According to Statistics Canada, as many as 8 million Canadians do not have the literacy skills necessary to prosper in a knowledge-based society and economy. For most of these Canadians, the challenge is not simply in "decoding" text, but in "understanding and working with" it. The demands of the knowledge-based society are…

A Canadian bilingual ESL program for Cambodians was taught by an experienced English-speaking ESL teacher and a Cambodian-speaking coteacher. Observations, interviews, and journal analysis showed that a bilingual monocultural format encouraged student participation and peer teaching and that second-language learning was facilitated by…

Relates that, in the past two decades, Paulo Friere's philosophy has gained adherents in Brazil and several other nations. Reviews Friere's methods of adult literacy education and identifies serious criticisms. Argues that, while the Freirean system is nondialogical and impositional, his literacy efforts were ultimately worthwhile. (CFR)

Trends in Canadian adult education include outreach to new target groups (the undereducated, poor, ethnic groups, retirees, women), growth of teleconferencing, lack of government support for nontraditional clientele and formats, vocationalization and institutionalization of adult education, and shift from adult education to adult learning. (SK)

Discusses the library's responsibility to society to confront adult illiteracy and suggests that libraries should provide computers and special software to support adult basic education programs. Available educational systems and software are described, and sources to aid in selection are identified. (10 references) (CLB)

The mandate of the Recognition for Learning Pilot Project was to develop a recognition system that would work in Huron and Perth Counties (Ontario), particularly for the agencies offering adult literacy services. Design principles were developed for each of the three system components: a registry, a paper of recognition, and a teacher support…

This guide was developed to help new literacy practitioners in Ontario, Canada, become familiar with designing, developing, and delivering literacy programs in the community. The guide is organized in 10 sections according to subject area. The three sections of part 1 deal with the developmental stages of planning, designing, and launching a…

This document provides a snapshot of literacy programs and activities in Canada for 1995-96. The first section describes the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS), defines literacy, and discusses NLS's mandate, structure, and principles. It describes the following: (1) activity areas supported by NLS (developing learning materials, increasing public…

Intended for the Literacy Coordinators of Alberta, this annotated bibliography reflects the needs of the PROSPECTS Adult Literacy Program clientele; therefore, it does not include resources for native learners and includes only resources available at the PROSPECTS library and the Edmonton Public Schools' adult literacy library. One hundred…

Alan Thomas' vision of a learning society and its implications for public policy and adult education in Canada were the driving forces in the Canadian Association for Adult Education (CAAE) for the nine years of his directorship. The most distinctive and important idea that he contributed to the field in the 1960s was that the basic concept must…

School attainment, age, and other factors considered in defining the concept of functional illiteracy are examined in connection with the problem in Canada. Various Canadian adult basic education programs, mostly oriented to the labor market, are described, as well as the national effort in some other countries. (MF)

Discourse analysis reveals how the meanings of literacy are both socially produced and variable between different discourses. A recent consultation with researchers is used to demonstrate how the outcomes were influenced by the discourses of participants and organizers. An argument is made to establish a literacy discourse analysis tradition to…

Perceptions of 94 adult learners and 31 teachers regarding the nature and goals of literacy education revealed that adult learners tended to view literacy from a fundamental perspective, but entered programs for job-related (functional) reasons. On the other hand, teachers viewed literacy from a functional perspective, but presented programs that…

Craig raises concerns about the Movement for Canadian Literacy's proposal in terms of jurisdictional and organization issues regarding literacy and government role. Quigley examines the notion that workplace literacy is a panacea for economic development and warns of dangers in a major shift of funding to this form of literacy. (SK)

Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, this article examines the language and literacy needs of immigrants to Canada. A Toronto-based case study portrays a group of Latin American adults and their daily uses of English and Spanish. Literacy needs in both languages are noted, as is the contradiction of government commitment to…