Literacy is the expression of thoughts, emotions, ideas, or intent through words and grammar. The capability to read/do and interpret something is being literate. Anytime we write about a specific topic, it is necessary to be literate in that specific topic. Literacy is a word I knew, however, after discussing the definition, I learned how it directly correlates to writing. Expanding the understanding of literacy helps with writing because having knowledge and being skilled in many areas such as comprehension and vocabulary improves a piece. Self-awareness in literacy is also very important in writing, meaning the author should be aware of whether they’re literate or not in said given topic. This ensures the author does research to become informed about the topic at hand. An example would be someone over the age of sixty, trying to write about how phones work and contribute to society. Most likely, the author here isn’t literate on that topic due to their lack of knowledge, however, taking on the task of writing about this requires background information to be researched to ensure the author can be trusted. Literary writing is a creative expression, with the writer conveying themes, ideas, and emotions in their own words no matter the topic at hand. In order to do that, the author has to comprehend what they are talking about enough to explain it in their own words and also speak on behalf of it forming their own opinion. Understanding what literacy means helps me know the steps I have to take when writing an essay.
Leave a Reply