Reading Journal
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| Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page | Gee, James. “What Is Literacy?” Jamespaulgee, 1989, jamespaulgee.com/pdfs/Gee What is Literacy.pdf. |
| Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words | In this article Gee explains what literacy is, first the author talks about discourses and how language is culturally different. As our skills progress in our ability to write and read it becomes easier and easier for us to learn even more. In education we are taught concepts and ideas that follow a trend for our whole culture and language. Language varies between any different culture or group but there are still the common literacy rules all groups and cultures follow and use. There are primary and secondary discourses, any discourse primary or secondary can be meant for any group of people. You can not judge a certain discourse with another discourse unless a person understands both, there is no actually correct or incorrect. |
| Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author. | “Much of what we come by in life, after our initial enculturation, involves a mixture of accusation and learning” (Gee 20)
Enculturation is the gradual accusation of norms of a culture or group. |
| How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?
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This reading connects to Deborah Brandts article which talked about the sponsors of literacy. Both articles talk about the differences in norms in language between cultures or groups, and the advancement and idea of literacy. |
| Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion. | How many discourses is it possible for one person to have confidence in understanding? |