Literacy

By now, all Norwegian children learn to read and write and we have come to treat this kind of litteracy as a necessity.

We have also started to use the word literacy metaphorically (along with a broader use of "text") to mean the ability to make sense from all kinds of sign systems: Media literacy, information literacy, social literacy and even playground literacy are keywords for current studies and theories of human intellect.

This metaphorical transfer suggests that literacy is a quite simple skill, an aquired ability to understand social codes.

I cannot possibly find the time to answer, but the question that popped into my mind today seems important: How will it affect these secondary literacies that many children now learn to read and write with knowledge of two or more languages? will it make their understanding of the word literacy much different from mine, and will they bring this difference into their understanding of the metaphor?

Late night debate

Topic: Are books really helpful when children are learning a foreign language?

I have decided not to look closely at the available textbooks until I know the education theory better. But when a friendly discussion turned this way, I found myself strongly opinionated. I see the point that young children who are still learning to read and write shouldn't have to rely on reading and writing as the main methods of learning. And perhaps this is just my personal love for all kinds of books talking; but a book is a potent symbol of the gift of knowledge. And I really think that the book is still our culture's easiest accessible source to preserved knowledge in the form of images and words. It is not dependent on power supply, it is highly portable and it takes no time to turn on and log on. Furthermore, books are widely available to children of all ages, and even if they have not learnt to read school-wise pupils know how to read images and pages and to connect words to them.

Getting to know the monster

Today I think I have made the final choice between early language aquisition and adult mastering of the language - I have decided to follow my curiosity towards childrens play with words and abandon the theory that a practical aproach to language is most needed in vocational courses.

The practical perspectrive will thus be closely linked to cognitive theories of bodily language - that all language is metaphorically linked to the physical experiences of infant life. I do not think of language as a matrix of random sounds, but as an organic growing system of association.