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Exploring my definition of literacy By Charlotte Benstead

It is not uncommon to read in the newspaper or hear a discussion about Australia's declining

levels of literacy. Contrarily, literacy standards have increased in the past 50 years

(Groundwater-Smith, McFadden, Mitchell, & Munns, 2009). The press fails to recognise that

what counts as ‘literacy' has changed over the years. In this essay, the ILY Secretariat (1989)

definition of literacy will be unpacked. The implications of this definition on preservice and

graduate teachers will also be explored (ILY secretariat, 1989 cited in Wilkinson &

Bartholomaeus, 2017p.2).

ILY Secretariat (1989) defines literacy as:

"Literacy involves the integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing and critical

thinking; it incorporates numeracy. It includes the cultural knowledge which enables

a speaker, writer or reader to recognise and use language appropriate to different

social situations. For an advanced technological society, such as Australia's, our goal

must be an active literacy which allows people to use language to enhance their

capacity to think, create and question, which helps them to become more aware of

the world and empowers them to participate more effectively in society."

(ILY secretariat, 1989 cited in Wilkinson & Bartholomaeus, 2017, p.2).

The above definition will be unpacked in the following points throughout this essay:

- The cultural knowledge and social appropriateness of literacy functions.

- The integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and the incorporation of

numeracy within literacy.

- Advanced technological society, active literacy, and critical thinking.

The first part of the chosen definition to be unpacked is the cultural knowledge and

appropriate social applications of literacy functions (ILY secretariat, 1989 cited in Wilkinson &

Bartholomaeus, 2017, p.2). This section of the definition acknowledges that literacy is a social

practice (Groundwater-smith et al., 2009). For educators, this implies that there must be an
understanding of the conflicts between the knowledge, values, and social positioning an

individual brings to the classroom and those which are valued within education. This can

better be described as the conflicts between a student's primary and secondary Discourses

(Williams, 2005/6). As Gee (2012, p.173) defines literacy as “mastery of a secondary

Discourse" (p.173), an educator must bridge the gap between a student's primary and

secondary Discourse to achieve adequate literacy among students. Strategies to bridge this

gap can include; decorating the classroom with objects which reflect students’

communities, critically selecting texts used within the classroom and linking new concepts

with a student’s primary Discourse (Groundwater-smith et al., 2009). This part of the definition

also implies that to be literate one must understand and select appropriate literacy functions

within different social contexts. Educators can use a multiliteracies pedagogy, described in

Henderson (2012), to prompt students to question how and why certain literacy practices are

implemented in different social contexts. These discussions of ‘who, what, when, where, why

and how' can encourage students to think critically about different literacies and their

functions within society (Henderson, 2012). Defining literacy as a social practice that varies in

different social environments, encourages educators to critically select resources and

decorations within the classroom and apply a multiliteracies pedagogy to phosphor

discussions of ‘who, what, when, where and how.'

The second part of the definition to be unpacked is; that literacy is the integration of

listening, speaking, reading, writing, and the incorporation of numeracy (ILY secretariat, 1989

cited in Wilkinson & Bartholomaeus, 2017, p.2). This part of the definition implies that to teach

literacy, educators must teach how to communicate in various ways. In this case, "mastery

of a secondary Discourse" (Gee, 2012, p.173) means that one must be able to communicate,

understand and engage in discussions of a discipline (Hillman, 2014). Educating students to

understand disciplinary literacies allows them to correctly communicate and deeply

understand discipline areas. For example, in mathematics, students who write about their

verification processes are often more successful at problem-solving than students who

verbalise their reasoning in unstructured thoughts (Pugalee, 2004, cited in Hillman, 2014,
p.403). Disciplinary areas have specific vocabulary, text types, ways of communicating, and

set applications within society (Hillman, 2014). Therefore, literacy education is the

responsibility of all teachers within their context areas (Moje, 2008). Genre writing, along with

a multiliteracies approach can be implemented as a tool to open discussions of ‘who, what,

when, why and how' for certain texts used is specific disciplinary areas. Unpacking genres

used within different disciplines enables students to obtain rich understandings of literacy

(Bradford, 1992). Students can often be taught one way to write or structure texts and then

struggle when asked to write or structure texts in a different way. A key strategy to assist

students in genre writing is explicit teaching and modelling (Kohnen, 2013). This explicit

teaching approach can allow students to correctly communicate within specific disciplines

and therefore gain deeper understandings. Defining literacy as a range of different

communication styles which outplay in various disciplines, encourages educators to apply

pedagogy approaches such as multiliteracies, genre writing, modelling and explicit

teaching.

