The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has launched a new publication, "Integrated Approaches to Literacy and Skills Development: Examples of Best Practice in Adult Learning Programmes." This new compilation showcases 21 adult education programmes that demonstrate promising approaches to integrating literacy, life skills and…

According to Peha (2016), fiction is all about character. What a character wants, how they go about getting it, and how they change throughout the trajectory of the narrative are key factors that drive a story and make it meaningful. This paper integrates strategies from both narratology (Nikolajeva, 2002; 2005; Rimmon-Kenan, 2002) and linguistics…

Attainment of functional English literacy skills by all students has been a focus of Australian national policy since the 1989 Hobart Declaration (MCEETYA, 1989). This focus underpins current educational accountability policy enacted through the National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). The Adelaide and Melbourne Declarations…

Argues that there is no convincing proof from empirical evidence that standards of literacy in Western Australia are worse than they were 25 to 65 years ago. Denounces empirical measures of standards of literacy as profoundly unreliable. (AEA)

Comments on literacy data gathered from several surveys and questions whether students are developing sufficient literacy skills. (AEA)

Some of the broad issues of literacy and national economy are addressed in this article, which provides a historical context for the claims frequently made by policymakers and employer organizations about the economic benefits of increased language skills. Contains 42 references. (LB)

Describes a book award for which only children vote and claims that the children's participation in the award has promoted discriminating reading. (SRT)

A study of six women in an Australia literacy program at the Springvale Community Health Centre suggests that there are dangers in defining literacy needs in terms of economic productivity. Issues of self-worth and social support are also addressed. (Contains 19 references.) (LB)

The purpose of the 1973 Pilot Literacy Project (Victoria, Australia) was to explore the nature of the problem of nonmigrant adults who had attended school but who considered themselves illiterate or functionally illiterate, to discover what sort of people were illiterate and to what extent, and to examine home influences and educational…

The formal court system in Australia has long been criticised for its adversarial nature. As a result, there has been an increase in the use of alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation. These are promoted as a means of increasing access to justice by disadvantaged groups and as an inexpensive way of solving legal or quasi-legal…

Ways that literacy and numeracy can be integrated into adult basic education classes are discussed. A class of six adult students learning language and mathematics in the context of the federal election illustrates the effectiveness of integrated teaching. (Contains 12 references.) (LB)

Provides background information on the McGaw report, which addresses literacy assessment in secondary education. Presents the Western Australian Education Department's view of literacy. Describes the guidelines and assessment procedures in the Department's investigation of the McGaw report's implications. Discusses the 1986 school trials that…

Traces changes in literacy expectations from the early settlement of Australia through the introduction of compulsory schooling to today, when most segments of Australian society require a high level of literacy. (EL)

Language planning for literacy has typically focused on models of provision of print-based literacy programmes in order to develop widespread literate capabilities in reading and writing. This paper argues that contemporary literacy planning needs to consider more than models of delivery and engage with issues related to defining the nature of…

This report describes presentations and discussions at a seminar to bring together research initiatives in the area of functional literacy and to explore appropriate ways of developing policy-driven research in all countries. Opening remarks by representatives of the European Community, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,…