Re: CHAT: Happy Conlang day!

> What are literacy standards in any associated concultures with your conlangs?
> How is writing/reading taught, if at all?
>
> Yoon Ha Lee, working as a student teacher in a summer middle school in
> Santa Clara
>
An interesting question.

For native speakers of Gevey, about 80% of city dwellers and 60% of
farmsteaders can read and write the language competently. Literacy
skills are considered to be a "useful tool", but there has been no
great rush towards universal literacy. Indeed, formal education for
children is a recent phenomenon - previously, people would take a few
months to a couple of years out every now and then to go and study new
skills in colleges and craft centres, so learning started late and
continued throughout life.

For traders who speak Gevey as a second language, Gevey literacy rates
are much lower - around 20% or so. Speaking the language is important
to them, but recording transactions, stock, etc tends to take place in
the trader's native language. Gevey society is not overtly
bureaucratic, which allows the traders to get away with such an
approach.

Rik

--
  http://www.kalieda.org/poems/
  Pop in for a browse, when you have a moment to spare...

Reply