Senegal adopted French as the country's sole official language at the time of independence in 1960, since when the language has been used in administration and other formal domains. Similarly, French is employed throughout the formal education system as the language of instruction. Since the 1990s, however, government has mounted an ambitious…

Research conducted by the Canadian Institute for Adult Education revealed an alarming degree of illiteracy among francophone adults living in Canada. In the province of Alberta the illiteracy rate was dramatic, with estimates of up to 10,000 adults who were francophone by birth and yet illiterate in French. This report describes the underlying…

This guide is designed to help Ontario's literacy program coordinators implement the Core Quality Standards in their literacy programs. It provides ideas about simple approaches to evaluation which they can use. The first part of the guide discusses what program evaluation is and what it can do for the program coordinator. The second part…

The cost of illiteracy to Canadian society has been estimated at $10 billion per year, the cost to business at $4 billion. In addition, there are human and social costs upon which it is impossible to place a dollar value. Human costs are stress and low self-esteem, worse health, lower income, and inability to participate fully in social and…

This guide is intended to answer the questions that literacy practitioners might have about the Accountability Framework and the Core Quality Standards approved by the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board (OTAB). Section I provides a background to development of the framework and standards. Section II focuses on what an accountability framework…

This manual is designed as a resource for involving learners in literacy programs. Although the report is written at a high reading level, highlights for each section that are written in clear language are found at the beginning of the manual. Section 1 introduces the topic of learner involvement; it also describes the benefits of learner…

To meet new needs, society has raised its requirements with respect to basic education and redefined illiteracy. A 1989 survey found that 38 percent of the Canadian adult population have reading problems. Illiteracy is a social problem involving the entire community. The social cost is counted by the millions prevented from exercising their rights…

Describes the ALPHA series of publications, an action-research project on literacy and education. Explains that ALPHA began as a literacy movement in Quebec, Canada, and is now focused on alternative education, basic education, and sustainable communities throughout the world. (Contains 26 references.) (NB)

A study was conducted in the seven Acadian regions of Nova Scotia to identify the basic educational needs of the Acadian population, identify appropriate responses to those needs, and develop recommendations for adult literacy, basic education, and academic continuing education. Results are presented in this report, in both French and English. An…

A Canadian Bar Association Task Force on Legal Literacy explored the relationship between literacy and access to the legal system. A literature review revealed that little attention had been directed to literacy and use of the legal system. Three important findings emerged from 24 focus groups of current and former adult learners: virtually all…

This document resulted from a project undertaken to develop a set of program-specific and occupationally relevant performance (learning) objectives for the Ontario Basic Skills/Formation de Base de l'Ontario (OBS/FBO) program. It describes project activities, including a literature review in three related areas: understanding what literacy means,…

This publication consists of English and French versions of an annotated bibliography of resources available from the Literacy Section of the Learning and Employment Preparation Branch, Ontario Training and Adjustment Board. The English version contains 95 print and video resources grouped under these topics: general reports and studies on…

This French-language version of a literacy handbook provides an introduction to literacy work for Peace Corps volunteers and other development workers in situations where the literacy work is a primary project or secondary activity. It presents information on planning and preparing for literacy work, offers guidance on program and material…

During colonial times, education in Africa was based on the European system of education, and the European languages remained the only languages taught in schools. These languages were often taught by poorly trained teachers who passed their errors on to students. Major policy revisions and modifications in language education, teacher training,…

The Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union of Canada assessed literacy learning needs. In focus group discussions, members were asked their perception of such needs in the face of changes in the workplace and society; local union officers (LUOs) were asked how they saw the role of unions in supporting members' literacy learning; employers…