Problems with words: a look at literacy on campus
http://www.ryersonline.ca/articles/2388/1/Problems-with-words-a-look-at-literacy-on-campus/Page1.html
Maria Nguyen
Ever since she first flipped through the photos spreads in the stacks of ‘National Geographic,’ Maria Tram Nguyen knew she wanted to be a journalist.
After graduating from the
Maria has traveled extensively throughout
Meanwhile she’s a web editor for a news radio station and freelances for several publications.
See a multimedia profile of Maria produced by Elizabeth Haggarty.
By Maria Nguyen
Published on 02/18/2008
It's difficult to define literacy. From basic reading and writing skills to more advanced forms of communications, everybody possesses a level of literacy that allows them to function in society and the workplace. Surprisingly, Statistics Canada reports that nearly 50 per cent of adult Canadians have low literacy skills.
Read how this problem is addressed, or not addressed, at university level.
Tell anyone that 42 per cent of adult Canadians have low literacy skills and see how they react. What’s more upsetting is this number has barely changed since 1994.
In the nation-wide StatsCan study, skills proficiency was measured on four scales: prose, document, numeracy and problem-solving. The study’s results suggest that low-level literacy skills may have an impact on Canadians’ participation in society and in the economy.
Academic environments such as Ryerson University would be the last place literacy problems could be addressed and treated. Once students are in the working world, their literacy shortcomings would be ignored, covered up, or compensated by working in fields that don’t require heavy writing or reading skills.
Ryerson’s English Language Support founder and staff member Christopher Brierley explains that many Ryerson students, whether native, international or immigrant students, struggle with such problems that prevent from doing well at school.
“It affects all years, all faculties,” says Brierley, adding that everybody develops coping strategies to compensate for their weaknesses.
Some engineering students he’s encountered have a writing phobia because they are used to writing lab reports and memos. And since they’re only required to take a few elective liberal arts courses to complete the program, skills such as problem-solving and mathematics play much bigger roles in their success.
Second-year aerospace engineering student Ryan Perera says writing lab reports is more robotic while decent prose and other elements vital in essay writing are not required, making specific writing deficiencies easily go unnoticed.
Nikhio Kumar, another second-year aerospace engineering student, agrees.
“You need to know how to spell,” said Kumar.
“Or just know how to use the spell check,” added Perera.
Perera, who hates writing essays, says students can team up for some lab reports, which is convenient for students who can’t write well. Kumar, who confesses he actually loves to write essays, says he always takes up the writing position in group projects.
Brierley says international students and immigrants whose first languages are not English face immense difficulties both studying English and becoming familiar with the North American university academic structure. The lack of knowledge manifests into everyday problems such as how to write an essay, participate in class discussions and projects, and even being familiar with certain types of assignments.
Things other students take for granted, such as knowing how to reference a source, how to paraphrase a quote, and even knowing how to write a reflection journal, are real problems for some students.
This affects their confidence and they “become somewhat marginalized,” according to Brierley. Instead of being the front and centre of a group presentation, Brierley explains, they’re entrusted with non-speaking or technical roles like setting up the Powerpoint slides. In lecture settings, they lack the confidence and even the cultural comfort to put up their hand to ask or answer questions.
One way to help improve reading and writing skills is reading. Linguistics experts--or your friendly local librarian--would point out the important role reading plays in literacy.
Brierley encourages students who have a chronic spelling problem to read more books. He says he wishes more people would realize the value of reading for pleasure, which he says helps expanding people’s lexicon and improve spelling.
Unfortunately, university students like Kumar find themselves swamped with reading only academic textbooks and research papers that they don’t have enough time to read for pleasure.
They simply don’t read beyond their discipline, save their reading for the summer, or try to find time in their busy schedule.
“I read on the train,” said Perera, who said he visits Indigo bookstores to find best-sellers to add to his reading list.
For further reading, read ABC Canada Literacy Foundation's Literacy Matters Report (1999): A nation in denial
It's difficult to define literacy. From basic reading and writing skills to more advanced forms of communications, everybody possesses a level of literacy that allows them to function in society and the workplace. Surprisingly, Statistics Canada reports that nearly 50 per cent of adult Canadians have low literacy skills.Read how this problem is addressed, or not addressed, at university level.
Looking at literacy on our campus
Tell anyone that 42 per cent of adult Canadians have low literacy skills and see how they react. What’s more upsetting is this number has barely changed since 1994. In the nation-wide StatsCan study, skills proficiency was measured on four scales: prose, document, numeracy and problem-solving. The study’s results suggest that low-level literacy skills may have an impact on Canadians’ participation in society and in the economy.
Academic environments such as Ryerson University would be the last place literacy problems could be addressed and treated. Once students are in the working world, their literacy shortcomings would be ignored, covered up, or compensated by working in fields that don’t require heavy writing or reading skills.
Ryerson’s English Language Support founder and staff member Christopher Brierley explains that many Ryerson students, whether native, international or immigrant students, struggle with such problems that prevent from doing well at school.
“It affects all years, all faculties,” says Brierley, adding that everybody develops coping strategies to compensate for their weaknesses.
Some engineering students he’s encountered have a writing phobia because they are used to writing lab reports and memos. And since they’re only required to take a few elective liberal arts courses to complete the program, skills such as problem-solving and mathematics play much bigger roles in their success.
Second-year aerospace engineering student Ryan Perera says writing lab reports is more robotic while decent prose and other elements vital in essay writing are not required, making specific writing deficiencies easily go unnoticed.
Nikhio Kumar, another second-year aerospace engineering student, agrees.
“You need to know how to spell,” said Kumar.
“Or just know how to use the spell check,” added Perera.
Perera, who hates writing essays, says students can team up for some lab reports, which is convenient for students who can’t write well. Kumar, who confesses he actually loves to write essays, says he always takes up the writing position in group projects.
Brierley says international students and immigrants whose first languages are not English face immense difficulties both studying English and becoming familiar with the North American university academic structure. The lack of knowledge manifests into everyday problems such as how to write an essay, participate in class discussions and projects, and even being familiar with certain types of assignments.
Things other students take for granted, such as knowing how to reference a source, how to paraphrase a quote, and even knowing how to write a reflection journal, are real problems for some students.
This affects their confidence and they “become somewhat marginalized,” according to Brierley. Instead of being the front and centre of a group presentation, Brierley explains, they’re entrusted with non-speaking or technical roles like setting up the Powerpoint slides. In lecture settings, they lack the confidence and even the cultural comfort to put up their hand to ask or answer questions.
One way to help improve reading and writing skills is reading. Linguistics experts--or your friendly local librarian--would point out the important role reading plays in literacy.
Brierley encourages students who have a chronic spelling problem to read more books. He says he wishes more people would realize the value of reading for pleasure, which he says helps expanding people’s lexicon and improve spelling.
Unfortunately, university students like Kumar find themselves swamped with reading only academic textbooks and research papers that they don’t have enough time to read for pleasure.
They simply don’t read beyond their discipline, save their reading for the summer, or try to find time in their busy schedule.
“I read on the train,” said Perera, who said he visits Indigo bookstores to find best-sellers to add to his reading list.
For further reading, read ABC Canada Literacy Foundation's Literacy Matters Report (1999): A nation in denial