Conceptual Memo

       After reading many resources books and articles tackling the concept of literacy, I came to a conclusion that there is no stable definition of literacy. The definition started to indicate the ability to read and write. However, since the literacy of the individual gives its prosperity to the whole society, the definition of one’s ability to read and write becomes not quite accurate. Many philosophies have been added, like John Duffy’s usage of rhetoric to broaden the concept of literacy. Duffy states, “By rhetoric I mean the ways that institutions and individuals use symbols to structure their thought and shape their conceptions of the world”(Duffy 38). This indicates the fact that the concept of literacy is subject to change and development as it overlaps with other similar concepts that are present in the field of education. Another interesting and similar “problem” of setting definitions is mentioned by Peter Roberts in Defining Literacy: Paradise, Nightmare or Red Herring. Roberts states, “For some theorists, there is no single ‘correct’ definition of literacy; instead, there are competing accounts of what it means to be ‘literate’ or ‘illiterate’” ( p.2)

       I am mentioning this because my project deals mainly with literacy, and I’ve found if I tried to define literacy that would take me to nowhere. In my project, however, I will not try to give specific definition of literacy. Instead, I am going to accept the fact that literacy has fruitful consequences on both the individual and the societal levels. Thus, I will discuss how students- international students in my project- use their skills while they are attending the school. International students came from different countries, cultures and backgrounds, and my research questions whether they benefited from their previous skills or not.

      An important question raised by the authors of Literacy—Why study literacy? I will try to answer this question but by looking to the other side- why study literacy of the international students? Of course, any research or a project has an aim that tries to discover, and the previous question- why study literacy of the international students- will help the reader know why specifically I’ve chosen that topic.