Chengxi Wu Homework#3

In Gee’s view of literacy, it is not necessarily recognizing words or reading and writing but a set of cognitive skills and social practices. In order to further explain the idea of literacy, Gee first introduce another word “discourse”.

“a socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking and of acting that can be use do identify oneself of a socially meaningful group of social network”(p.257) 

This is the definition of discourse, besides, there some important point about this word. Firstly, “discourses” are logical because they usually involve people’s values and viewpoints in terms of the way they speak and act. Secondly, internal criticism and self-scrutiny will not happened to discourses since changing viewpoints which highly undermine them defines one as outside them. Thirdly, discourse-defined positions not only defined internal to a discourse but also a standpoint taken up by the opposite discourse. Fourthly, discourse can call for one to accept a value in conflicts with other discourse. Lastly, discourse is naturally and closely relative to distribution of social power and hierarchical structure in society.

However, there is a serious question now- how dose one come by the discourses that he controls. Before answer this question, people have to distinguish the difference between Learning and acquisition. Here i quote “Learning is a process knowledge gained trough teaching which involve explanation and analysis” (Gee p.259). On the other hand, "acquisition is a process of acquiring something subconsciously by expose to models and a process of trial and error without formal teaching"(Gee p.259). This acquisition process, due to Gee’s opinion, is superior in controlling discourse.

When clear the distinguishment between these two study methods, Gee introduces another two concepts- the primary discourse and the secondary discourse. All human, get one form of discourse free, so to speak, and this is through acquisition. It’s the birth right for everyone and comes through the process of primary socialization within the family as this is defined within a given culture and that called primary discourse. As for the secondary discourse, it involve social institutions beyond family. People talk, listen, communicate with, and learn from other people. Compare with primary discourse, this one of course has an advantage, however, it involve use of language which beyond our primary discourse in both written and oral. And that is called secondary use of language.

Until now, Gee finally gives his definition about Literacy- “powerful literacy is control of secondary used in secondary discourse that can serve as meta-discourse to critique the primary discourse or other discourse” (p.261)

All above is Gee’s understanding toward literacy.

Gee, James. “What is Literacy” Language and Linguistics in Context. Eds. Harriet Luria, Deborah Seymour, and Trudy Smoke. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006. 257-264. Print