A contemporary understanding of literacy and numeracy, along with its use in teaching, and more specifically here, teaxching a second language like French, and finally a raise of awareness for the youth about hos paramount these literate and numerate skills would help them all their life.

1. Literacy and Numeracy

2. What is Literacy?
• Ability to read
• Ability to write
• Ability to speak
• Ability to spell
• Grammar knowledge
• Ability to listen
In summary, the ability to communicate and
make sense of our world!

3. What is numeracy?
• Ability to count
• Ability to solve problems
• Ability to make sense of time, numbers, patterns
and shapes
In summary, the ability to use mathematics
with confidence and efficiency!

4. Where do we use literacy and numeracy?
• At home!
• At school!

5. But really… everywhere in the world!

6. And more places…

7. Examples of literacy and
numeracy used in everyday life
• Shopping:
• Searching for the right aisle
• Looking for a special product brand
• Weighing your fruits or vegetables
• Checking an item’s price
• Paying at the cashier
• Etc, etc…

8. Examples of literacy and numeracy used
in everyday life
• Using a computer
• Playing games
• Surfing the web
• Ordering something online
• Sending an email
• Doing your homework
• Researching

9. Examples of literacy and numeracy used
in everyday life
• Or everyday things like
• Watching TV (Films, cartoons,
News…)
• Texting on your mobile phone
• Filling forms or contracts
• Using public transport
• Reading a recipe
• Reading any type of instructions

10. Overall, what do we understand?
• Literacy and numeracy are essential for our
education.
• Literacy and numeracy are crucial for and
embedded in our everyday life activities.
• Our daily routine requires a frequent and
regular use of literacy and numeracy skills
• There are many ways to practice and
improve your literacy and numeracy skills in
you everyday life!

11. Literacy and Numeracy in
Second Language Learning

12. Communicating and socialising
• Understanding the
written and spoken
interactions of your
own language in order
to understand and
associate the ones of
the language you are
learning.
• Example: Greetings:
Formal or informal?

13. Informing
• A variety of
sources would be
used to reflect on
and learn about
the French
culture, its history
and evolution,
such as music,
television, sports
and more…

14. Creating
• Viewing and
comparing several
themes and
perspectives, using
cartoons or films
and/or scripted
dialogues and
analysing the change
over time of their
meaning, messages
regarding social
issues.

15. Creating - suite
• Creating and
performing texts, songs,
plays, picture books,
painting, etc… using
both verbal, non verbal
language and symbols.

16. Translating
• Interpreting
expressions not
always literally
translatable,
recognising social
protocols,
expectations and
being aware of
words or
expressions that are
used in their original
form in other
languages
• De rien! (From Nothing) =
You’re welcome!
• Quand on parle du loup
(when we speak about
the wolf) = Speaking of
the devil
• Santé! (health)= Cheers!
• déjà vu! = Already seen
• Voila! = here it is!
• Cul-de-sac (Bottom of
bag)= Dead end road

17. Reflecting
• Contemplate
the differences
between
French and
Australian
cultural
practices and
use of
language and
their impact on
communication
• Meals: I reckon that Frenchies tend to eat more
and mostly during lunch and dinner, which are
important meals of the day. Most of our meals
contain an entrée, a main course and a dessert
(most likely it includes bread and cheese at a
certain point!). Also, we would rather eat at home
than outside and we would have lunch and dinner
all at the same time, with everyone of the house
sitting around the table.
• Relation with people and general mood:
In Sydney when going to the groceries for the 1st
time, I was quite surprised and didn’t know what to
answer when the cashier told me: “Hi Mate, how’s
your day been?”. In Australia you are very likely to
engage a conversation with random people such
as a cashier, a bartender or someone you come
across in a quiet street. Generally, I would say that
Aussies are very open to conversation and more
polite than the average European.

18. Reflecting-suite
• Saying hello when meeting someone (informal): In Australia
people would go for a handshake when meeting unknown
people (whichever the gender) and they may have a shy
touch cheek when saying hi to female friend. In France, with
females you would do two, three maybe even four touch
cheeks and with kissing sound, and handshake for males!
• School: In France you will most likely have 20 to 30 hours of
class a week, more than 7 subjects and homework given by
lecturers is quite intense. Whereas in Australia, people seem to
have 4 subjects maximum, around 12 hours of lectures and
tutorials a week and few homework! To be honest, I’m quite
afraid of returning to France because I got used to this chill
and relax pace!

19. Understanding
• Systems of language: grammar,
conjugation, negative constructions,
modal verbs’ usage, words and group
of words’ functions and meanings,
non-verbal elements like punctuations,
onomatopoeia words, etc…
In order to learn a second language, it is
paramount you know the system of your
own language first!

20. Understanding- Suite
• Variation and changes of language within context
Ex: Greetings
“Hey mate! How’s it going?” (slap on shoulder)
“Hello Sir, How are you going?” (hand shake)
“Good morning Madam, How do you do?”(head nod)
Understanding and reflect on these variations of
language will be part of the literacy skills needed to
compare the similarities and differences between
languages.

21. Understanding- Suite2
• Language and culture
Learning a second language is also an
opportunity to open your mind on various
cultural dimensions and reflect, compare and
analyse these similar or new dimensions.
Broaden your perspectives, thinking about
your own cultural identity, including home,
school, society and its respective attitudes and
behaviours

22. Literacy and numeracy
beyond school!
• Literacy and numeracy proficiency will
be challenged in your private, family,
community and working lives!
• You will always use these skills
purposefully:
* to make decisions
* to solve problems
• In some particular and various social
contexts

23. Way beyond school!
• In your search for a job
• In your job interview
• In your job itself

24. And beyond!
• In your financial duties and needs during
your whole life! Ex: taxes, banking, paying
bills, making a loan, etc…
• In your private life Ex: sending greeting
cards, reading the newspaper or watching
the news and understanding what they are
talking about, looking at everything you
encounter in life on a broader picture,
reading stories to your children, and so on,
and so on…

26. Let the video speak for itself

27. Let’s summarise it all and
reflect…

28. References
• Adult Literacies Online - What do you mean by adult literacy and numeracy?
(no date). Available at: http://www.aloscotland.com/alo/102.html (Accessed:
14 April 2015).
• Bloomfield, C. (2015) ‘Introduction to Literacy and Numeracy’, in.
• Department of Education and Training (no date) Literacy and Numeracy
Fact Sheet. Available at:
http://education.qld.gov.au/literacyandnumeracy/pdf/factsheet-l-n.pdf
(Accessed: 15 April 2015).
• Henderson, R. (2013) Teaching Literacies in the Middle Years: Pedagogies
and Diversity. Australia: OUP Australia and New Zealand.
• kleppien15 (2011) ‘What Is Literacy?’, YouTube. YouTube. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJe5s1-u_70 (Accessed: 15 April 2015).
• Library, C. (2014) ‘The Power of Literacy’, YouTube. YouTube. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83DO0POacCE (Accessed: 15 April
2015).
• The Salvation Army (no date) What is literacy? Available at:
http://step123.org.au/?page_id=19 (Accessed: 8 April 2015).