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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).
"Literacy involves the integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing and critical
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 above definition will be unpacked in the following points throughout this essay:
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
themselves and their students as lifelong literacy learners, and by using technology as a tool
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.