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Seeking Remedy:America’s English Literacy Decline
Produced by American Literacy Council Staff:
Free for public use in support of English Literacy
Part One: What the Numbers Tell Us.
In Six Parts. This is Part One.
1992 Arby’s Restaurant Place Mat
1 in 10=10% illiterate 1 in 8 =12% illiterate 1 in 5 = 20% illiterate 1 in 2 = 50%
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
Definition of “Functionally Illiterate”
Short: one who is unable to read a Help Wanted ad,get to the place where the job is offered,and fill out the job application form.
Long: the inability to write, read, and comprehend texts on familiar subjects, and to understand whateversigns, labels, instructions, and directions arenecessary to get along within one’s environment.
Hunter and Harmon, Adult Illiteracy in the US., 1979
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
Viewed Globally, the Illiterate Are:
“Campaigning for Literacy”Bhola, Unesco, 1984
• Desperate• Poor• Hungry• Often jobless• Abused• Exploited• Powerless• Ashamed• Self doubting• Migrant
“Speech makes us human, writing makes us civilized.”
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
Video Clip: 1’ 10”Video Clip: 1’ 10”
““Bluffing It”Bluffing It”
Showing:Showing:•The personal tragediesThe personal tragedies that result from illiteracy.that result from illiteracy.
• Literacy can be a lifeLiteracy can be a life or death issue.or death issue.
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
The 1993 National Adult Literacy Survey
Largest Study of Functional Literacy in the US
26,000 People Interviewed in Depth
Formal Government Study: 1993
Thursday, September 9, 1993
The Test: can youThe Test: can you • write a letter to clear up a billing error?write a letter to clear up a billing error?• calculate the length of a bus trip from a calculate the length of a bus trip from a
bus schedule?bus schedule?
The four year study was conducted by ETS,The four year study was conducted by ETS,the Educational Testing Service, underthe Educational Testing Service, undercontract to the Department of Education.contract to the Department of Education.
Adolescents under age 15 Adolescents under age 15 were not interviewed.were not interviewed.
ReleasedReleasedSept. 1993Sept. 1993
The report was releasedby Madeline Kunin,
Deputy Sec. of Education
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
Video Clip: 2 MinutesVideo Clip: 2 MinutesMcNeil-Lehrer Report: McNeil-Lehrer Report: Sept. 1993Sept. 1993
Total Population:Total Population:185 Million when185 Million whenTest was givenTest was given
In 1996.In 1996.
44mlowest
50m 2ndlowest
61mmoderateskills
20madequate
20mhighlyliterate
Cannot: Calculate total of a purchase.Find a street on a map.Understand which price is lowest.
Cannot: describe a newspaper article.Write a summarizing paragraph.Distinguish antibiotic from vitamin.
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
States With More Than 1 to 3 million Adults With No High School Diploma
More than 3 million2 to 3 million
1 to 2 millionLess than 1 million
With no high school diploma, 3/4 earn less than $7,000/year“Adult Illiteracy in the United States”, p 37
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
19001900 1930 1930 19961996 ElectricityElectricityTelegraphTelegraphPhonographPhonographRadioRadioAutomobilesAutomobilesMoviesMoviesAuto FactoriesAuto FactoriesAirplanesAirplanesRadarRadarAntibioticsAntibioticsTelevisionTelevisionComputersComputersRobotsRobotsSatellitesSatellites
Until 1920, printed matter was virtually all that wasUntil 1920, printed matter was virtually all that wasavailable. Print had very little competition.available. Print had very little competition.
WorkforceComplexity
Literacy
90%Literacy
Print’s CompetitionAmerica’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
Simply Stated
Eighty Years Ago: 90% of the population
could write and read
complex material.
Today: 1/3 to 1/2 of the
population cannot fill in
job applications or read
medicine bottle labels.
The work place requires the
use of computers with
complex instruction manuals.
Literacy continues to decline despite
massive campaigns and massive dollars.
Technophobia:VCR’s
Answering MachinesCar radio
Digital ClockMicrowave
Fax MachinesCellular Phones
America’s English Literacy Decline- Part One
Five Factors are Alleged to Cause the Literacy Dilemma.
I. History: “We were Always a Nation of Illiterate
Immigrants and Farmers”
II. Schools: Experimental New Teaching Methods
III. Society: Breakdown of the American Family
IV. Government: Lack of Uniform Standards
V. English: Our Erratic System of Spelling
Are these the causes?Who or what is to blame for non-stop decline?What solutions are offered to increase literacy?How can we deal with non-reading populations?What failed programs could we avoid?
Continue to Part Two:
“We Were Once A Literate Nation.”