Any discussion of English as a Second Language (ESL) literacy should address three critical areas: who the learners are, what is to be taught, and how the literacy skills are to be taught. Three distinct groups of students can be classified as "non-literate" in their own language: pre-literates, illiterates, and semi-literates. Two approaches are…

A study was conducted to assess the impact of the Florida State Student Assessment Test (FSSAT) (Functional Literacy Test) on the enrollment in secondary-level vocational education courses. The 67 school districts in Florida were grouped according to population density into three levels of urbanization (low, medium, and high). Ten percent of the…

TWO HYPOTHESES WERE STUDIED--THAT ADULTS CONSIDERED FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE MAY RECEIVE COMMUNICATION BY SPECIALLY WRITTEN MATERIALS, AND THAT THESE MATERIALS MAY BE PREPARED IN VARIOUS WAYS WHICH WILL DIFFERENTIATE IN COMMUNICATION CONVEYED. FOUR NEWSPAPER ARTICLES WERE REWRITTEN IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS. THESE AND THE ORIGINAL FORM WERE…

Because the traditional methods of adult literacy training frequently fail to achieve their objectives and because their implementation on a vast scale would be too costly, this UNESCO quide is presented as an aid in linking literacy campaigns to national development projects and the motivations for change which these might arouse among the rural…

As part of the development of a functional literacy test for fourth through eigth grade children in Title I compensatory education programs, this report defines functional literacy for children and enumerates criteria for evaluating existing tests. Criteria for selection of a test include: (1) content, empirical, and construct validity; (2)…

The nine papers in this document represent the final report of a workshop on research on literacy in developing countries. It is noted in the introduction by Kenneth King that research in literacy tends to be performed by persons who are also literacy activists and that the problem of motivation seems to be central to most literacy research. It is…

The booklet concentrates on the massive illiteracy of adults and youth in the world despite modern scientific progress. It approaches the problem from an economic and a social viewpoint and is designed to direct attention to the grave problem of illiteracy at all stages and levels of development policy. Economic and social factors are closely…

The paper discusses the ideological cultural, economic, linguistic, and motivational background of the functional literacy concept. Brief indications of the professional issues and problems in putting theory into practice included: requirements in planning a functional literacy project, administrative and organizational problems, resources…

Research procedures used in the development and validation of R/EAL (Reading/Everyday Activities in Life), a new test to overcome problems in assessing functional literacy among adolescents and adults, are described. Specific objectives of the study were to: (1) provide information about the design and development of R/EAL, including determination…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) characteristics of illiterate adults enrolled at St. Teresa's VIP, and (2) implications of these characteristics for training volunteer tutors. A review was conducted of related research and opinion articles. A total of 48 students were interviewed concerning educational background, reasons for attending…

A program for the development and production of basic oral English lessons for the non-English-speaking, Spanish-speaking adults is discussed. This program is conceptualized incorporated animation, choreography, and other entertaining elements coupled with the instructional features of the lessons. Steps were taken to develop a total educational…

This handbook is designed to give background information on the Mini-Assessment of Functional Literacy, a criterion-referenced test designed to determine the extent of functional literacy among seventeen year olds in America. The five format categories identified for the test were passages; drawings, pictures, signs, etc.; charts, maps, graphs;…

Faced with the need to solve the problem of adult illiteracy, Poland has taken measures to provide workers under forty years of age with a complete primary education and full professional skills. In this article, these measures are described, including functional literacy needs, integrating vocational and general education, and designing…

The use of competency-based transcripts is favored over differentiated diplomas to designate differences in student performance. Issues discussed surrounding the use of differentiated diplomas for high school graduation include the actual importance of functional literacy level for job success, the failure of prospective employers to verify…

The process of educational therapy is described in a sequence of phases identified as exploration, experimentation, reflection, and working through. The workings of this process are explained through the use of a case study. (CT)