Description

The tradition of oral literacy dates back to earliest human attempts at creative expression. Today, the oral literacy modality has been somewhat devalued in our schools. For the most part, literacy is equated with "the written word;" the more proficient one is at reading and writing, the more "literate" he or she is. Human history reveals, however, that there is more to literacy than simply written text; to be truly literate one must understand the idea of language. Language is not easily defined; it has a written component, but it is also expressed through vocalizations, through words. Language can also be wordless; a musical phrase from the saxophone of John Coltrane can impart the same level of meaning and understanding to the listener as a passage of Shakespeare. Language cannot be "learned" solely through traditional academics; students must live and experience language, they must utilize language in performance.