Final reflection on Theories and Models of Literacy

My experience taking Theories and Models of Literacy has overall been very enjoyable. The course touched upon many foundational and key moments in literacy that made me ponder on how the literacy of the past reflects the literacy of today. This was illustrated by our class trip to Butler Library
where we saw an eclectic variety of medieval texts that showed the process of scribal literacy.


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Looking and more importantly being able to actually touch the texts was an experience that really captured the full sensory experience of books. People often remark on the wonderful smell of books, especially aged books. Being able to touch handwritten manuscripts, some of them ornately decorated , was a real treat.

Literacy now, as it was in the past, is in a constant state of flux. It's dynamic changes in response to the environment makes it hard to pin down an exact definition of what it is. Just like in the past where scribal literacy was soon changing into print literacy, now digital literacy is at the forefront of society. Kindles, smartphones and tablets have all taken up our reading spaces. This will continue to happen as new technologies challenge our definition of what literacy is.

In addition to learning about the history of literacy in print, we also delved into the acquisition of literacy. Susan Bryce-Heath's ethnography in her book Ways with Words gave us a useful touchstone for being able to talk about the moment where a person is interacting with text: a literacy event. Viewing the acquisition of literacy as not just a moment where somebody sits down and reads something, but as an experience of transferral with text. A literacy encounter can happen whenever a curious mind comes into contact with text, ponders on it and makes guesses on meaning based on previous experiences. A literacy event, therefore, can happen to a person as young as three. This concept complicates the traditional view of literacy and carries with it serious implications that cannot be ignored in a classroom setting.

Response to Adult Biliteracy: Sociocultural and Programmatic Responses

“A general definition of biliteracy is the ability to read and write in two languages. A broader definition, however, includes more than reading and writing; it includes the ability to construct and communicate meaning in two languages across diverse social contexts and in socioculturally appropriate ways.”  

As I looked through the photo essay, I couldn’t help but notice the visual tapestry of texts that surround us in our daily lives. As a commuter I notice dual language signs on the subway cars, Spanish and English juxtaposed together advertising insurance, doctors, lawyers—all of the essential services that people in a society need. Spanish isn’t the only language that has a stake in the city. Some of the languages that I’ve come across such as Arabic, Urdu, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, are part of the diverse ethnicities that make up Astoria, Queens. Often times I’ve looked up at signs and wondered what those other languages are communicating, if there’s another meaning apart from the obvious one-to-one functional relationship.

We live in a world that is increasingly surrounded by advertisements that occupy our public spaces. These advertisements are being communicated in an interesting combination of text and images creating different ways of extrapolating meaning that is much more complex than simply decoding text for a corresponding singular meaning. Signs that communicate biliteracy are prominent in spaces that have a predominant population of English and second language speakers.

The photo essay gave many great examples of the functions of different signs. Some of the signs capture the creativity needed to fuse these two languages together, creating something entirely new and hybrid. For example, C-Señor is a pun on the word sí, translating to “yes, sir.” Giving the store an extra qualitative description of customer service. It isn’t unusual that the bulk of the signs in this photo essay are shown in environments that are exposed to the public. The need for communication in an effective way creates conditions that create biliteracy. Some of the signs are quite telling in that regard. One sign reads “Se nesecita dos persona para lavar platos.” The sign shows that the person who typed it either was a non-native speaker of Spanish because it has spelling mistakes and the person didn’t pluralize “persona” to personas. This shows that even a person who may never have had a need to use Spanish is now obliged to use it. It shows that the labor force in particular has a need to be fulfilled and language is the medium that communicates that need. Biliteracy in this kind of environment is a definite attribute in the eyes of a businessperson.

This shows that there will be an increasing need for biliteracy and that in many ways it’s already here

A short summary of A Short History of the Printed Word

The introduction to Short History puts into perspective the significant processes that were developed in order to allow Gutenberg to create his printing press. The introduction makes the printing press invention and frames it as part of an interconnecting chain that stretches from China to Japan, to Korea, to the shores of Arabia, and finally to Europe.

What I really enjoyed about reading the introduction to this book is that it touches upon each one of these hubs and shows how each piece of technology was important to these hubs. Woodblock and moveable type had already been developed in China and Korea when it suddenly boomed in Europe with Gutenberg. Paper making was a process perfected in China and took a century before it reached the shores of Europe through the Moors in Spain. Paper would be the important ingredient for Gutenberg when his printing press would develop, vellum (parchment made from animal skin) being inadequate to hold the chemical reaction necessary to imprint ink.

Chappell and Bringhurst really bring to life this fascinating history; a history that belongs to all of humanity, it is our legacy. A quote that I really enjoyed pretty much sums up the intent of the book

I believe that for understanding of the printed medium, dates and personalities are less important than changing forms and textures. It is necessary to experience printing by touch as well as sight. For example, a simple tactile response is apparent when a curious layman runs a finger over a calling card or announcement to find out if the lettering is indented, flat or raised--which is to say, letterpress, offset (planographic) or intaglio (engraved). 

This is the focal point for the book and it is more interested in the shared cultural legacy of the printed medium. It is also very interested in specifically labeling the terminology of each kind of printed word, giving great care to the differences of each one making it an interesting read not only for the layperson, but anyone interested in typography and the aesthetic development of it.

Printing History Timeline

It is useful to remember that the phases of printing history are not mutually exclusive. The are much more like the branches of a tree. One phase doesn't disappear, or cease to bear its fruit, because another has begun (10.)

Printed text beginning with China and Korea. Despite Gutenberg holding the spotlight for his advances in print technology, East Asia had already paved the way for this technology to bloom in Europe. It took a thousand years for the paper-making process to finally reach Europe from China. The rest of this awesome timeline can be found here http://visual.ly/printing-history-timeline