Literacy at blue-collar work: making visible the diverse practices

Literacy at blue-collar work: making visible the diverse practices

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Blog by Sari Sulkunen

Quite often we perceive blue-collar work as manual and physical work in which literacy has only a limited role. Indeed, adult literacy surveys have shown that the role of literacy is pronounced in expert occupations (e.g., senior officials and managers) and to some extent in white-collar occupations (e.g., clerks and sales professionals) (OECD 2013; 2020). In contrast, literacy has a minor role in blue-collar occupations: workers read and write less frequently and less diverse materials at work and show lower level of average literacy proficiency than experts or white-collar workers (Grotlüschen et al. 2020; Sulkunen et al. 2021). However, these surveys focus on limited set of self-reported print literacy activities, ignoring the work-specific practices and the multimodal meaning making. While qualitative, often ethnographic, studies paint a more nuanced picture, such research on blue-collar workers’ literacies is scarce (cf.… Read the rest

24th European Conference on Literacy

24th European Conference on Literacy

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24th European Conference on Literacy.
Literacy. The Door to a Better World.

The 24th European Conference on Literacy will be jointly organized by the Slovenian Reading Badge Society (Društvo Bralna značka Slovenije – ZPMS) and the Federation of European Literacy Associations (FELA), with the support of local and national partners.

It will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from July 6 to 8 July 2026.

With the conference theme and subthemes, we aim to acknowledge diverse voices and highlight the importance of inclusivity and the power of cooperation.

The following subthemes will be explored:

  • Subtheme 1: Literacy in the Early Years & Family Literacy
  • Subtheme 2: Adolescent & Young Adult Literacy
  • Subtheme 3: Lifelong Development of Literacy Skills
  • Subtheme 4: Digital Literacy and Artificial Intelligence
  • Subtheme 5: Literacy Environments
  • Subtheme 6: Inclusive Practices in Literacy for Diverse Learners

IMPORTANT DATES

1 December 2025 Deadline for abstract submission
26–30 January 2026 Letter of Acceptance
2 February 2026 Registration opens
30 April 2026 Early Bird registration ends
29 May 2026 Final registration deadline

All queries regarding the conference should be directed to FELAconference2026slovenia@gmail.com… Read the rest

ELINET Webinar series May 2025

ELINET Webinar series May 2025

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ELINET Webinar series Multilingual Literacies Across Learning Contexts

Given the high priority and relevance of the webinar theme in current times, and that there is a limited number of places available, please don’t delay if you want to have the opportunity of participating. Certificates of attendance will be available upon request.
More information is available on the registration form. Register for one or more sessions in the series using this form

See and download the flyer here.

 

Schedule

Seminar 1

“Reading to Learn, Learning to Write, genre pedagogy in multilingual school contexts”
Presenter: Aoife Ahern
Date: Thursday 29th May
Time: 18:00 – 19:00 CET

Abstract:
This talk will explain recent extensions, for second / additional language
learning contexts, of Rose & Martin’s (2012) approach to literacy education,
Reading to Learn.… Read the rest

Improving reading across Europe: More reading! More talking!

Improving reading across Europe: More reading! More talking!

An Elinet Blog by Colin Harrison
First published on the European School Education Platform, April 10 2025, by European Commission. We have permission to publish this article also as an ELINET blog post

Reading scores were down in almost every European nation that participated in the PISA 2022 tests – often by the largest margin ever. How can this trend be reversed?


Preschool child reading a picture book with simple words
Lina Kivaka / Pexels

This decline in international reading test scores is not new: in most nations reading scores had already been declining for more than a decade.

In response to this, the European Commission asked an international group of literacy experts to put together a report that would, drawing upon on the latest evidence-based research, provide guidance for policymakers and teachers on how reading should be taught.… Read the rest

Framing Reading Literacy as a Public Health Crisis in South Africa

Framing Reading Literacy as a Public Health Crisis in South Africa

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William G.Brozo. Emeritus Professor of Literacy, George Mason University, USA
Gail Andrews. Past Chief Operating Officer, National Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa

An Elinet blog.  

The connection between literacy and health has been recognized by the medical and public health professions for several decades (Dewalt, Berkman, Sheridan, Lohr, & Pignone, 2004).

