Students’ Difficulties in Understanding English Reading Descriptive Text dt SMA Negeri 1 Tongauna

Abstract

Reading comprehension constitutes a core competency in foreign language acquisition, serving as the primary channel through which learners access information, expand their linguistic repertoire, and develop critical thinking abilities. In the context of English language education at the secondary level in Indonesia, descriptive text represents one of the foundational text genres stipulated in the national curriculum, designed to equip learners with the ability to process and produce language that conveys specific attributes of people, places, objects, or phenomena. Nevertheless, empirical observations and preliminary assessments indicate that a considerable proportion of students continue to experience substantial obstacles when engaging with this text type. This study aims to systematically identify, categorise, and analyse the specific difficulties encountered by students of SMA Negeri 1 Tongauna in comprehending English descriptive texts, as well as to elucidate the underlying factors contributing to these challenges. Employing a descriptive qualitative research design supplemented by quantitative descriptive analysis, this study involved 36 Grade XI students as primary participants, selected through purposive sampling based on their exposure to descriptive text instruction and enrolment in the relevant academic year. Data were gathered through three triangulated instruments: standardised reading comprehension tests targeting literal, inferential, and structural understanding; structured questionnaires assessing learners’ self-perceived challenges and learning habits; and semi-structured interviews exploring personal experiences and causal attributions. The findings demonstrate that students face interrelated difficulties across three principal domains: linguistic barriers encompassing insufficient vocabulary breadth, limited command of grammatical constructions typical of descriptive writing, and unfamiliarity with lexico-grammatical features specific to this genre; cognitive limitations involving difficulty identifying main ideas, extracting supporting details, and constructing implicit meaning; and structural challenges related to recognising and interpreting the generic structure and rhetorical organisation of descriptive texts. Further analysis reveals that these difficulties are compounded by limited out-of-class exposure to authentic English texts, lack of explicit strategy instruction, low motivational orientation, and interference from first-language linguistic norms. The study concludes that addressing these multifaceted challenges requires integrated instructional interventions that combine systematic vocabulary development, explicit teaching of text structure, strategy-based instruction, and contextually relevant material selection. The outcomes of this research provide evidence-based insights for educators, curriculum designers, and school administrators seeking to enhance the quality of reading instruction and foster improved reading proficiency among secondary-level learners.