LITERACY DEFINED

OBJECTIVES
After going through this module, you should be able to:
1. Have a working knowledge of literacy; 2. Cite ways on how you can assist in promoting literacy;

3. Recognize the current literacy situation, including issues and concerns of the country; and
4. Affirm positive attitude to help the country raise the literacy status by planning and cooperating with government or nongovernment organizations in the conduct of literacy projects and programs.

DID YOU KNOW THAT

Some people in the world are literate? They can read and write. Others cannot read nor write. They are illiterates. Take a look at the chart below.

WHERE THE PEOPLE CANT READ Distribution of illiteracy

Latin America/Caribb ean, 4.74% East Asia/Oceania, 5.63%

Other, 5.63%
China, 20.10%

Southern Asia, 12.95%

Arab States, 6.73% India, 30.99% Sub-Saharan Africa, 15.34%

 There

are at least one billion non-literate adults (persons 15 years old and above) in the world today. Ninety-eight percent of all non-literate are in developing nations. Two-thirds of all non-literates are women. One-half of all non-literate are in India and China. It is estimated that 30-50 million people are added each year to the numbers of non-literates.

 Twenty-seven

percent of all adults are non-

literate. Africa, as a continent, has a literacy rate of less than 50 percent. Worldwide, the percentage of adult illiteracy is declining, but the absolute number if nonliterates is increasing. In the poorer nations, population growth is believed to be a primary source of growth in the number of non-literates.

ACTIVITY 1

WHAT DO I KNOW? Can you list some things which you think a literate person can do and which an illiterate cannot or may not be able to do?
A literate person can. _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ An illiterate person cannot. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says people who are literate can do the following, which an illiterate cannot or may not do, through they survive, they are clearly and unquestionably, disadvantaged in relations to those who can read and write, and have access to the world of print:

1. Read the labels on can and boxes of food 2. Read a bus or train schedule 3. Look up numbers in a telephone directory 4. Read a contract, a health insurance form, a deed, or a waiver 5. Read a map when they are lost

6. 7. 8. 9.

Read medical directions Help their children with homework Read the menu in a restaurant Read road signs get a job requiring reading and writing 10. Read warning labels on poisons and pesticides 11. Read a letter from a relative or friend and response 12. Keep their own accounts, etc.

WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW?

What is LITERACY?

Literacy has been defined and understood in so many ways. Traditionally, it is viewed as the ability to use language-to read, write, listen, and speak. However, literacy involves much more than reading and writing.

Take a look at these definitions.

UNESCO (1999):
Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potentials, and to participate fully in the wider society.

Heath (1983):

Literacy in the real world involves such things as reading signs, advertisements, and bumper stickers, writing letters, reading newspaper and magazines, and giving oral and written messages to others or leaving them for oneself.

These definitions show that literacy is more than just reading and writing. It is a set of skills and a way of being, a manner of carrying out social transactions and developing oneself required for active citizenship.

What are the different kinds and levels of literacy?

What follows is one way of looking at the level of skill one attains.

Technical Literacy Functional Literacy

Survival Literacy
Basic Literacy Initial Literacy

Andy, a preschool in a Day Care Center, readily associates A N D Y with his name. When he sees this word he blurts out Ako yun! Andy demonstrates initial literacy level skill. Initial literacy refers to the ability to write ones own name. It includes an awareness of the learner that written symbols have messages to convey. Berto, a street vendor, shows basic literacy skills when he follows street signs such as Bawal Tumawid.Tumawid sa Tamang Tawiran.

Basic literacy refers to the ability to read and write, read and interpret a short simple sentence on everyday life.

Dindo, a high school dropout, wants to find a job. He bought a newspaper and looked in the Classified Ads section. By doing this, he showed he has Survival Literacy skills. Survival literacy refers to the ability to read, write and comprehend texts n familiar subjects and to understand whatever signs, labels and instructions and directions are necessary to get along within ones environment. Dina is a high school student. She does part-time job in a fast food center. She is a cashier. She can read orders. She can compute. She is functionally literate.

