This article examines the case of an adult reader who has developed literacy practices that represent a wide range of authentic, personally and professionally motivated purposes for reading and writing. Despite this wide range of literacy practices, however, and despite the opportunities they have opened for him, Joseph (his chosen pseudonym)…

The term "illiterate" that is commonly used to describe someone who cannot read or write is an absolute term, which fails to recognize that those who are deemed "illiterate" are probably in fact "literate" to some degree. The approach taken to define and measure literacy in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) acknowledges the limitation…

Evaluates the efforts to achieve a common or single definition of adult literacy in the United States. The article describes the current understandings of literacy as reported in the professional literature, focuses on the feasibility of establishing a common definition of adult literacy in America, and explores the normative aspects of the issue.…

Examines three myths concerning illiteracy: (1) the Third World remains poor because of high illiteracy rates; (2) nations can be rated on a scale that compares relative literacy rates, and (3) what is needed is a reliable definition. Concludes the real issue is not literacy, but equity and justice. (CH)

Examines various approaches that have been taken to promote literacy and makes a plea for more research to clarify issues that will permit more useful definitions of literacy and more productive approaches to developing and enhancing literacy among youth and adults. (HOD)

The Adult Education Amendments of 1988 require the Department of Education to submit a report to Congress on the definition of literacy and then to estimate the extent of adult literacy. Literacy has been defined by self-report in early Census Bureau surveys, in a competency-based approach by the Adult Performance Level project, and as "the…

An appreciation for the diverse meanings ascribed to the concept of literacy is fundamental to the affirmation of literacy in human lives. Literacy is something interpreted. Its presence is visible in lives, yet literacy remains an invisible, measureless phenomenon. In the fullness of being literate, there is humanness-wakefulness, liveliness and…

Substantial numbers of Hispanic Americans cannot complete school or compete effectively for jobs because of less than adequate literacy in English. Before anything can be done about this, our definitions of literacy and illiteracy need to be reworked. The conventional definition of literacy as the completion of fifth grade ignores the changing…

Defines the meaning of literacy and other related terms and then examines the relationship between literacy and both social and economic development. The role of communications and the use of different types of media in literacy education are also discussed. (EAO)

In societies with rich oral traditions in which knowledge and wisdom are transmitted by way of mouth, through recitation, song and drama, the inability to read and write does not mean ignorance or lack of intelligence. Literacy is, however, essential for gaining legal and socioeconomic rights. Literacy campaigns should therefore involve changing…

Media reports suggest widespread illiteracy among adults who may not be able to read, write, speak, or otherwise communicate competently enough to meet the demands of modern society. No consensus has been reached regarding a definition of illiteracy or supporting statistics. Estimates of adult illiteracy range form 0.5% to 50%, meaning that of the…

The problems and extent of adult illiteracy are presented in this workshop report, which explores how computer and communication technology might be applied in adult literacy education. The introduction provides statistics and a discussion of past and current attempts to teach illiterate adults. The major portion of the report focuses on what…

The manual is intended for training workshops on program and curriculum development for the post-literacy stages, since many countries successful in literacy work find that even greater challenges await them as erstwhile illiterates emerge from literacy classes as new literates. The emphasis is on programs and curricula to help new literates…

The author uses the diverse role of scribes in different periods of time and different places as a lens through which to understand both literacy and illiteracy. Examples from fiction, film, social history, and interviews with various individuals, including adult literacy teachers, are used to support the following arguments: (1) moments of…

In 2000, approximately 877 million adults worldwide were illiterate and 113 million children did not attend school. More than two-thirds of those individuals lived in East and South Asia, and two-thirds were females. Functional illiteracy remains high in developed and developing nations alike. The reasons include weak training in how to teach…