CHARACTERISTICS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-LITERATES AND NON-LITERATES AND ORAL PREFERENCE ORAL PREFERENCE

PEOPLEPEOPLEand False Assumptionsand False Assumptions

Learning skills are based Learning skills are based primarily on spoken word primarily on spoken word

and non-written visual and non-written visual images.images.

Do not see or have Do not see or have difficulty seeing words as difficulty seeing words as

symbols which convey symbols which convey meaning.meaning.

Prefer stories, proverbs, Prefer stories, proverbs, pithy colorful sayings to pithy colorful sayings to detailed descriptions or detailed descriptions or

lengthy explanations with lengthy explanations with technical or other non-technical or other non-ordinary terminology.ordinary terminology.

Enjoy receiving Enjoy receiving information in informal information in informal

exchanges or group exchanges or group settings which foster settings which foster communal fellowship.communal fellowship.

Enjoy recall and repetition Enjoy recall and repetition of already familiar stories of already familiar stories

and sayings. This is and sayings. This is important to refresh or important to refresh or

keep alive their memory.keep alive their memory.

May participate in “group May participate in “group memory” in which the memory” in which the sum of information is sum of information is

possessed by members of possessed by members of the group who each add the group who each add

their part.their part.

File or classify information along File or classify information along chronological sequences as a series chronological sequences as a series

of events which happened over time, of events which happened over time, by using time markers—references by using time markers—references

to other events which happened to other events which happened before, during and shortly after the before, during and shortly after the

information or event to be information or event to be remembered, or often by family remembered, or often by family

generations or intra-family generations or intra-family relationships.relationships.

.

Their library is their Their library is their memory. If it is not in memory. If it is not in

their memory, it is not in their memory, it is not in their library and cannot be their library and cannot be looked up and recalled as looked up and recalled as

literates do from their literates do from their notes.notes.

Tend to see events not Tend to see events not analytically but holistically analytically but holistically

with all the parts with all the parts necessary to give the necessary to give the

complete picture, often complete picture, often comparing new events to comparing new events to previous events they are previous events they are

familiar with.familiar with.

When sharing or recalling When sharing or recalling they must be allowed to they must be allowed to “chase all the rabbits” “chase all the rabbits”

they deem important to they deem important to their story rather than their story rather than

cutting to the bottom line.cutting to the bottom line.

.

Often count the process or Often count the process or event of sharing a story or event of sharing a story or information as important, information as important, or more important than or more important than

the actual story or the actual story or information.information.

Have difficulty in Have difficulty in remembering lists, remembering lists,

especially if referring to especially if referring to abstract things or not abstract things or not

having a relationship that having a relationship that is familiar or common.is familiar or common.

Tend to describe people Tend to describe people by stories or proverbial by stories or proverbial sayings which carry the sayings which carry the

characteristics of the characteristics of the person.person.

Generally live in a “narrowerGenerally live in a “narrower world” which consists world” which consists primarily of their oral primarily of their oral

community. Because they do community. Because they do not read things beyond this not read things beyond this oral community these are oral community these are considered foreign or non-considered foreign or non-

relevant.relevant.

Tend to be conservative, Tend to be conservative, banking on past banking on past

experiences and the experiences and the stories by which they are stories by which they are remembered, rather than remembered, rather than

taking risks or adventuring taking risks or adventuring into new things based on into new things based on

new information.new information.

May be slower or more May be slower or more deliberate in their decision deliberate in their decision making as new information making as new information

displaces previous displaces previous information, or is seen as information, or is seen as

more relevant or better, or more relevant or better, or somehow relates to their somehow relates to their

everyday life in a meaningful everyday life in a meaningful way.way.

Often enjoy folk media as Often enjoy folk media as communication channels: communication channels: ballads, drama, dance and ballads, drama, dance and

other relevant media or other relevant media or mix of media. These mix of media. These

provide an event as well provide an event as well as convey information.as convey information.

May look with suspicion May look with suspicion upon those possessing upon those possessing

literacy or who are literacy or who are dependent upon literacy in dependent upon literacy in

their lives.their lives.

They are just as intelligent as They are just as intelligent as literates but may need more literates but may need more

time to learn a new thing. Once time to learn a new thing. Once it is learned, it is more likely to it is learned, it is more likely to

be retained and religiously be retained and religiously followed than a literate would followed than a literate would with the many sources of new with the many sources of new information available to the information available to the

literate.literate.

Tend to look with favor and Tend to look with favor and trust upon those sources or trust upon those sources or

people they like or who have people they like or who have developed a good developed a good

relationship through personal relationship through personal contact or presentation contact or presentation

format that is entertaining format that is entertaining and non-threatening.and non-threatening.

False Assumptions False Assumptions ConcerningConcerning

Orality and LiteracyOrality and Literacy Assumption: Literacy is the normal, standard communication styleAssumption: Literacy is the normal, standard communication style Fact: Literacy is a technical constructed styleFact: Literacy is a technical constructed style

Assumption: There was a high level of literacy during New Assumption: There was a high level of literacy during New Testament timesTestament times

Fact: Literacy during New Testament times was somewhere Fact: Literacy during New Testament times was somewhere between 3 and 9%.between 3 and 9%.

Assumption: Any person, literate or illiterate, can understand Assumption: Any person, literate or illiterate, can understand expositional type presentationsexpositional type presentations

Fact: Oral communicators have great difficulty in understanding Fact: Oral communicators have great difficulty in understanding expositional type presentationsexpositional type presentations

Assumption: Any person, illiterate or literate, understand and Assumption: Any person, illiterate or literate, understand and prefer outlines of information, organized principles extracted prefer outlines of information, organized principles extracted from information, steps in performing a task and propositional from information, steps in performing a task and propositional statements of truthstatements of truth

Fact: Literate individuals generally prefer these types of Fact: Literate individuals generally prefer these types of presentation but oral communicators find them confusing, presentation but oral communicators find them confusing, difficult to understand and almost impossible to recall and difficult to understand and almost impossible to recall and reproducereproduce

Assumption: Singular words have clear and exact lexical Assumption: Singular words have clear and exact lexical meaning among their language usersmeaning among their language users

Fact: Among oral communicators isolated words and even Fact: Among oral communicators isolated words and even sentences seldom have clear and understandable meaningssentences seldom have clear and understandable meanings

False Assumptions False Assumptions ConcerningConcerning

Orality and LiteracyOrality and Literacy

Assumption: Pictures are understood by young and old, Assumption: Pictures are understood by young and old, literates and illiterates alikeliterates and illiterates alike

Fact: Humans are not born with the ability to “read” a Fact: Humans are not born with the ability to “read” a picture, for pictures are a literate and technical picture, for pictures are a literate and technical convention designed to interpret living settings to convention designed to interpret living settings to trained viewerstrained viewers

False Assumptions False Assumptions ConcerningConcerning

Orality and LiteracyOrality and Literacy