Freire 1991

Freire, Paulo. 1970. "The adult literacy process as cultural action for freedom." In Minami and Kennedy 1991. (Reprint from Freire 1970a.) Interest level: academic.

Argues for educational practice based on authentic dialogue between teachers and learners as equally knowing subjects. Believes nonliterate people are oppressed in a highly literate society and states that literacy education should focus on empowering these people. Advocates that adult literacy education promote knowledge through critical examination of existing social conditions.

Criticizes primer content that equates illiteracy with shame and literacy with happiness and a good job. Discusses the attitude of those who treat preliterates as "marginal" people outside the social structure, as "things" instead of people. States that learners must assume the role of creative subjects. They must reflect on the process of reading and writing and on the significance of language, instead of just memorizing and repeating given syllables, words, and phrases. Recommends starting with words coming from learners, and literature written by farm laborers in the simple, free, poetic language of the people.

• Bibliography module: Freire 1991
• In overview module: Bibliography (Literacy): F
• In modular book: Bibliography (Literacy), by Doris Gallemore, Trudi C. Hunt, Jeanne Swanson, and Stephen L. Walter
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 28 June 1999

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