.2 Judgments of fact or opinion (distinguishing between supported and
unsupported data)
4.3 Judgments of adequacy and validity (judging whether information in a
text agrees with other sources of information)
4.4 Judgments of appropriateness (determining relative adequacy of
different parts of a selection in answering specific questions).
4.5 Judgments of worth, desirability, and acceptability (decisions of
good, bad, right and wrong)
5. Appreciation (psychological and aesthetic impact of the text on the reader)
5.1 Emotional response to content (verbalizing feelings about the selections)
5.2 Identification with characters or incidents (demonstrating sensitivity
to or empathy with characters or events)
5.3 Reactions to the author's use of language (responding to the author's
ability to created language)
5.4 Imagery (verbalizing feelings produced by the author's selection of
words that produce visual, auditory, etc. sensations or images.

The Barrett Taxonomy of Reading Comprehension

It classifies skills and orders them according to the degree of complexity. It consists of four categories.
The following are:
1. Literal Recognition or Recall
a. Recognition or Recall of Details
b. Recognition or Recall of Main Ideas
c. Recognition or Recall of Sequences
d. Recognition or Recall of Comparisons
e. Recognition or Recall of Cause-and-Effect Relationships
f. Recognition or Recall of Character Traits
2. Inference
a. Inferring about Figurative Language
b. Predicting Outcomes
c. Inferring Character Traits
d. Inferring Cause-and-Effect Relationships
e. Inferring Supporting Details
f. Inferring Comparisons
g. Inferring the Main Idea
h. Inferring Sequences

3. Evaluation
a. Judgements of Worth, Desirability or Acceptability
b. Judgements of Reality or Fantasy
c. Judgements of Appropriateness
d. Judgements of Fact or Opinion
e. Judgements of Adequacy or Validity

4. Appreciation
a. Imagery
b. Emotional Response to Plot or Theme

c. Identification with Characters and Incidents

d. Reactions to the Speakers Use of Language

Barrett's taxonomy of reading comprehension

. Appreciation

Highest) Students give an emotional or image-based response.

. Evaluation

tudents make judgments in light of the material.

. Inference

tudents respond to information implied but not directly stated.

. Reorganization

tudents organize or order the information a different way than it

as presented.

. Literal

Lowest) Students identify information directly stated.

ased on Barrett, 1968.

ited in Reading in a foreign language, Alderson & Uquart, Longman. 1984.

3. Based on Task 1, prepare 2 (two) questions of each level of Barretts Taxonomy, namely:
i) Literal recognition or recall
ii) Inference
iii) Evaluation
iv) Appreciation

1) Literal Recognition or Recall

i)
What types of cancers that are linked to viruses?
ii)
What was the third common cancer women in Malaysia?
2) Inference

i)
ii)

What is the function of HPV vaccine?

What you think about Hepatitis B and C viruses?

3) Evaluation
i)
What kind of article is this?
ii)
Do you agree or disagree with this article?

4) Appreciation
i)
Do you trust what you read?
ii)
Do you believe everything you read? Why or why not?

REFLECTION

First of all I thanked to my God because I can manage to finish this coursework on the time
given by my lecturer, Mr Murali. He helps me a lot to finish this coursework completely. I would
thanked to all who help me to complete this ELP course work.

I am really happy to do this course work with my friends. It is a new experience for me. Firstly
my friends and I looked for an article that can find in newspapers, magazines and brochures. So, we
decided to choose an article from a magazine that was Health Today. That book contained of lot of
articles. From that, we chose an article titled Cancers From Viruses And Cancer Vaccines . It almost
tells about cancer in our country. We think that was a good article and gives a lot of information about
cancer. Me and my group member started to do from Part A.

We also found some information from English Grammar book and surf internet. We also used a
English Dictionary when we faced problem in meaning of words. We managed to finish all the parts of
this coursework. Now, I can more understand about prepositions and the function of prepositions. I
have learned about Barretts Taxonomy in this coursework. Before this, i had never heard about this
Barretts Taxonomy. This is a new thing that I have learned from this coursework. By using this article

that we have selected earlier, I can manage to do the Barretts Taxonomy. Now I can do the Barretts
Taxonomy with easily using other text.

From this, I get more closer with my group member that is M. Yogeswari. We can do this short
coursework without any problems. I would thanked to my group member for helping me to finish up this
coursework. At last, I would like to thank for all that lend hand us to finish this short coursework
completely. Thank you.

By,
Kesavartheni d/o Chandra Sekaram
(920716-08-6316)