Orality and Literacy
Fernandez, Pablo. Bla bla bla. August 30, 2012. Retrieved from Flickr Commons: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hadock/8063525709/
Orality Informing Early Literacy Environments
The development of cultures and societies from orality to literacy brings to mind the development of a child’s learning from non-readers and learners to proficient readers, writers and learners. There are direct parallels that can be drawn between societies that move from orality into literate cultures with language systems and the learning processes of young children. In particular, Ong highlights the dynamic and physical component of learning and knowledge building in “primary oral cultures” (p. 31). Furthermore, he cites Malinowski (1953, p. 451, 470-81) who emphasizes that for cultures such as these, “language is a mode of action” (Ong , 1982, p. 32). These observations serve to underscore the importance of oral language in the learning of preliterate primary students. For students who are only beginning to understand the purpose and importance of print, oral language learning is the primary mode of communication. It also provides the means for students to learn and share their ideas.
As well, Ong notes that oral cultures do not have anything resembling instruction manuals and thus, trades were “learned by apprenticeship” (1982, p.43). Those learning how to complete a process not only observe, but learn through direct experimentation and through completion of the process itself. Knowledge acquisition then, occurs through human action. In the same way, students in the early primary grades benefit when they become actively engaged in their learning through hands- on experiences. Their learning is best supported by having them practice and complete a task themselves. This idea is echoed in the sociocultural learning theory of Lev Vygotsky called “guided participation” (John-Stiener & Mahn, 1996, p. 191). He noted that when students are learning how to complete an activity, they depend on peers or teachers with more experience. However, after observation and practice, they begin to independently complete activities. Likewise, the participatory nature of an oral culture (Ong, 1982, p.45) exists within the preliterate primary classroom. Students engaging in the social construction of knowledge through discussions bring deeper meaning to the topic at hand. Often, students are able to immerse themselves in a story because they can connect their own experiences to the topic at hand. Thus, preliterate learners learn best through the social interactions that occur in their environment. By immersing themselves in new experiences and by connecting their new learning to past understandings they solidify their learning. These understandings of primary oral cultures also mirror Lev Vygotsky’s theory of learning and development. More specifically, Vygotsky “conceptualized development as the transformation of socially shared activities into internalized processes” ( John-Steiner& Mahn, 1996, p. 192). In other words, social interactions which are characteristic of oral cultures are the main vehicles for learning. Individuals engaging in these social activities begin to learn from their peers and eventually internalize the information. Thus, in oral cultures and in early learning environments, social activity and oral language is an important component of individual development.
Similarly, Ong’s observations about oral cultures and memory resonate with my experiences as a primary teacher. Ong maintains that in a primary oral culture, thinking must occur in mnemonic patterns . . .rhythmic balanced patterns, in repetitions . . .alliterations and patterned for retention and ready recall” (1982, p.34). In the early primary classroom, students begin the year by learning routines and expectations. These are learned through rhythmic patterns and rhymes so that the expected behaviour can be easily brought to mind. For example, criss- cross apple sauce is used to remind students about sitting and listening behaviour. At the same time, a simple rhyme first recited by the teacher and then repeated by the class is used to remind students of how to walk in the hallways. As “the law itself in oral culture is enshrined in formulaic sayings” (Ong, 1982, p.35) so too are relevant rules that are to be followed in the school setting. These simple oral devices serve as vehicles to deliver messages that must be readily remembered by students who cannot yet easily read instructions or posters. As Ong finds, “rhythm aids recall” (1982, p.34). Thus, when children are learning to recall important information such as their phone numbers, months of the year, days of the week or skip counting, we often find ourselves reciting the information in rhythmic patterns or in the form of songs.
However, in the primary classroom, orality and literacy do not exist exclusively of one another. The trademarks of primary oral cultures help us understand how to transfer elements of orality to literacy- learning in order to support emergent readers and writers. In other words, orality and literacy are woven together to transform primarily oral learners into readers and writers of text and print. By understanding some of the hallmarks of orality, we can utilize these elements of language learning to support primary students. For example, while students use rhythmic patterns, rhymes and songs to internalize information, we can begin to encourage them to point to the written representation as they recite the information. This action of pairing the spoken word with the printed word binds the two together within the learner’s mind. Similarly, by encouraging students to recite the alphabet in the form of the poetic Alphabet Rap, students begin to associate the visual representation of the alphabet letter with the sound of the letter so that as they begin to engage in phonetic writing activities, they can better recall the letter-sound relationship.
Primary oral cultures can also inform the types of learning opportunities that would best benefit young learners. As Ong notes, “Oral cultures tend to use concepts in situational, operational frames of reference that are minimally abstract in the sense that they remain close to the living human lifeworld” (1982, p.49). Indeed, students can better understand and retain knowledge if what they are learning is connected to the world outside of the classroom. Much like the example provided in Ong’s text (1982, p. 50) of how oral cultures do not name the circle, rather they name the objects that are circular such as a clock or plate, students are able to internalize information when it is connected to situations that they understand or can relate to outside of school. Thus, students who are learning various shapes learn the name of the shape, but are also encouraged to find shapes in their environment that mimic the circle on their paper. In addition, young students who are learning to create and extend patterns can find patterns in their environment which they can appreciate and identify. By connecting abstract concepts to real life examples, students are better able to make sense of their learning. Thus, oral cultures remind of the importance of situating learning experiences for all students.
In the end, orality and literacy are intertwined within a primary classroom environment. Primary oral cultures serve to inform us of how to approach teaching and supporting preliterate students. However, these trademarks of oral societies do not exist apart from literacy. They serve to support the emergent reader as they embark on beginning to communicate and share their learning using pictoral representations and symbols. Although these representations hold much of the meaning, supported by oral storytelling, they become the foundation for later written and printed representations of knowledge learning. The subsequent development of the primary student follows a similar trajectory from the development of largely oral societies to ones of typographic, chirographic or alphabetic text.
References
John-Steiner, V. & Mahn, H. (1996). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist. 31(3/4). 191-206.
Ong, W.J. (1982). Orality and iteracy: The technologizing of the word. London: Methuen.
I really appreciated how you tied in our readings from previous courses with this week’s reading. Many of the things you said resonated with me in terms of teaching pre- literate children how to read. Having primary experience has helped tremendously teaching ESL in an oral culture. As you said drawing on one to achieve the other really speeds along the process.