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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.”