Introduction to

New Literacies
Literacy is traditionally understood as the ability to read
and write. The term's meaning has been expanded to
include the ability to use language, numbers, images and
other means to understand and use the dominant
symbol systems of a culture.
Literacy means the ability to read and write. Usually,
people learn how to read and write at school. People
who can read and write are called literate; those who
cannot are called illiterate
Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret,
create, communicate and compute, using printed and
written materials associated with varying contexts.
 MEDIA LITERACY
Media literacy - is the ability to access, analyze,
evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth
and adults are better able to understand the
complex messages we receive from television,
radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books,
billboards, video games, music, and all other
forms of media.
 CULTURAL LITERACY
Cultural literacy is an analogy to literacy proper
(the ability to read and write letters). The
culturally literate person is able to talk to and
understand others of that culture with fluency,
while the culturally illiterate person fails to
understand culturally-conditioned allusions,
references to past events, idiomatic expressions,
jokes, names, places, etc.
 FINANCIAL LITERACY
Financial literacy is the ability to understand how
money works in the world: how someone
manages to earn or make it, how that person
manages it, how he/she invests it (turn it into
more) and how that person donates it to help
others.
 SCIENTIFIC LITERACY
Scientific literacy is the knowledge and
understanding of scientific concepts and
processes required for personal decision making,
participation in civic and cultural affairs, and
economic productivity. It also includes specific
types of abilities.
 INFORMATION LITERACY
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring
individuals to "recognize when information is
needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate,
and use effectively the needed information."
 CRITICAL LITERACY
Critical literacy is an instructional approach,
stemming from Marxist critical pedagogy, that
advocates the adoption of "critical" perspectives
toward text. Critical literacy encourages readers
to actively analyze texts and offers strategies for
what proponents describe as uncovering
underlying messages.
 DIGITAL LITERACY
Digital literacy is the knowledge, skills, and
behaviours used in a broad range of digital
devices such as smart phones, tablets, laptops
and desktop PCs, all of which are seen as
network rather than computing devices.
WHAT IS ILLLITERACY • Illiteracy
can refer not only to the inability to read but also
to a lack of knowledge in other subject areas. If
you’ve never heard of Shakespeare, some people
might consider you culturally illiterate.
What is Traditional Literacy?
(Traditional) Literacy is: " the integration of
listening, speaking, reading, writing and critical
thinking. It includes a cultural knowledge which
enables a speaker, writer or reader to recognize
and use language appropriate to different social
situations. For an advanced technological society
such as Australia, the goal is an active literacy
which allows people to use language to enhance
their capacity to think, create and question, in
order to participate effectively in society."
 What is New Literacies?
New literacies refer to new forms
of literacy made possible by digital technology
developments. Commonly recognized examples
include instant messaging, blogging, social
networking, podcasting, photo sharing, digital
storytelling, and conducting online searches.
 Importance of New Literacies
 Students should be provided with opportunities to
engage with new literacies in the classroom to
improve motivation and learning. New
Literacies addresses the challenge of preparing
today's students with the skills necessary for
success in the 21st Century society.
 A solid foundation in literacy can be an essential
aspect of career advancement or success. For many
corporate or office positions, a requirement of the
application process is to write a cover letter along
with submitting a resume. A solid literacy foundation
would play a vital part in the successful composition
and presentation of such materials. Effective use of
digital literacy skills also play a major role in
nonverbal communication. Long distance
communication via text message or instant
messaging can often have messages that are
skewed, because meanings may not be clear.
 A solid foundation in literacy can be
an essential aspect of career advancement or
success. A solid literacy foundation would play
a vital part in the successful composition and
presentation of such materials. Effective use of
digital literacy skills also play a major role in
nonverbal communication.
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