This connection came into stark relief for the two of us—a career South African public health policy expert and an American literacy professional—when the most recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) scores were published in 2023, showing once again the rock-bottom reading levels of South African children. At the same time, the persistence of diseases and other serious health challenges largely eradicated in other regions of the globe (Achoki, 2022) alerted us to take a closer look at the comorbidity of these conditions in South Africa.… Read the rest

Toddlers, Tech and Talk

Toddlers, Tech and Talk

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Toddlers, Tech and Talk – Very young children’s language and literacy learning at home in a postdigital age

A Blog by Rosie Flewitt

The cross-disciplinary Toddlers, Tech and Talk project investigated how digital technologies intersect with the home lives of very young children and their families across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Led by Professor Rosie Flewitt at Manchester Metropolitan University, working with Co-Is and research teams at the Universities of Lancaster, Swansea, Strathclyde and QUB, its core objective was to develop a robust body of empirical evidence in the under-researched field of 0-36-month-old children’s digital technology use at home, how families mediate child tech use and how tech use at home may be shaping early talk and literacy. The study also contributes to posthuman theorisation of the contemporary, postdigital Home Literacy Environment.… Read the rest

Reading combined with theatre playing

Reading combined with theatre playing

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A blog by Winnie Giera

The research and teaching project Stop Bullying! A Drama Project focuses on promoting reading skills, self-efficacy and social interaction on the topic of bullying.

Bullying involves the repeated use of physical or psychological violence against an individual, often by classmates or even a teacher, in situations with a power imbalance (Holigas, 2004). One in six students experiences bullying, and 80% of these incidents occur within schools. Encouraging positive social interactions and fostering a sense of community through shared learning can help address this issue (Zeichen gegen Mobbing, n.d.). The research and teaching project Stop Bullying! A Drama Project by Prof. Winnie-Karen Giera focuses on improving reading skills, self-efficacy, and social interaction through a theatre project addressing bullying.

Germany signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 and ratified it in 2008.… Read the rest

Greetings from 23rd European Conference on Literacy!

Greetings from 23rd European Conference on Literacy!

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A Blog by Sari Sulkunen, Sandra Langer and Colin Harrison

The European Conference on Literacy was held in Chania, Greece, on June 24–26, 2024. Approximately 300 literacy scholars and practitioners from 40 countries gathered together to present their work and discuss literacy. The conference was co-organized by the Hellenic Association for Language and Literacy and the Federation of European Literacy Associations (FELA).

Together with many ELINET colleagues, we spent three interesting and illuminating days at the conference listening to intriguing presentations and discussing timely issues on literacy. Equally important were the numerous informal interactions with ELINET colleagues over coffee breaks, lunches, and dinners. We enjoyed meeting face-to-face instead of on Zoom!

The conference had invited three excellent keynote speakers that had different perspectives on literacy and nicely complemented each other’s views.… Read the rest

Critical Internet literacy and teleological epistemology: where are we heading?

Critical Internet literacy and teleological epistemology: where are we heading?

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A blog by Colin Harrison, University of Nottingham

Has the World Wide Web changed the nature of knowledge? Yes!
But if so, what are the implications for teachers?
If ‘knowledge’ is now an epistemological battleground, what weapons do we have? And can philosophy help us?

The demands of digital literacy are changing, as navigating the Internet and creating content become ever-more complex for both teachers and students. As the Internet has evolved, so the concepts of truth and of knowledge in relation to the Internet have evolved.

Julie Coiro’s diagram helpfully demonstrates some of these changes (Coiro, 2023). In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee set up the World Wide Web with the intention of creating a platform for the free and worldwide exchange of information, and this had profound epistemological implications.… Read the rest

ELINET Spring 2024 Webinar Series: Developing Digital Literacy Practices in Schools UPDATE

ELINET Spring 2024 Webinar Series: Developing Digital Literacy Practices in Schools UPDATE

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UPDATE. The recordings of the first two webinars are available to watch now. Click on the title

Webinar 1 15 May 2024. Presenters: Elena Forzani (Boston University) Using the integrative multimodal literacy assessment to understand the literacy practices young children bring into the classroom from home.  

Webinar 2 29 May 2024: Carita Kiili and Pirjo Kulju (Tampere University, Finland) Empowering pre- and in-service teachers in teaching online credibility evaluation. 

This spring, starting on 15 May, ELINET will bring to you a series of three webinars of interest to teachers, teacher educators and anybody interested in educating young students for digital literacy.

Our presenters are all researchers and educators who have developed research-based, high-quality, open-access materials and resources for digital literacy education. In the webinars, they will present the materials and the research behind them, give participants a chance to have a closer look and engage in a hands-on activity related to the materials and discuss them with the authors.… Read the rest