The Importance Of Literacy :: Literacy Essays

Rita Mae Brown describes literacy as,a cordial contract, an agreed upon representation of certain symbols (420). Ifthe symbols (letters) meanings ar not agreed upon by those attempting tocommunicate, then interpreting sensation another(prenominal) becomes difficult. Simply stated,literacy is very alpha. Society has proven time and time again, it entrustreward those individuals who are competent and impede those who are not, whetherexpressed in terms of employment opportunities (job success) or just on a sociallevel.One need look no further than their everyday activities in order torealize how important literary skills are. Without adequate literary skills onemay not be able to identify on a label the correct amount of medicine to give achild, or read and interpret a sign giving instructions on what to do in case ofa fire. These two examples bring attitude to literacys importance.Nevertheless, recent surveys have indicated that, 4.5 million Canadians,representing 24 percent of t he eighteen-and-over group, can be consideredilliterate (Adult Illiteracy 5). Illiteracy is truly a business within Canada.Although many groups are working to render the problem of illiteracy, more than workstill lies ahead.As our society moves on into the next ascorbic acid literacy is proving vitalto economic performance. Without basic literary skills in ones possession they allow for become lost in our rapidly changing society. The modern proletarian must beable to adapt to the changing job-scene. This often convey gathering new skillsand knowledge from printed material, whether instruction manuals, computerprograms, or schoolroom training (text books). It is quite commonly the casethat highly skilled jobs want a high level of literacy. Therefore, literaryskill level is an important factor in predicting an individuals economicsuccess. It will affect an individuals income, their employment constancy andwhether they even receive employment opportunities.Presently, our world revolves around literacy. Simply being literateallows one to continuously upgrade ones literary skills to a higher(prenominal) level. Itallows one to stay informed of happenings in and around the world bymediums such as newspapers and magazines. Knowing catamenia news about what is liberation on in this ever changing world of ours is the key to staying ahead. some other thought to ponder is this, we rely on those with high literacy levels torecord and schedule findings and happenings for future generations to reflect on.These writings would most likely be numb and inaccurate or would not exist atall without our current levels of literacy.When viewed from a social standpoint, literacy remains just as importantas when viewed from the economic standpoint. Linda Macleod of the NationalAssociations Active in Criminal Justice, points out that, 65 percent of people