Introduction to the Concept

of New Literacy
Topic 1. Traditional or Conventional Literacy

Literacy is defined by dictionaries as the state of being

able to read and write. In the 15th century, the word
literacy stems from the word “literate” and it was
derived from the Latin word litteratus meaning “ a
person marked with letters, that is distinguished or
identified by letters and is carried with the idea that
such person was cultured and educate.
 According to Miller (1973) the conventional concept of
literacy is divided into three sub-categories

1. Basic Literacy- it is the ability to

recognize visual shapes to spoken
sounds in order to decode written
materials and translate them into oral
language.
 According to Miller (1973) the conventional concept of
literacy is divided into three sub-categories
2. Comprehension Literacy- it is the
ability to understand the meaning of
what is being read. Example above this
would be like knowing that basa can
mean either “to read” or “to be wet”.
 According to Miller (1973) the conventional concept of
literacy is divided into three sub-categories

3. Functional and Practical Literacy- it is the

ability to read, decode and comprehend , written
materials needed to perform everyday vocational
tasks. This is the equivalent of reading the text
“Ang bata ay nagbabasa.” and being able to
understand that basa here refers to reading and
and not to being wet.
Based on this conventional view of literacy, we
notice two things for reading to exist:
1. A text- consisting of symbols and grammar to
be read
2. A meaning or message- being communicated by
the text for the reader to extract
Without a text, there would be nothing to read;
without meaning, the text is reduced to series of
incomprehensible doodles.
Topic 2. Expanded Views of Literacy

Roberts (1995) notes that “in the past fifty years, hundreds
of definitions of literacy have been advanced by scholars,
adult literacy workers and programme planners ,” with
even the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2006) acknowledging
that literacy as a concept has proven to be complex and
dynamic, it being continually defined and interpreted in
multiple ways.
UNESCO (2004) formally defined literacy as “the
ability to identify, understand, interpret, create,
communicate and compute, using printed and written
materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy
involves a continuum of learning in enabling
individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their
knowledge and potential and to participate fully in
their community and wider society.
Mkandawire (2018) : “form of knowledge, competence
and skills in a particular field or area,” being
supported by UNESCO (2006), Barton (2007) and
Mkandawire, Simooya-Mudenda, and Cheelo (2017),
which acknowledged that -as we have just pointed out -
modern views appear to equate literacy with
knowledge.
Three things have been critical in the rise of the new
literacies:
1. Increased Reach- we are communicating with more
people, from more diverse cultures , across vaster
distances than ever before.
2. Increased Means of Communication- we are
communicating in more ways and at a faster speeds
that ever before.
3. Increased Breadth of Content- we are
communicating about more things than ever before.
Compare and contrast the
traditional concept of literacy to
the modern view of literacy.
Some of the 21st Century New Literacies

1. Globalization and Multicultural Literacy-

discusses how our increasing ability to
communicate with almost anyone, anywhere,
in real time requires new skills and attitudes
in interacting with people with cultures,
perspectives, worldviews, and priorities
different from our own.
Some of the 21st Century New Literacies

2. Social and Financial Literacies- explores

the needs for the ability to navigate our own
social networks- or both the online and
offline variety to leverage resources which we
ourselves might not possess.
 Some of the 21st Century New Literacies

3. Media and Cyber/Digital Literacies- explore the

emerging need to locate, verify and ultimately
manage online information, especially in an age
where information and the ability to communicate
it with others and use it to address real-world
problems easily spell the difference between both
personal and career success and failure.
 Some of the 21st Century New Literacies

4. Ecoliteracy and Artistic and Creative Literacy-

explore the emerging demands for knowing how
to effectively and sustainably manage the natural
resources that our increased industrialization and
demands for productivity are rapidly eating u
 Some of the 21st Century New Literacies

5. Critical Literacy- addresses the increasing need

to discern the underlying messages behind the
new “texts” of the 21st century, particularly in an
ever increasingly multicultural society where
ideas, cultures and ideologies vie with one another
for power and dominance in the minds of the
masses.