What is literacy

Gee defined literacy by explaining the term "discourse" and making an important distinction from "acquisition" and "learning". There is an up side and a down side to both that can be expressed as follows: "we are better at what we acquire, but we consciously know more about what we have learned." He pointed out that it renders the common sense understanding of literacy very problematic. Take the notion of a "reading class." Literacy is control of secondary use of language (i.e., uses of language in secondary discourses) and there are two types of literacy which are Dominant literacy and Powerful literacy. Then Gee stated two different principles having to do with acquisition and having to do with learning that he thinks true.

It does change my understanding of literacy because I did not expect that literacy involves so specific distinction such as the "acquisition" and "learning". I regarded them as a whole thing before. Maybe I could relate them to my own story. For example, the way that I master of the card game is belong to which one and make an argument for the other one.