Freire & Macedo, Literacy: reading the word and the world.
- On page 98 of the original text, Freire argues that: “…the notion that literacy is [only reducible to] learning the standard [i.e., dominant] language still informs the vast majority of literacy programs…” Freire clearly has a problem with this; why?
- On page 99 of the original text (fourth full paragraph), Freire appropriates Althuasser’s (1971) conception of the ideological state apparatus (i.e., ISAs, which we discussed briefly in class) to describe the educational atmosphere in former colonies. Is the analysis of the situation that he describes limited to former colonies or can it also be applied to contemporary local and National contexts? Please explain.
- In this chapter, Freire lists four approaches to literacy: the academic approach, the utilitarian approach, the cognitive development approach, and the romantic approach. Do you see parallels between Freire’s approaches and Scribner’s metaphors? Please explain.
Scribner’s metaphor as literacy as adaptation parallels the Freire’s utilitarian approach to reading. They both emphasize literacy for the sake of the mechanical aspect of reading and literacy and ignore the cultural aspect. The mechanical aspect can be seen as learning facts and skills for the sake of making life easier. The metaphor as literacy as power can be tied with the academic approach because in both models, it is the already privileged that benefit from this model the most. The academic model emphasizes reading as the acquisition of already established forms of knowledge. Similarly, Literacy as power fails to address the large illiteracy rates of groups of people who do not have access to the tools necessary to develop such skills. These groups of people include people from third world countries, the poor, black, elderly, and minority language groups. At the same time, literacy as power emphasizes the relationship between literacy and a group. This inevitably leads to groups of people who are already literate or have opportunities to learn becoming more and more literate, while the still underprivileged groups of people go further away from this goal. So for both models, the emphasis and advantage lies with the select privileged that have access to intellectual growth.
ReplyDeleteFreire understands that literacy comes in all sorts of mediums whether through playing, art, dance or various other dialects; they transcend the notion of literacy which is a way of reading the world in general. It is of course a conflict when literacy programs are only offered in one dominant language such as English. This will not stimulate the entire potential in children who are grasping the learnings of being literate beings.
ReplyDelete'Paraphrasing' as a form of literacy
ReplyDeleteIn Other Words: Translating or ‘para-phrasing’ as a Family Literacy Practice in Immigrant Households.
This article analyzes data gathered from ethnographic research that examines how children of US immigrants use their knowledge of English to read and speak for their families [a.k.a. interpreter or ‘paraphraser’ (invokes a play on the Spanish word ‘para’ and its English translation ‘for’ to name what children do when they ‘phrase’ things-term signals the parallel between translating and school literacy practices)]. Researchers use the terms: “1-natural translation. 2- language brokering. 3- family interpreting” to explain this phenomenon in which people ” interpret and translate between culturally and linguistically different people and meditate interactions in a variety of situations including home and school.”
Literacy activities are influenced by social institutions and cultural membership, where they can be separated in different domains (religious, commercial, state/legal, educational, family/recreational, community, financial, medical). Overall, ‘paraphrasing’ expose children to different domains and forms of written texts, engages them in interpretation of texts, continues their literacy development, and gives them a central and more authoritative role, thus, teachers should acknowledge the work of ‘para-phrasers’ and consider linking home and school activities to enhance literacy development for ALL children.
• How might teachers ensure literacy extends beyond the classroom-specifically for ‘para-phrasers’?
• In your view, how is ‘para-phrasing’ a form of literacy?
• Lastly, what is your opinion, do social institutions or cultural membership foster literacy development?