Thinking about Literacy

What does it mean to be literate?

Is it good enough to understand the words and phrases?

In conversation with others, are we just paying attention to the words themselves, or are we attempting to find meaning in what the other person is saying?

And how do we do that?

"Literacy is the ability to use available symbol systems[...] for the purposes of making and communicating meaning and knowledge"
- Patricia Stock, Michigan State University

What "language" do you need to understand in order to comprehend the full meaning of this picture?

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Do you need literacy for this?

What "language" do you need to understand in order to comprehend the full meaning of this picture?

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Do you need literacy for this?

What "language" do you need to understand in order to comprehend the full meaning of this picture?

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Do you need literacy for this?

Do you communicate differently with your parents in comparison to your friends? Teachers? What literacy do you know that they might not?

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Literacy Communities

So Why English Class?

An English class gives you lots of opportunities to make and communicate knowledge through particular symbol systems, including the written and spoken word, film, artwork, and other types of images. The study of English is a mental exercise for making meaning of the world around us and for sharing our ideas with others inside and outside of the classroom.