Functional illiteracy
Recently I read a report about illiterates in Germany by chance. The article mentioned a percentage that I thought was unrealistically high at first glance. But a few clicks later I had verified the number: In Germany actually live about 7.5 million adults who are considered functional illiterates. To understand what a "functional"? Illiterate from a "real" Distinguishes illiterate, follows a brief explanation of the term:
The different forms of illiteracy
- Primary illiteracy: Those affected can neither read nor write and have never learned it. The population share of these? Real? Illiterates are significantly higher in developing and emerging countries than in industrialized countries. In Germany, about four percent of adults are affected.
- Secondary illiteracy: The term refers to people who have learned the written use of language, but then have forgotten again.
- Semi-illiteracy: Affected people can read, but not write.
- Functional Illiteracy (Illettrismus): A functional illiterate recognizes letters and can write individual words (his name), but it is difficult or impossible for them to understand the meaning of longer texts. The proportion of the population of functional illiterates in Germany is about 14 percent.
Causes of functional illiteracy
Interestingly, at 60 percent men are significantly more likely to be affected by functional illiteracy than women (40 percent). As part of a three-year project from 2008 to 2010, Magdeburg neuropsychologists have devoted themselves to the possible causes of illettrism. In doing so, they disproved the previously held thesis that functional illiteracy was exclusively a consequence of unfavorable social factors. These factors include family influences, high absenteeism at school or frequent school changes, little communication and lack of inspiration to read or write. As a further, hitherto neglected factor, the neuropsychologists named an insufficient neuronal interconnection of the brain.
The study revealed an obvious parallel between children with reading and writing disabilities (LRS) and adult functional illiterates: in both cases, there is a fundamental disorder in the processing of auditory and visual stimuli. If this perceptual deficit is exacerbated by the social factors already mentioned, there is often a reading and writing deficit even in adulthood.
Functional illiteracy in everyday life
For people with normal reading and writing skills, it is difficult to understand the difficulties faced by functional illiterates in everyday life. Instruction manuals of technical equipment, timetables of public transport and written work instructions remain as incomprehensible to them as official letters or texts in newspapers, books and the Internet. The world is full of written messages to make life easier or better. If you can not decipher them, you have not just one problem, but many.
Illettrism leads in many cases to social isolation, since participation in social life is only possible to a very limited extent. Add to that the burden of shame that many sufferers carry around with them. Instead of naming their problem, they develop strategies to hide their weaknesses. Forgotten glasses or an injured hand are among the standard excuses of a functional illiterate when it comes to completing a form or an anamnesis sheet at the doctor. The problems in the world of work are obvious. It is therefore not surprising that the rate of functional illiterates among assistants is 27 percent and that of the unemployed is 32 percent.
Assistance offers for functional illiterates
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research seems to have recognized the problem and already started in 2016 with a 180 million euros literacy decade. The aim of this campaign is to attract more people to special educational offers and at the same time sensitize the population to the topic. In addition, the causes and prevalence of functional illiteracy are to be researched even better.
In addition to this (welcome) political protection aid but above all the personal commitment of those affected and relatives is crucial. Only those who admit to their problem, can also make use of appropriate assistance. Similar to an addiction problem, illiterate people often find it very hard to take the first step on their own. An understanding and dedicated motivator can be extremely helpful. Whether it is a family member, a friend or the employee of a funding agency is incidental? important is a stable relationship of trust.
Most adult education centers offer literacy courses. In these basic education courses reading and writing skills are trained on everyday topics.Those who shy away from this public will find numerous learning portals on the Internet that offer help anonymously. On the homepage of the Federal Association for Literacy and Basic Education e.V. (http://www.alphabetisierung.de/) there is more information about the various services. Also on the phone number 0800/53334455, the so-called? Alfa-Telefon ?, affected or relatives can be informed about available assistance offers.
Extra tip: In the great movie the labyrinth of words Gérard Depardieu plays a functional illiterate who discovers his love of literature by chance encounter with an elderly lady. Worth seeing!
