Reported here are the results of a research project that examined the role of UK public libraries in addressing adult literacy including approaches and issues. Eight public libraries were selected as case studies and adult literacy provision was investigated using staff interviews. The interviews provided support for the role of public libraries…

In Fall 1992, 400 telephone interviews established levels of basic skills difficulties among the work force as encountered or perceived by employers in the United Kingdom. Costs to employers of poor basic skills and the effect of these on their operation were quantified and described. Respondents were mainly personnel/training managers or…

The development of adult literacy provision in the United Kingdom from the 1960s onwards can be divided into three parts that correspond to significant shifts in approaches to adult literacy. First, the discovery of adult "illiteracy" during the 1960s led to government grants, a national Right to Read Campaign, and the development of…

Many countries have recently launched massive programs to promote nation-wide adult literacy, but while these efforts have been commendable, it has been observed that neo-literates who acquire literacy through such programs have great difficulty in retaining it; hence an urgent need to develop suitable programs of post-literacy and continuing…

This article highlights lessons from the experience of running a workshop that provides basic education. It focuses on the workshop that has been run for four years at Wakefield District College in England to support individuals from the community or students in college courses who need help with basic skills. The flexibility allowed by the…

Includes "Staff Development for Educators Working with Black Communities" (Lewis, Murray); "The Changing Scene in Wales" (Poole); "Staff Development in Open College Networks" (Mager); "Staff Development in the Provision of Adult Literacy and Basic Skills" (Wells); and "European Aspects" (Oglesby).…

This interim report describes the first few months' work of a task force that developed a set of procedures for conducting a literacy task analysis. A literacy task analysis could be used by employers, union delegates, human resource personnel, trainers, and adult educators to understand better the specific workplace training needs of employees,…

This report describes certain assumptions and tentative conclusions made by an Advisory Group of the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) about work with the mentally handicapped from a nonspecialist perspective. With the basic education organizer in mind, the report addresses six major issues. A definition of the term mentally handicapped…

A 3-year research project (1974-77) in connection with the national campaign against adult illiteracy involves assessing the role of broadcasting in motivating adults to ask for help, investigating appropriate instructional media, and correlating the various learning situations and the subsequent social benefits. Some problems of research design…

An international numeracy scale compared how well adults in seven countries--the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Australia, and Denmark--handled some basic tasks involving numbers. The questionnaire comprised a set of 12 numeracy tasks that respondents were asked to complete using pen and paper. Within each country, the…

The six articles in this issue tackle topics that relate to the role and function of numeracy in adult life. "Reading Comprehension in Written Mathematics Problems" (Sue Wareham) examines the levels of reading ability required of numeracy students and offers strategies to help students with limited reading skills. "Can Ordinary…

The British Broadcasting Corporation's Adult Literacy Project is believed to be the first attempt to use broadcasting on a massive scale to discover the extent of the illiteracy problem in an industrialized society and to contribute to its alleviation. While television or radio cannot, on its own, achieve a great deal, this project supplements the…

Examines the increased recognition of widespread adult illiteracy in industrialized countries; the origins of such recognition in voluntary bodies and advocacy groups; and the extent to which true adult-literacy policies have been developed. Compares adult-literacy efforts in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States with regard to…

Examines current Adult Basic Education teaching and assessment methods in the United Kingdom and the United States to help define what constitutes success in adult basic literacy tuition. (SR)

This handbook provides useful information on using the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) standards with English-as-a-Second-or-Other-Language (ESOL) students. The ALBSU standards were developed as the result of the Basic Skills Accreditation Initiative funded by the British Department of Education and Science and the Employment…