An assessment on the accessibility of reading passages in Ethiopian primary EFL textbooks

The purpose of this study was to assess the readability level of reading texts in Ethiopian EFL textbooks for grades 3–6. The study employed exploratory study design. Primary level EFL textbooks (grades 3–6) - written in 2020 and officially launched in 2022, EFL teachers and learners of target grade levels were used as major sources of data. Different sampling techniques were employed to sample the readings for varying purposes. All the readings in the textbooks were taken for analytic readability assessment. Yet Systematic random sampling was used to draw 35% of the reading texts for a cloze test.Data were generated through cloze tests, readability analytics, and interview schedule. The text-driven data analysis, which is almost concurrently carried out with data collection, is made through statistical determinants of Brown recalculated readability formula, Coh-Matrix readability coefficients and cloze test determinants. Finally, EFL Teachers using these textbooks in their regular instruction were interviewed to complement the evidences the other sources. The results of the study show that many of the readings across the grade levels are unreadable for the target learners and required pedagogical intervention on the part of teachers and curricular action on the part of educational administrators.