New Approaches to Literacy: Multiliteracies, Functional and Critical Pedagogy

Abstract

This paper aims to introduce a new perspective on literacy (reading and writing) as a result of our ever-changing world, i.e. multiliteracies. In the social setting where information and communication technology is developing rapidly and effective communication requires more than mastering linguistic knowledge, traditional literacy is no longer appropriate. Accordingly, traditional literacy teaching practices are not adequate to meet the needs of the modern society. Therefore, calls for reforms in literacy teaching and learning have been supported in many countries. Functional and Critical pedagogies are being increasingly applied throughout in the world. However, little attention to these pedagogies have been paid in Vietnam. This paper attempts to call for a change in literacy education in Vietnam by introducing contemporary approaches to literacy applied in the world with the purpose of providing teachers with more pedagogical choices in their classrooms in an effort to improve students’ literacy competence, which can help them integrate well into the globalized world of knowledge era.
 Keywords
 Literacy, Multiliteracies, Functional pedagogy, Critical pedagogy
 References
 Kalantzis, M., Cope, B., Chan, E., & Dalley-Trim, L., Literacies (Second edition), Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne, VIC, Austalia, 2016.[2] Hyland, K., Teaching and researching writing (Third edition), Routledge, New York, London, England, 2016.[3] Anstey, M., & Bull, G., Helping teachers to explore multimodal texts. Curriculum Leadership Journal, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/helping_teachers_to_explore_multimodal_texts,31522.html?issueID=12141[4] Perry, K. H., What Is Literacy? -A Critical Overview of Sociocultural Perspectives. Journal of Language and Literacy Education 8, (2012) 50.[5] Pham, T. T. H., Một số đề xuất để đổi mới dạy học đọc hiểu văn bản trong nhà trường phổ thông. Tạp chí Khoa học 56, (2014) 166.[6] Infonet, Cách dạy văn hiện nay tạo cho học sinh thói nói dối (Today's literacy edcation gets students into the habit of 'telling lies'), 2014. Retrieved from https://infonet.vn/cach-day-van-hien-nay-tao-cho-hoc-sinh-thoi-noi-doi-post128772.info[7] Baomoi.com., Cô giáo bày tỏ ước mong thoát khỏi cách dạy Ngữ văn nhồi nhét chạy theo thi cử (A teacher's desire for 'escaping' from transmission pedagogy of literacy), 2018. Retrieved from https://baomoi.com/co-giao-bay-to-uoc-mong-thoat-khoi-cach-day-ngu-van-nhoi-nhet-chay-theo-thi-cu/c/26099668.epi[8] Derewianka, B., & Jones, P., Teaching language in context, ERIC, 2016.[9] Kim, S. J. (2012). Critical literacy in East Asian literacy classrooms. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology 11, (2012) 131.