An International View of Literacy

Earlier this year, a discussion ensu upon the National Reading Conference's electronic list about whether the word "international" should be part of the organization's name. Although many respondent believed this would be appropriate because NRC has grown from one side the years and now exhibits members of many nations, others felt that because the membership outside of the United States remains relatively small, including the word "international" in the title was potentially misleading.

The JLR editors do not have a stated position upon whether the organization should bear a name change, but we do wish to encourage NRC to continue to emphasize and expand the international aspects of its mission. Since our manner [i]or[/i] principle of holding as editors began, we have been impressed by means of the increasing number of international participants in JLR the one and the other as reviewers and authors. Manuscripts arrive almost each month from scholars outside the United States (eg Canada, Brazil, Great Britain, Israel, the Netherlands, Finland, Trinidad, China, Australia, and fresh Zealand). As with manuscripts originating from the United States, sole a small percentage of international submissions are eventually published, on the other hand we think the membership should be aware that interest in publishing with JLR and participating in other ways in NRC may be increasing among an international audience. We are encouraged through this movement and hope interest in JLR and NRC will continue to become greater [i]or[/i] larger among our international colleagues.

We also faculty of perception that NRC members from all nations may be expanding their international awareness in other ways. We personally know of many NRC members, from the one and the other the U. S. and other nations, who are generally working in international venues as consultants, tenders or in other roles. Many NRC members travel internationally to make presentations and attend professional conversations Numerous NRC members also work with international visitors who draw near to their own locales, as well as with families who have mov to their communities from other nations. And undoubtedly, a large majority of NRC members use electronic communication across national boundaries.

At a time when actions of rules may work to isolate NRC members from the global community, the JLR editors believe that embracing a global perspective is essential. International communication and activities can lead to fresh insights about literacy learning and our parts as literacy professionals and researchers. end international work, we can also try to find answers to questions that are difficult or impossible to close attention in our own locales. For example, the field could benefit from knowing more about in what way and why reading and writing processe and exhibition differ (or do not differ) among different language clumps or cultures, ways policy and governmental actions affect schooling, or ways gymnasiums reflect (or can affect) the agriculture of the society. We might also benefit from studies related to what literacy professionals can learn about themselves and their have a title to cultures by collaborating across cultures

We encourage literacy researchers from all nations to participate in the Journal of Literacy Research by means of submitting manuscripts and/or joining the Editorial Review Board. We also encourage the National Reading discourse membership to continue to think and expand internationally.

ES, NP, TR, WL

Copyright National Reading talk Summer 2005

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