Reader I must warn you, the following is not a meticulously composed prose by a master of the pen, rather it is the writings and musings of an amateur. In the coming paragraphs I will provide my perspective on reading, writing, literacy and language.
Many are of the opinion that human personalities can be encapsulated under different classifications such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). However, I do not believe something as variable as writing can be classified under such a simple system. Perhaps we are not cognizant of the many literacies we have and use on a daily basis. It is my opinion that some individuals may have a penchant for natural languages while some feel more at home with formal languages. I believe I belong to the
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Being such a pragmatic individual (If I may be so bold to say), I often take definitions at face value. As such literacy for me is simply the act of being coherent in a field be it reading, writing, painting, finance and others. I view Literacy in the context of the English language as absolutely necessary: Humans are social creatures and we thrive on the interactions we have with others on a daily basis. Writing and language as a whole is an essential tool in the toolbox of life. While I would not consider myself a ‘bookworm’ or an avid reader, I do enjoy a good book from time to time. Much of my fondness towards reading is a direct result of the active role my parents took in my English education from youth. Had they not weaned me onto books that were both denser and more elaborate as the years went by, I probably would have a strong aversion to reading literature. Writing literature however is a different affair. My relationship with writing is fragile at best. I enjoy the concept of writing, especially of stories. In fact, one of my most enjoyable pastimes is creating names of books and imagining the plot never to …show more content…
The sphere, hanging from a long wire set into the ceiling of the choir, swayed back and forth with isochronal majesty. I knew—but anyone could have sensed it in the magic of that serene breathing—that the period was governed by the square root of the length of the wire and by IT, that number which, however irrational to sublunar minds, through a higher rationality binds the circumference and diameter of all possible circles. The time it took the sphere to swing from end to end was determined by an arcane conspiracy between the most timeless of measures: the singularity of the point of suspension, the duality of the plane’s dimensions, the triadic beginning of ir, the secret quadratic nature of the root, and the unnumbered perfection of the circle
Living in the Southern United States during eighteenth century was a difficult time for African-Americans. Majority of them were slaves who received manipulation, sexual abuse and brutally whips to the spin. They were treated this way in order to stop them from gaining hope, knowledge and understanding of the world. Some African Americans managed to obtain these qualities from books and use them to escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who wrote an autobiography, from which the excerpt "Learning to Read and Write" explains how he developed literacy. In the excerpt, an African American slave banned from learning to read and write, breaks the law in an attempt to free his mind from the restricted beliefs of his master. One significant idea portrayed from Douglass's ordeal is that reading and writing is a vital skill that benefits humanity.
In recent years the meaning of literacy has become much more than that. Now literacy includes things such as, numbers, images, and technology. Literacy can be something that developed through things like Books, the internet, television, family, and many other resources. In this literacy narrative I will discuss the origins of my current attitudes about writing, and reading.
A mere generation ago, literacy was generally focused around solely reading physical materials. Susan Metros emphasizes that most of the teachers employed in schools are from a generation that was largely based around the written word (106). Literacy was a rather simple concept. As Reardon states, “At its simplest, [literacy] is a combination of word reading skills and knowledge-based literacy competencies” (18). To put it simply, if a person could read and understand what he or she was reading, he or she could be considered literate. A wide expanse of knowledge was not required for literacy. The amount and variety of books that a person had read did not dictate that person’s level of literacy. The requirement for literacy was solely that an individual be able to read written texts. At one time, being able to interpret the words on a page was enough. Catlin Tucker asserts that, "Growing up...I knew that people who were literate could read and write, and people who were illiterate could not...Now, as an educator and parent I find myself revisiting this question of what it means to be literate. The definition of literacy is changing. Literacy means something different today than it did 10, 20, or 30 years ago"
Being literate does not only mean that you understand to read and write. I believe that it’s a way you take advantage of what is given to you. Having the power to understand and acknowledge what is being said and read gives and great advantage of literacy. Graduating with honors from my senior class has given me greater self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment .Now being literate has given me great opportunities such as coming to college and given hope that we can do anything in this world
The textbook definition of “literacy”, is the ability to read and write. However, in my opinion, the true definition of the word depends on what literacy means to an individual. In today's society, being literate is almost always required to get any type of decent job. Literacy is definitely the first step of many to be successful in today's society. However, that is not the only means of importance that literacy holds. The fact that literacy has different definitions ties into the fact that literacy has had different effects on certain people throughout their lives. Most people in today's society seem to take literacy for granted because they view it as a hassle or obligation. I do not view literacy as that because of how it has helped me get through the toughest times in my life. In reality, you should love to read no matter what genre it is, and you should write until your hands go numb. Throughout my life, literacy has been a backbone of sorts throughout the struggles I've been through. By using literacy as a form of support, it has allowed me to grow a strong connection to reading and writing and truly appreciate it. To me, literacy means hope. Literacy has helped me heal and has helped me connect with people from all over the country who have changed my life forever.
