Topic > Literacy beyond reading and writing: a personal perspective

The meaning of literacy is the ability to read and write. Since I am now in America, literacy has a new definition for me, because I have to speak and write in English instead of my native language. Throughout my English learning experience, I encountered language barriers and culture shock. Now, looking back on the time when I was struggling, I know that I need to manage the difficulties and learn from them so that I can become a better student. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Writing has always been a struggle for me. An old school writing method has been my savior in my writing progress. Since I complete the article following strict rules, for example, I write my article as the typical five-paragraph essay, first I write the introduction, then I write the main five paragraphs with topic sentences respectively, finally the last one is the conclusion. With this method, my article can barely be coherent and logical enough. This process helps me to have a well-structured essay and also allows readers to get a clear idea of ​​my article. There is a good reason to use this method. Writing in my native language has a different way of expressing ideas than writing in English. I have to adapt a new writing style due to the cultural difference. This method is old school, but it helps me craft an organized essay in my beginning writing phase. Writing is a very important skill to use both in school and in my subsequent career. Writing is an essential life skill to have. To be on the same starting line with my peers, I start reading many kinds of literature in English to improve my English interpretation and writing skills, for example the book "Lord of the Flies", "Hamlet" and "The animal farm". .” I start with difficulty when I read those books because there are many vocabularies that I don't know. Sometimes I just can't concentrate and the words inside the book seem to get smaller and smaller. When the obstacle occurs, I go to the site looking for the translated version of the book I read at the time. Before reading the English version of a book, I would like to read the translated version first. I find the translation very useful for my understanding of the original book and since then I have started to enjoy reading it more and more. Reading helps me become a better writer. First, by reading many types of literature, I absorb many new vocabularies and open-minded points of view. I would say that reading is the best preparation for writing an excellent essay because reading provides insightful knowledge and ideas so that I can write a thoughtful essay. The thought process while reading a book can improve my thinking. Reading and writing are important and interconnected; reading can be seen as an input of knowledge and writing can be seen as an output of knowledge. During the middle of my freshman year in college, I improved my writing skills by practicing many different genres of writing in my writing course. One thing has changed, a small part in the writing which is the transition sentence. I went from thought to thought only using words like: “therefore however, however and furthermore”. Because I was taught from my TOEFL course that it would make the paper look more professional by using those words between sentences. After feedback from my writing class, I begin to use my thoughts to connect my sentences in my writing. This helps me become more.