The importance of Literacies in middle years Business
Literacy is having the capacity to read, write, view, design, listen and speak in a manner that permits a person to communicate effectively. Literacy proficiency lies in an individual’s capacity to apply these skills in order to connect, make meaning of and discover the complexities of the modern world. Globalisation and rapid technological change means the world we live in is in a state of constant change. These changes have an impact on the literacies people use which Makin (2007, p. 10 as cited in Henderson, 2012, p. 270) describes as a ‘literacy revolution’. This requires educators to focus on media, computer and multi-media literacies, in essence, multiliteracies, in addition to …show more content…
For Business students, being literate is essential for success. Equally, students need to be able to fully understand and create a variety of texts that are appropriate for their audience which convey professionalism (Freebody, 2005). Students must be information literate to conduct effective business research and evaluate information critically (Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship, 2009). It is expected that all business graduates are computer and internet literate, akin to Makin’s ‘literacy revolution’ (2007, p.10). Prensky (2001) coined the phrase ‘digital natives’ to describe students who have grown up with the proliferation of digital technology, students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet. Extensive research indicates that digital texts are read and produced in particular ways (Moje, 2009: Thomas,2006; Walsh, Asha & Sprainger, 2007, as cited in Henderson, 2012, p. 61) and that this must be explicitly taught. Kasprzak (2010) carried out a study of a year class in South Australia and found that students who were taught explicitly were able to work more independently. A deep knowledge of business is best developed by engaging in the …show more content…
They must then compose text via speaking and writing. Students must correctly identify and use grammar conventions, punctuation, and sentence structures and use accurate spelling. Verbs and phrases must be carefully selected to be clear and concise. Various text genres will be encountered such as explanations, evaluations, recommendations, arguments, letters, reports and persuasive texts. Business and economics metalanguage must be applied using the appropriate level of formality for the genre and making use of business specific vocabulary. In addition students must demonstrate they can interpret and present visual items such as graphs, financial statements, layout of reports and websites (headings, use of colour, placement of key words,
Literacy is having the capacity to read, write, view, design, listen and speak in a manner that permits a person to communicate effectively. Literacy proficiency lies in an individual’s capacity to apply these skills in order to connect, make meaning of and discover the complexities of the modern world. Globalisation and rapid technological change means the world we live in is in a state of constant change. These changes have an impact on the literacies people use which Makin (2007, p. 10 as cited in Henderson, 2012, p. 270) describes as a ‘literacy revolution’. This requires educators to focus on media, computer and multi-media literacies, in essence, multiliteracies, in addition to …show more content…
For Business students, being literate is essential for success. Equally, students need to be able to fully understand and create a variety of texts that are appropriate for their audience which convey professionalism (Freebody, 2005). Students must be information literate to conduct effective business research and evaluate information critically (Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship, 2009). It is expected that all business graduates are computer and internet literate, akin to Makin’s ‘literacy revolution’ (2007, p.10). Prensky (2001) coined the phrase ‘digital natives’ to describe students who have grown up with the proliferation of digital technology, students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet. Extensive research indicates that digital texts are read and produced in particular ways (Moje, 2009: Thomas,2006; Walsh, Asha & Sprainger, 2007, as cited in Henderson, 2012, p. 61) and that this must be explicitly taught. Kasprzak (2010) carried out a study of a year class in South Australia and found that students who were taught explicitly were able to work more independently. A deep knowledge of business is best developed by engaging in the …show more content…
They must then compose text via speaking and writing. Students must correctly identify and use grammar conventions, punctuation, and sentence structures and use accurate spelling. Verbs and phrases must be carefully selected to be clear and concise. Various text genres will be encountered such as explanations, evaluations, recommendations, arguments, letters, reports and persuasive texts. Business and economics metalanguage must be applied using the appropriate level of formality for the genre and making use of business specific vocabulary. In addition students must demonstrate they can interpret and present visual items such as graphs, financial statements, layout of reports and websites (headings, use of colour, placement of key words,