My personal view of literacy is the ability to communicate and interact with yourself and one another. Without the ability to talk to one another, hear one another, or be able to understand what others are trying to say, you will be completely lost in a lonely world. I do not want to be stuck in a dark and quiet world, so I keep myself as literate and have as much knowledge as possible. Literacy is being able to communicate, read, and having knowledge while doing so.
There are many complications that arise when seeking a single definition of literacy. The debate over what is literacy and what isn’t is one that is of critical importance to the education of our country’s students. When originally asked at the beginning of this course about what literacy is, my initial response was the ability to read and write. While I suppose my answer wasn’t wrong, it certainly wasn’t entirely right either. Reading and writing are certainly important aspects of any persons literacy and are therefore one of the reasons why schools test in these areas frequently. However, as the course progressed I came to understand that there maybe more to what I originally thought about what literacy is. I came to realize that coming up with a single definition would prove to be a tedious task since there now appeared to be so many things that can be considered literacy. Through reading articles pertaining to literacy and observing various settings where literacy is used, I have been able to come to a better understanding of what literacy is.
My earliest memory of being introduced to literacy is the time before elementary school, when my grandparents were reading me bedtime stories and books like Pinocchio and The Three Little Pigs. After that, I started going to school so reading and writing became part of my everyday life, and they still are. I cannot say that I am a big fan of writing and reading, like some people are. I only write when I have to, and my writing is always connected to school, however, I do not feel the same way about reading. In my free time, I like to read. I choose books which are easy going to read, books which are based on a movie or books that my friends told me to read. Also, because I am an athlete, I have to read some sports motivational
Literacy, the ability to read and write, also arguably one of the most important skills to have. Reading and writing, also one of my least favorite topics I have had the pleasure of studying in my educational career. Starting young, just entering grade school, it was sheer enjoyment being read stories, one of my favorites, Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, entering worlds of excitement with pirates and adventure, and drifting off to sleep to the voice of my mother. When the tables turn, this began my life lived struggle. My mother could not read to me anymore, schooling took its course, I had to learn to read and write for myself. I was not the best reader or writer in school. A difficult set of teachers, throughout education, and
There are many different types of events that shape who we are as writers and how we view literacy. Reading and writing is viewed as a chore among a number of people because of bad experiences they had when they were first starting to read and write. In my experience reading and writing has always been something to rejoice, not renounce, and that is because I have had positive memories about them.
Being literate defines who I am, and forms an integral part of my life. From the practical to the creative, it aids, and enables me to perform in the tasks that modern society dictates. I shall explore the many aspects of my life that are affected by literacy. Through this, understanding in greater depth what it means for me, to be literate.
There are some theoreticians who view literacy in a form of social practice. In their view, social issues are also important components, as well as linguistic competence and understanding cognitive processes in language studies. Freire (1974) views literacy not only as a process of knowledge transformation, but also as a relationship of learners to the world. Vygotsky (1978) suggests two stages of development at social and individual level. In his view, literacy is a phenomenon that is created, shared, and changed by the members of a society. Gee (1996) similarly argues that becoming literate means apprenticeship with texts and apprenticeships in particular ways of being. In summary, literacy practices are not just about language, but about their interrelation with social practices.
The world around us is constantly changing and technology has a lot of impact on the rapid changes. This is one of the reasons why it is hard to give a specific definition of the word literacy. Literacy can be broken down into two main subcategories: literate and illiterate. One of the main discussions with this is what qualifications or qualities separate someone who is literate from someone who is illiterate. Historians have been researching literacy for the past five decades and have been trying to come up with a fixed definition of the word. To me, literacy is a very complex word as the definition has evolved over time, but in the end it is how one excels in their discourse(s), which have changed throughout the years and helped create their
The importance of literacy is how it opens up the world to the reader, or writer. Through literacy, we can shape our thinking on certain topics or create original thought. The vivid detail inside of writing can allow the reader to picture the writing through their own mind without pictures, or any outside help. Malcolm X, who wrote “Literacy Behind Bars”, a literacy narrative about his time in prison, described how the world opened up to him through his readings, and how incredible his life was thereafter through his learning to read and write. Literacy enables you to formulate thought, thus allowing you to formulate opinions about certain social, political, or any other range of topics from an education in literacy.
Literacy, what is it? When this question was asked, my immediate thought was being able to read and write, duh. But as I sat back in my chair and tried to come up with something to say to the class, I realized literacy is not truly defined by that short definition provided when looked up in the dictionary. Literacy has been an important part every civilization, enabling the recording and sharing of history, thoughts, and ideas. It has a place in every aspect of society. From cooking, to science, to religion, literacy knows no bounds. Although literacy is often thought of as the ability to read and write in an academic setting, to me literacy is more beneficial when used outside of an educational context. Literacy in its most significant form is being able to decipher emotions and feelings, finding productive solutions to the problems, and sharing with others.