Functional literary is the possession of skills perceived as necessary by particular persons or groups to fulfill their own-self determined objectives on a higher level. Mr. Reyes is an engineer. He wants to keep on learning about his job as an engineer. He reads books like Constructing a 100 Story Building. He is technically literate. Technical literacy is the acquisition of a body of theoretical or technical knowledge and the development of problemsolving capacities within that specified field like engineering, medicine, education, aeronautics.

Why should we promote literacy?

The Literacy Coordinating Council enumerates that
It is a tool for empowering ourselves and our communities. It can free us from many personal, economic and social constraints by helping to

eradicate poverty; reduce child mortality; curb population growth; achieve greater equality; make participation in all social, economic, and political processes possible; ensure sustainable development, peace and democracy; and ENHANCE OUR CAPACITY TO LEAD A FREE AND MORE FULFILLED LIFE.

One example of the importance of promoting literary is that of the charges that took place in Kenala, India. Female and child mortality rates declined dramatically in the 1960s when girls became literate. Can you imagine a mother who cannot even read medicine labels? What do you think will happen if drivers cannot read and interpret traffic signs?

WHAT DID I LEARN?

Activity 1 Directions: What is referred to in the sentence that follows? Choose your answers from the list in the box.
Basic literacy Functional literacy Initial literacy Literacy for the New Literacy Studies researchers Literacy in modern context Literacy required Survival literacy Technical literacy Traditional definition of literacy UNESCO

1. _____________ is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potentials, and to participate fully in the wider society. 2. _____________ is the ability to write ones own name. 3. _____________ is the ability to read, write and comprehend texts on familiar subjects and to understand whatever signs, labels and instructions and directions are necessary to get along within ones environment. 4. _____________ is the possession of skills perceived as necessary by particular persons or groups to fulfill their ownself determined objectives.

5. ____________ is the ability to read and write a short sentence on everyday life. 6. ____________ is the acquisition of a body of theoretical or technical knowledge and the development of problem-solving capacities within that specified field. 7. ____________ is not autonomous or a set of discrete technical and objective skills, such as reading and writing, that can be applied across context. Instead what counts as literacy is determined by the cultural, political, and historical contexts of the community in which it is used. Definitions of literacy are based on ideologies. 8. ____________ is the ability to use language-to read, write, listen, and speak.

9. ___________ the word means reading and writing in a level adequate for written communication and generally a level that enables one to successfully function at certain levels of any modern society, thus literacy plays a role in providing access to power. 10. __________ is the literacy level required for any given social context and which might, therefore, change over time, place, and social condition.

Activity 1.1

Directions: Write True if the sentence tells something correct and write False if the sentence tells something wrong.

1. _______ UNESCO argues that literacy is not autonomous or a set of discrete technical and objective skills, such as reading and writing, that can be applied across contexts. Instead what counts as literacy is determined by the cultural, political, and historical contexts of the community in which it is used. 2. _______ Technical literacy is the literacy level required for any given social context and which might, therefore, change over time, place, and social conditions. 3. _______ Literacy has been defined and understood in so many ways.

4. _______ The ability to write ones own name is among the skills in the initial literacy. 5. _______ Survival literacy is the ability to read, write and comprehend texts on familiar subjects and to understand whatever signs, labels, and instructions and directions are necessary to get along within ones environment. 6. _______ Basic literacy is the literacy level required for any given social contexts and which might, therefore, change over time, place, and social condition. 7. _______ Literate people can be trained less expensively than illiterate people.

8. _______ Functional literacy is the possession of skills perceived as necessary by particular persons or groups to fulfill their own-self determined objectives. 9. _______ In modern contexts, the word literacy means the ability to use language-to read, write, and listen. 10. ______ Literacy in the real world involves reading signs, advertisements, and bumper stickers, writing letters, reading newspapers and magazines, and giving oral and written messages to others or leaving them for oneself.