After reading the three metaphor’s of Literacy, this quote stuck out the most in my mind as being critical in understanding literacy. “The concept of functional literacy make sense only with respect to proficiencies required for participation in the actual life conditions of particular communities or groups.” (Gray; Hunter and Harman) If you have no functional need to learn, for example another language like Japanese if your not living or plan on living in Japan then the desire (personal drive) to become fluent may become stagnant over the course of time.

Only after living aboard for several years, do i understand how difficult it is to adapt to a different mode of literacy, many of the various aspects of “industrialized” literacy were unless to me aboard causing more problems than they solved. Its the need to adapt to our every change societal standards that drives our desire to participate in “…mundane situational demands.” Does a basic fundamental teaching of literacy maintain a basic self motivation; one which we use to learn only what we need to get by?  According to Scribner “Basic educational programs have a obligation to equip adults with the skills they must have to secure jobs or advance to better ones.”

Literacy has to be “Functional” to the individuals of varying social back grounds, if there is no more of a need to learn how to write a check, if one doesn’t have a bank account then wheres the motivation for the individual to want to adapt or adhere to these standards.

Hello Everyone, My name is Robert Genaro you can call me Rob. Uummm…I’m a SUPER junior with a major in English Studies and a minor in Asian Studies. Where to begin! I guess this is the part when I tell everyone alitte bit about myself…which is nothing too exciting! Last summer I decided it was time for some positive change and uprooted from Lakehead, Lake Shasta to Chico. I’m a country boy, with a down to earth attitude and a good heart! This is the first time Ive lived in a city, I’m not used to things being so conveniently close…everything is a stones throw away. I’m a outdoor enthusiast and enjoy getting out of the house and enjoying the beauty that nature has to offer. What else, oooh yea I planned on studying abroad in Japan for my senior year, and am currently enrolled in Japanese language courses. All around I’m your average college student with dreams and desires much like yourselves! Once upon a time long ago, I used to live abroad in Belize C.A. where the majority of my family resides. When I returned to the States I had great difficulty assimilating with the other students at school, who did not understand Creole AKA “Pigeon English”. I was fortunate I knew how to write in English fluently, but only spoke Creole. Every since those trivial moments of becoming completely frustrated with institutionalized learning, I promised myself that i would always do my best to better understand the process of learning and participate in bringing about necessary change.

Literacy, what is the meaning of this word! It seems to be directly correlated with success, atleast that’s how is been unofficially defined in upper class nations such as our own. But even in nations as prestigeous as the United States there’s been a noticiable decline in literacy rates. “…reading of novels is in a decline, while the reading of plays and poetry is almost zero level.” Why is this occuring in developed nations? well lets take a look at the past out dated mode of thinking ” The United States (especially since the 1960’s) illiteracy single out as a root cause of poverty.”

There are certain elements of literacy that must be met for the success of “…different ethnic groups, age groups, sexes, socioeconomic classes, etc..” these elements are “..-text, context, function, participants, and motivation.” people must have a connection in/out side of the teaching environment with the text they’re being taught, we must consider “the roles of these individuals” and their status within various groups to determine whats is “read and written” and what is “necessary” for their success. Literature its self needs to be updated to encompass more modern modes reading, because much of whats is read by the public is not poetry and plays, but much more diverse. We must engage the interest of the public to encourage more involvement in reading and writing in not only in the classroom, but in the privacy of our homes “…That gaps between the two domains have serious consequences.”