About Literacy

Literacy

What is it ?
According to UNESCO (2013), literacy refers to the ability to identify, think, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute of using visual connections and/or printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.

From a similar perspective, the ACT Government (2013) cited MCEETYA’s definition of Literacy:

Literacy is the ability to read and write; and use written information to write appropriately in a range of contexts. It also involves the integration of speaking, listening, viewing and critical thinking with reading and writing, and includes the cultural knowledge which enables a speaker, writer or reader to recognise and use language appropriate to different social situations.

Why does Literacy matter ?
UNESCO affirms that

Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. It is fully essential to social and human development in its ability to transform lives. For individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world.

How to measure its performance in practice

Illustrating, proving, practising, and presenting skills in: Reading texts, verbal/visual/written communications, working with others, technology use, thinking and continuous learning.

Types of Literacy

Functional literacy (Emotional/ Financial/ Physical/ Spiritual Literacy)	The level of literacy required to get along successfully on a day-to-day basis
Cultural Literacy	The ability to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences in the customs, values, and beliefs of one's own culture, and the cultures of others.
Multicultural Literacy	Knowledge of cultures and languages, as well as the ways in which multi-sensory data (text, sound, and graphics) may introduce slant, perspective, and bias into language, subject matter, and visual content.
Information Literacy	The ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.
Media Literacy	An informed, critical understanding of the mass media
Multi-literacy	Knowing how to read, write, understand, think, and communicate in two or more languages
Visual Literacy	The ability to understand and produce visual messages
Computer Literacy	The ability to use a computer and its software to accomplish practical tasks
Key Learning Area (KLA)Literacy	A mastery of the basic symbols and processes of terminologies in this KLA For example: Mathematical Literacy refers to a mastery of the basic symbols and processes of arithmetic.
Technological and Digital literacy	The ability to use new media such as the Internet to access and communicate information effectively; and  involving the new tools of hypertext, multimedia and electronic forms of synchronous and asynchronous communication
Business Literacy	Understanding the interdependence among people and nations and having the ability to interact and collaborate successfully across cultures and businesses
Multidimensional Literacy	Knowing how to read, write, understand, think, and communicate in multi KLAs

References
The ACT Government (2013). Literacy. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from http://www.det.act.gov.au/teaching_and_learning/literacy_and_numeracy/literacy

UNESCO (2013). Education-Literacy. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/

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About Nominalisation

Nominalisation

What is it?

Understanding the concept of nominalisation and a process of making /producing a noun, from a verb or an adjective, or an adverb, is interesting. Referring a definition, on its webpage, the About Education states that 'Nominalisation is a type of word formation in which a verb is used as, or transformed into a noun.'
In other words, nominalisation refers to a writing technique or the writing tool of using noun phrases instead of verb phrases. This technique requires the writers to change verbs (actions) into nouns (things or concepts) in their writing. 

Why does nominalisation matter?

According to Murray (2013), nominalisation is an important tool for building taxonomies of technical terms; therefore, nominalisations are important resources in building knowledge. Implementing nominalisation prevents you from repeating the same verb or word in writing that makes the content being more attractive for readers. This preference technique is required in academic writing such as formal essays and/or written business communication. Importantly, nominalisations help construct technical knowledge, and place objects and events into different relations with one another from those of our everyday experiences of the world (Murray, 2013).

Nominalisation is one of the language choices that enables movement towards highly written texts (The Government of South Australia, 2013). Implementing nominalisation develops thinking skills and helps achieve a higher degree of abstraction and technicality; nominalisation also is an important resource for successful development of factual genres.

How are nominalisations formed?

Part 1- Nominalisations are often formed from Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs

a)      Verbs:

             -Many verbs can be changed into nominalisations by changing the end of the verb

                                 permit      --        permission

                                 divide      --        division

             -Some do not need change

                                 diet         --          [my] diet

                             struggle      --           the struggle

b)      Adjective:

                                pretty       --          beauty

c)      Adverb

                                quietly     --           silence

Part 2-Instructions: 

Forming nominalisation: in a text, a procedure of steps is as below.           Step1: Identify the verbs           Step2: Nominalise the verbs are identified above           Step3: Try to rewrite the text using all nominalisations

For example, in giving an original text of “Students who complete what the school requires can graduate. When they receive their certificate, they can apply for work.",  a procedure of the above steps, to change verbs into nominalisations, is as follows.

Step 1: Identify the verbs in the original text

Students who complete what the school requires can graduate. When they receive their certificate, they can apply for work.

Step 2 Nominalise these verbs

•         Complete     --      Completion

•         Require        --      Requirement

•         Graduate      --      Graduation

•         Receive        --      Receipt

•         Apply           --      Application

Step 3:Try to rewrite the text using all nominalisations

With the nominalisations finding in Step 2, a new text will be rewritten as below.
Completion of the school’s requirements can lead to graduation. Upon receipt of their certificate, students can make an application for work.

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Sources: Adapted from
-Chirstine Murray: Developing subject literacy. UTS handout week5-Spring 2013
-The Government of South Australia-Department of Education and Children’s Services (2013). Literacy Secretariat. Literacy is everyone’s business 

Useful links: 1  2  3  4  5  6   7

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