Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics:Introduction and What is Literacy?

James Paul Gee in “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction and What is Literacy”proposes and deciphers his own way of analyzing the breakdown of literary studies. Through his intense studies and findings, Gee feels that our focus is in headed down the wrong road, misleading our direction in understanding academic discourse in our quest for a literate society. Literacy studies should not be be looked at by language, or literacy,but by the social importance these two academic normalcy's relate to in terms of reality.In order for discourse to be real and effective, we must look at it in a socialistic way.Isn't that why discourse is used in the first place. We don't use it to talk to ourselves. Language plays an important part and social role in its relationship with discourse.
Gee separates discourse into two separate distinctive categories. Gee looks at discourse as sort of a "identity kit".(526) Primary Discourse, primary socialization, is acquired early in life,usually in the home, with family, or a peer group. This discourse is acquired and not learned by instruction. It serves as a foundation for discourses acquired later on in life. Secondary Discourse interacts with many social institutions outside the home. Institutions like churches, schools, and community groups.In most of these institutions we must acquire many discourses to allow us to be part of each individual institution. This is where conflict and tension enters socially between both discourses. Several things can happen, at most, failure is the outcome. Gee solution to master literacy is strongly stated," I believe that any socially useful definition of "literacy" must be couched in terms of the notion of Discourse. Thus I define "literacy" as the mastery of or fluent control over a secondary Discourse".(529) This is where discourse becomes a more complicated and can distort our identities. Gee looks at the superficial features of language. These features are the best way to test us as to if we have mastered our discourse.Gee states,"the best test as to whether one was apprenticed in the"right" place, at the"right" time, with the "right" people. Such superficial features are exactly the parts of Discourse most impervious to overt instruction and are only mastered when everything else in Discourse is mastered".(531) The problem arises with in the social context of Discourse. It is hard to teach and master the superficiality's of language and break the barrier of our primary discourse that has been acquired through out our live. The very Discourse that has put us in the position we are in life, giving us our own identity. Relating active discourse at an earlier stage during earlier developmental stages, intertwining social factors,balancing primary and secondary Discourse give everyone choices on on which direction to go, with a strong base intact. Gee proclaims this by stating,"Mainstream children are actually using much of the classroom teaching-learning not to learn but to acquire, by practicing developing skills. We should honor this practice effect directly and build on it, rather than leave it as a surreptitious and indirect byproduct of teaching-learning".(543) A great suggestion we should take seriously in the classrooms of the future.

"Literacy" The Real Truth!

My definition of literacy was basic before reading "The Ethnography of Literacy" by John F. Szwed. My exposure to literacy meant understanding what is read, mainly in books, and communicating by writing, to a selected audience not chosen by me but by someone in the academic profession. This essay open my eyes to many more possibilities in literacy and I found myself agreeing with many of the suggestion Szwed has presented throughout his paper. His summary and response approach to the root causes of the world challenges every day in measuring literacy and defining what literacy really is.
All the factors that come into play when measuring and defining literacy are alarmingly way, to inconsistent. His suggestion was one of engagement into the social aspects of literacy by researching the who, what, where, and why, behind the words written on paper or any other type of material.
His suggestion to break the study patterns and discover the reality of literacy, we hopefully can measure accurately its progress and use it as a tool to enlighten or lives in many ways.