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One of the most significant accomplishments of the twentieth century – in Western societies – has been the achievement of basic literacy for almost the entire population. The past century also witnessed the development of some immensely powerful literacy methodologies, the well known of them drawn on by Paulo Freire. In this regard, I believe the need exists to reflect on the contributions to literacy development in the past century towards the new twenty-first-century scenario characterised by the great diversity in terms of language, digitalisation, migration, among other variables. What are those contributions? In this article, I wish to expand on the following aspects. Literacy, according to Freire, is about naming the world, not just words. It is also about how individuals organise their relationships and the processes involved in becoming a person, as emphasised by socio-cultural psychologists. Who are illiterate individuals? This question has gained prominence in recent times as the concept of literacy and the notion of being illiterate have undergone significant changes. Concepts such as the “culture of silence” and the ongoing need to live with others are important here. Finally, a further contribution is to consider that the teaching methodology needs to be consistent with people’s environment and should be meaningful to them.
