The Readability of Roald Dahl’s work. A Comparison of the Readability of Dahl’s Children’s Fiction and Adult Fiction

This thesis explores the readability of Roald Dahl's books. Specifically, it tests two adult books against two children's books to see if there is a difference between the language use of the two genres for Dahl. Did he change his language when switching from adult stories to children's books? The readability is tested through the use of the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and the Automated Readability Index tests. These tests showed that there is indeed a slight difference between the readability of the children's books and the adult books of Dahl. This was in line with the prediction based on the literature discussed on language development, children's books as a genre, and readability. However, the adult texts of Dahl turned out to be easier to read than expected and easier to read than the average of adult books. This raises the question whether Dahl really did change his language to fit his new audience, children, or if his adult books show that he actually has always written in a...Show moreThis thesis explores the readability of Roald Dahl's books. Specifically, it tests two adult books against two children's books to see if there is a difference between the language use of the two genres for Dahl. Did he change his language when switching from adult stories to children's books? The readability is tested through the use of the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and the Automated Readability Index tests. These tests showed that there is indeed a slight difference between the readability of the children's books and the adult books of Dahl. This was in line with the prediction based on the literature discussed on language development, children's books as a genre, and readability. However, the adult texts of Dahl turned out to be easier to read than expected and easier to read than the average of adult books. This raises the question whether Dahl really did change his language to fit his new audience, children, or if his adult books show that he actually has always written in a way that is readable for children.Show less

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The Readability of Roald Dahl’s work. A Comparison of the Readability of Dahl’s Children’s Fiction and Adult Fiction