Based on an Australian study, this article notes that people with hearing disabilities are not homogeneous and suggests several language-learning options to be considered by service providers. Contains 24 references. (LB)

Recounts the history and context of the adult literacy movement in Ethiopia. Looks at delivery systems, curriculum and program development, teaching methods, teacher training and recruitment, achievements, funding, evaluation, and policies. Suggests that, since social change is always difficult and Ethiopia has undergone many hardships, the…

There should not be a split between literacy of function (ability to deal with institutional procedures) and literacy of voice (expression of knowledge and experience). Acquiring functional literacy often involves voicing experience as well as questioning institutional power. Teachers and students should collaborate in bridging the gap. (SK)

Literacy must be grounded in creation: imagination, vision, revision, metaphor, and image. Literacy entails imaginative interpretation of texts in private and social contexts. Literacy education that ignores storytelling in favor of "practical" skills prevents construction of perspectives that make experience comprehensible. (SK)

A group of 58 Pennsylvania workers completed the R.O.A.D. course, which involved functional context and interactive software to improve drivers' reading skills to pass the Commercial Driver's License exam. Comparison with pre- and posttest scores of 10 in a control group showed that R.O.A.D. completers had significantly higher scores. (SK)

A longitudinal study of 162 New York Adult Literacy Initiative students found that 97% were satisfied, felt the learning environment was supportive, and felt the teacher's attitude was critical. Retention suggestions were to use daily living experiences and challenging curricula, broaden the curriculum for men's interests, and attend to safety and…

Analyzes the usage of four metaphors (school, medical and industrial, military, and banking) that commonly appear in the United States' media and in public speeches that dramatize illiteracy. Argues that educators need to be aware of the strategic use of language in this adult literacy context. (SR)

Georgia's Certified Literate Community Program is a state-supported, community-based effort that provides all levels of instruction--from basic skills to technical writing--to adults at all educational levels. The goal is to enable every capable adult to attain reading, speaking, writing, problem solving, and comprehension skills. (SK)

Describes the success of the Shared Book Experience with a GED class of inner-city adults. (SR)

Two literacy initiatives (immigrant education in the early 1900s and citizenship schools at Highlander, 1953-61) suggest a core strategy for accommodating cultural pluralism in adult literacy: considering the distinct sociocultural and political dynamics that affect the educational environment for excluded groups. (SK)

Uses the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to examine literacy or educational attainment of African American migrants from the South to northern cities, 1880-1990. Consistent with migration theory, Black migrants had significantly higher levels of education than southern Black nonmigrants and lower levels than northern-born Blacks. Both…

Presents five educators' ideas about what the demands of literacy in the workplace in the next millennium will be. Notes increased expansion of multiple literacies and considers electronic performance support systems and expert systems. Considers how future workplace literacy is dependent on adult literacy skills. (SC)

Describes the rationale, development, and administration of the test used for measuring levels of achievement in functional literacy in Guyana. Draws attention to the difficulty of attracting funding for literacy programmes from international aid agencies, given the inflated adult literacy rate that is reported for Guyana in international…

Content analysis of five consumer education workbooks used in adult literacy classes examined depictions of the market and literacy learners as consumers. A hidden curriculum that promotes ideologies disrespectful of learners was discerned. The ideologies maintain inequalities by blaming financial failure on consumers, ignoring the larger social,…

Workplace training at the British offices of Readers' Digest is designed to improve staff skills in communicating with customers. Evaluation of workshops focused on spelling, grammar, and business writing shows that the company is achieving a return on its training investment. (SK)