Etude de la compréhension des messages contenus dans les journaux parlés et télévisés

Abstract

The preceding paper deals with research on the "readability" of radio and TV news. Since 1960, Professor De Landsheere and his team of the Liège University Department for Educational Research carry on research on readability formulae. The Flesch readability test has been adapted. Owing to specific differences between the English and the French language, G. De Landsheere had to change several rules adopted by R. Flesch. For French, the Flesch-De Landsheere readability scores have a range of about -30- + 90 (+90 is the easiest text ever found so far). To help interpreting results, the scores of French schoolbooks, illustrated papers, comics, adult papers, novels, school TV, etc. are mentioned. >The purpose of this project was to evaluate the level of intelligibility (readability and vocabulary) of radio and TV news (verbal part). Three information categories have been tested : foreign affairs, national politics and general information in French. Two hundred samples of about 100 words have been drawn from Belgian radio and TV news bulletins, between February 26 and March 11, 1968 ; 84 further 100 word samples have been drawn from Europe I (France) and Radio Luxembourg news bulletins. The vovabulary has been studied with reference to the 1063 words list of Gougenheim's Franàais fondamental (spoken language) and the 3000 words list of Verlée's Basic Vocabulary (written language). For the latter, G. De Landsheere has first weighted the words according to the frequency indexes. Later on, it has been demonstrated that there is a positive correlation of at least 85 between the percentage of outsiders from the Gougenheim list and the weighted Verlée vocabulary.