Opening up new perspectives in the study of literacy, this book presents 25 essays that bring together current research findings from linguistics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Essays in the book discuss theoretical questions related to the definition and modeling of the construct of functional literacy; the notion of literacy…

Intended for those involved in American social service and educational communities, this book addresses the widespread problem of illiteracy in the United States and the social consequences of this problem. Following an introduction, the chapters in the first section of the book discuss the growing crisis of illiterate America, specifically, the…

The study described in this book was designed to create an overall picture of the type of student found at a school for educationally substandard army recruits in England, to establish the causes of the student's educational backwardness and relate these to linguistic performance, and to compare the effectiveness of the approaches and methods used…

This book offers a personal account of a phenomenon largely ignored until recently: functional illiteracy--a condition that affects millions in the industrialized world. The book looks at functional illiterates in industrialized countries throughout the world, recounts their stories, and describes efforts to overcome and eliminate functional…

This book is intended to assist literacy program administrators, coordinators, instructors, and volunteers in the design and implementation of literacy programs for homeless adults. Chapter 1 discusses barriers to instruction when serving homeless adults, including shelter environment, impermanence of location and opportunity, and the effects of…

Intended for designers of culture-oriented visual materials for use in functional literacy and development communication in different cultures and countries, this manual is one in a series of training monographs on literacy in development. The three chapter titles are: "Understanding Visual Literacy,""Acquiring Visual…

This book results from a three-year exploration of how to provide a new outlook on how all societies should move towards a "necessary Utopia" in which no one's hidden talents are left untapped. The report builds on the four foundations of education: (1) learning to live together; (2) learning to know; (3) learning to do; and (4) learning to be .…

The purpose of the publication is to disseminate, in circles directly concerned with the theory and practice of functional literacy training, the fundamental principles and essential pedagogical methods yielded by the pursuit of Unesco's Experimental World Literacy Program. The guide is an attempted synthesis of the many and various experiments…

This study describes efforts by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) to promote literacy among six language groups of northern Ghana during the years 1972-1979. The report is organized into three parts. Part I provides general background for an understanding and evaluation of what took place. It first describes the national and local setting…

Major adult literacy and adult education programs in India are described in the brochure, which covers a wide sector of interests and target groups. Major programs described are: (1) mass literacy programs, discussing demography and various strategies; (2) Kisan Saksharta Yojana, discussing various strategies for farmers' functional literacy…

This book, which is intended as a practical guide to functional literacy at the grassroots level, addresses a range of issues encountered by literacy workers when mobilizing, planning, teaching, supervising, and evaluating adult literacy programs. The following topics are discussed: adult literacy, literacy teachers, and literacy work; the many…

This book analyzes the response of employees at a southern hospital to a functional context literacy program. It uses ethnographic techniques, storytelling, and observations of workplace relations to illustrate how classism, racism, and sexism continue to be part of the workplace environment and how these factors contribute to employees'…

This book contains eight papers reporting research projects that were conducted by adult language, literacy, and numeracy practitioners with funding provided through one-time scholarships to Tasmanian students in the field of adult language and literacy. The following papers are included: "Foreword" (Ian Falk); "Preface"…

Thirteen marginal Philippine communities were examined in an ethnographic study of the meaning of functional literacy and whether literacy invariably promotes development. The 13 sites were purposely selected to provide a broad sampling from three standpoints: (1) major livelihood and form of economic activity (farming, fishing, urban poor,…

This book presents 22 personal narratives in which library directors, program administrators, teachers, tutors, librarians, and adult learners explain firsthand how literacy programs at libraries across the United States have changed people's lives. The following narratives are included: "Gloria's Story: 'She Wanted Me to Be Somebody'";…