Literacy training is usually poorly developed in Papua New Guinea because it is in the hands of well-meaning, committed and often unskilled trainers. It is not their fault as they do not understand how to teach literacy and usually run out of steam after the 5th day of a literacy workshop.Their knowledge of English lets them down.
The answer lies in their being able to use sequences in Mastery Learning by which the learners work through sequences of writing helped by the trainer. These can be prepared by the Department of Education with specialists in literacy training.
Please click on Mastery Learning and Village Literacy in archives opposite.
It is not sufficient for resource material to be taken from newspapers unless carefully selected by the trainer. Exercises in literacy have to be prepared with sequences of simple words. Newspaper articles can be used at advanced levels.
There has to be a progression of sentence structure starting with simple sentences. Articles in newspapers have no progression in complexity and are written for people with complete literacy.
Words from newspaper can be difficult to read by a learner. Many people attending literacy classes may also be learning English. So literacy also involves language teaching.
Literacy can also be developed based on all and every subject. We can develop mastery stories on science, social science, health and hygiene, world affairs, AIDS awareness, family, marriage, parenting and many other areas of learning.
Stories have to be carefully written and graded in terms of vocabulary and structure. Literacy will also involve school students. In the villages, the same material can be used to teach adult family members. But adults should not be taught through books for children.
To sustain literacy in villages, the trainers need to have access to at least 20 literacy books to take learners through at least 60 general stories and 120 specialist stories set out in mastery learning format. Literacy books for adults should not be taken from elementary school libraries.
Bruce Copeland BA BEdSt
Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults (Cambridge)
Teacher of English and Tok Pisin
AIDS HOLISTICS
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