Literacy
Literacy is about more than reading or writing – it is about how we communicate in society. It is about social practices and relationships, about knowledge, language and culture. Those who use literacy take it for granted, but those who cannot use it are excluded from much communication in today’s world. Indeed, it is the excluded who can best appreciate the notion of “literacy as freedom”.UNESCO, Statement for the United Nations Literacy Decade, 2003–2012
Language Principles:
The language curriculum in Ontario is based on the belief that literacy is critical to responsible and productive citizenship, and that all students can become literate. Successful language learners:
- understand that language learning is a necessary, life-enhancing, reflective process
- communicate - read, listen, view, speak, write and represent - effectively and with confidence
- make meaningful connections between themselves, what they encounter in texts, and the world around them
think critically - understand that all texts advance a particular point of view
- appreciate the cultural impact and aesthetic power of texts
- use language to interact and connect with individuals and communities, for personal growth, and for active participation as world citizens.