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Literacy
ENG448A Class Presentation
What is Literacy?
Loose definition used in Census:
Ability to read and write in at least one language and to
do arithmetic.
Practicing writing based methods for expression and
exchange of ideas, information and literature.
What is Orality?
the quality of being oral or orally communicated
OR
preference for or tendency to use spoken forms of
language
- Oxford Dictionary
Vedas
The Vedic texts were orally composed and transmitted,
without the use of script, in an unbroken line of transmission
from teacher to student that was formalized early on. This
ensured an impeccable textual transmission superior to the
classical texts of other cultures; it is, in fact, something like
a tape-recording.... Not just the actual words, but even the
long-lost musical (tonal) accent has been preserved up to the
present. Michael Witzel
Vedas
Composed in Vedic Sanskrit
Vedic period: 1500-500 BC
Literacy tradition traceable only after rise of Buddhism
and Maurya Period (around 3rd Century BC)
Hence, transmission of texts was an Oral Tradition
Vedas
Oral traditions face the challenge of accurate
transmission and verifiability of the accurate version
Oral cultures have employed various strategies that
achieve this without writing.
Some examples are the use of rhythmic speech filled
with mnemonic devices such as alliteration,
assonance and proverbial sayings or the use of verses
often metrically composed with exact number of
syllables or morae such as Chandas in Hindu and
Buddhist texts.
Vedas
Many forms of recitation or pathas were designed to
aid accuracy in recitation and transmission of the
Vedas and other knowledge texts from one generation
to the next
Each text was recited in a number of ways , to ensure
that the different methods of recitation acted as a
cross check on the other
The Vedas are recited in form of pathas like Samhita
Patha, Pada Patha, Karma Path, Ghana Patha
Sanskrit
Sanskrit is the oldest language of the Indo-Iranian
group.
Vedic Sanskrit (2nd millennium BC to 3-4th century BC).
Paninis Ashtadhyayi (around 4th century BC).
No written script before this time.
Vedic Sanskrit placed importance to the orality of
language.
Teach about social structure- even a poor boy can become king,
motivate young children to work hard etc.
Youtubing
Twitterati
Importance of Literacy
Proper Education and hence, better jobs.
Understanding and utilizing technology
All the countries have a written down constitution
All major organisations (schools, institutes, companies
etc) have their own written down
rulebook/constitution.
All major religions have their sacred texts written.
Business, banks, Scientific Research
Increasing Literacy
There is a general trend of increasing literacy in India:
Power of Orality
Power of Orality
Interviews
Talking to a baby
Power of Literacy
Scientific Research
Power of Literacy
Written Knowledge
Administrative System
Curse of Literacy
An urgent necessity of learning to read/write amongst
illiterate people
Speakers moving to other languages, usually the more
prestigious ones.
Hence, lack of any literary specifications makes many
Oral traditions like the tribal tradition vulnerable.
Around 191 languages of India are classified as
Vulnerable or Endangered, and 108 languages have
gone Extinct (no native speaker)
Preservation of Languages
Many Tribal languages are being promoted in schools
by the NGOs and by the State Govt.
Trilingual dictionaries being prepared for Bodo
(completed), Bishnupriya Manipuri, Tiwa
Sahitya Akademis project to record and preserve the
Oral literature of Tribal languages.
Preservation of Languages
The folk songs of Kodava (a dravidian language) called
the Palame, had been passed orally across
generations.
Recently in 1900s they have started writing down their
literature in Kannada and in English.
Some like the Tulu speakers, have switched their script
from Tiligari (14th to 15th century AD) to Kannada
(presently).
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_tradition
Oral Traditions and Story-Telling
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/traditions.htm
Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger.
Memory of Peoples (3rd ed.). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. ISBN
978-92-3-104096-2. Retrieved 2015-04-11.
Census of India data, 2001.
http://www.sino-platonic.org/complete/spp049_india_oral_transmission.p
df
Cultures of Memory in South Asia: Orality, Literacy and the Problem of
Inheritance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedic_meter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puranas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Smriti
http://www.gktoday.in/shruti-smriti/
References:
Thanks