By: Diane de Vere

Diane de Vere — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:01:40 +0000

Great article Kieran look forward to reading Inge Kral’s book. Talk Text and Technology–
Hi Ralph,
Not sure what you are really saying here– cannot resist the urge to respond in some way –guess it is the old curriculum wars, history wars, literacy wars, pedagogical wars, and differing beliefs and perceptions about almost everything.
I remember the Kungka Tina Tjuta [the big girls class] 1991 and the well attended afternoon classes where the girls struggled with determination and delight making up stories using the language, characters and nonsense of traditional stories [vocabulary stuck around the room] combining this with perhaps what you name their personal community literacies. In the evening I would struggle through these “texts” adjusting them so they were readable to the whole class the next morning.
I’d arrive next morning with lots of little stories, stapled together into little books of assorted scap paper, with little maps, sketches and symbols. One example I recall –” Jabberwocky drove Toyota to Alice Springs with three bears. Goldilocks was crying for ice cream. Kumintjayi went back home” The eagerness, pride and anticipation of having their stories shown and read out as a valued piece of work was quite a moving experience for me, the girls would teach me some Pintupi words and much learning was generated.
It was here that I realised the importance of language, literacy and literature, in all its forms, as the tools needed for all to engage in local, national and global learning opportunities. I also learnt about the importance of being seen, valued, listened to and heard. I finish with a verse of one of their favourite adapted stories.
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

By: Ralph Folds

Ralph Folds — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:05:12 +0000

Yes, transferring literacy from the community is much easier than introducing it, in school. But of course, it will only transfer to functional standard English if the purpose for it requires standard English. So the ubiquitous tags, textual scribblings, patterns, icons, authorising marks of youth etc satisfy their purpose of communication within the group, but don’t lend themselves to development that could, for example, help to make people job ready. It’s also important to consider the cultural context of literacy and the formidible barriers presented to using local literacies as stepping stones. I know people on remote communities who are literate but hide it, some even hide their ability to understand English. This is a society where most knowledge is considered private to individuals or groups, not just given away to anyone. And to be known to be able to understand some of the complexity of English and Whitefella matters, for example, to be able to complete a form, opens a person to endless demands from relatives that they perform this role, or transcribe songs, or read eulogies. Community literacies are interesting and of local importance but they are not the foundation stones they may appear to be.

Comments on: Unsuspected literacies in the bush

By: Diane de Vere

By: Ralph Folds