It's more than reading and writing.  The meaning of the word "literacy" has expanded over the years.  Oh, it does mean "the ability to read and write" but it also includes the ability to use numbers, images and language to understand and communicate with others.

 

I've had some experience with helping newcomers from other countries learn some of the basics of the English language.  It is so rewarding when things click and people catch on and frustrating when they don't.

 

One time I was working with a group of people from China.  "English only" was our rule.  One guy was having difficulty catching on as we discussed the food we eat and the names of our daily meals.

 

We were talking about the foods we had eaten before our class.  That one guy was lost.  So, we broke the "English only" rule and one of his classmates spoke to him in Mandarin.

 

It was then that he smiled ear to ear and proudly pronounced, "T-bone steak!"

 

I said "Now, we're talkin'!"