Lastly, the aspects of active literacy, Australia as an advanced technological society and

critical thinking, described within the chosen definition will be discussed (ILY secretariat, 1989

cited in Wilkinson & Bartholomaeus, 2017, p.2). Active literacy defines literacy learning as an

ongoing process which enhances the capacity to think, create and question the world

around us (ILY secretariat, 1989 cited in Wilkinson & Bartholomaeus, 2017, p.2). A

multiliteracies pedagogy (Henderson, 2012), described earlier, is a foundation which pre-

service and graduate teachers can build upon to demonstrate active literacy within the

classroom. This approach allows students to gain deeper understandings and critical thinking

skills within a discipline, rather than just contextual knowledge (Billman & Pearson, 2013).

Teaching students to critically think about the purpose of literacy in different social contexts

encourages the view of lifelong literacy learning. It is these critical thinking skills which

enables students to actively select appropriate literacy practices within different social

contexts (Wyatt-Smith, Cumming, Elkins & Colbert, 2010, p.327). Active literacy also describes

literacy as something that is constantly changing, and therefore educators must also see
themselves as lifelong literacy learners (Kohnen, 2013). As technology is rapidly growing

within our society, educators must be aware of society’s changing literacies and the

influences that media practices, networks, and the entertainment industry have on a

student’s primary Discourse (Honan, 2012). Consequently, educators can use technology as

a tool to bridge gaps between primary and secondary Discourses (Honan, 2012). Defining

literacy as an ongoing learning process which can incorporate technology, encourages

educators to teach for critical thinking by using a multiliteracies pedagogy, identify

themselves and their students as lifelong literacy learners, and by using technology as a tool

to link primary and secondary Discourses.

The ILY Secretariat (1989) defines literacy as a social practice, various communication styles,

and an ongoing learning process (ILY secretariat, 1989 cited in Wilkinson & Bartholomaeus,

2017, p.2). Implications of this definition, for educators, are understanding impacts of primary

and secondary Discourses, teaching students to think critically about literacy, understanding

the different functions of literacy practices within society and viewing literacy learning as

lifelong. Educators can use a range of teaching strategies and activities to facilitate literacy

learning within their context areas. These include, multiliteracies pedagogy, using technology

as a tool to link primary and secondary Discourse, genre writing activities and explicit

teaching.

References
Billman, A., & Pearson, P. D. (2013). Literacy in the disciplines. Literacy Learning in the Middle Years,
21(1), 25-33.

Bradford, C. (1992) extract from Genre in perspective. Gosford, NSW: Bookshelf. pp. 18-22

Gee, J.P. (2012). Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses (4th ed.). Abingdon, UK:
Routledge. (pp. 170-174)

Groundwater-Smith, S., McFadden, M., Mitchell, J., & Munns, G. (2009). Secondary Schooling in a
Changing World (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning. (Chapter 10: Literacy teaching
across the curriculum, pp. 183-201.)]

Henderson, R. (2012). Teaching literacies: Principles and practices. In R. Henderson (Ed.), Teaching
literacies in the middle years: Pedagogies and diversity (pp. 1-17). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford
University Press.

Hillman, A. M. (2014). A literature review in disciplinary literacy: How do secondary teachers apprentice
students into mathematical literacy? Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(5), 397-406.
doi:10.1002/JAAL.256
Kohnen, A. M. (2013). Informational writing in high school science: The importance of genre,
apprenticeship, and publication. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(3), 233-242. doi:
10.1002/J.A.A.L.220

Moje, Elizabeth Birr 2008, 'Foregrounding the disciplines in secondary literacy teaching and learning: a
call for change', Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 96-107.

Wilkinson, L., Bartholomaeus, P.(2017). Definitions and explanations of literacy, Retrieved from
https://flo.flinders.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=1501878

Williams, B. (2005/2006). Home and away: The tensions of community, literacy and identity. Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49(4), 342-347.

Wyatt-Smith, Cumming, Elkins & Colbert. Assessment. Chapter 19. In Pendergast, D. & Bahr, N. (2010).
Second Edition. Sydney: Allen & Unwin pp. 319-344.

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