TRIPLE E TRAINING HOLDINGS

Even as South Africa has become more sensitive to the value of cultural diversity, the importance of English language literacy has increased. More than ever, experts emphasize in order to participate in South African culture and commerce, people must learn to read.

As in all post modern industrialized nations, television has become the primary tool for South African acculturation. As producers make television more closely resemble our computer screens, more text accompanies the sound and images. Viewers must learn to read in order to enjoy all of television’s benefits. Trends in cell phone use also indicate how South Africans must learn to read: people now more frequently use text messages than voicemail.

Educational advancement always has been the nation’s primary tool for upward social mobility. As jobs become more sophisticated, an applicant’s command of English frequently determines whether or not he or she gets a job.

Although the media have not explored the topic, economists frequently tie South African economic stagnation to adult illiteracy among the country’s disadvantaged groups. Continuing illiteracy among South Africa’s minorities threatens the nation’s continued economic development because it depends on people’s command of language.

Although South Africa boasts a high literacy rate, which is one of the highest in the industrialized world, the disadvantaged minorities lag behind their European counterparts by a significant margin. Naturally, their lack of English language proficiency limits their educational achievement and reliable studies indicate that the majority of bilingual South Africans remain illiterate in both their primary languages and English.

In the same way that South Africa rose above its bitter racial divisions in the 1990’s, it now must rise above its educational divisions in the new millennium. The nation now must take aggressive steps to eliminate illiteracy.

As in all the helping professions, the finest educators feel a calling to their work. Certainly, no one ever would do it for the money. The best teachers feel called to teaching and their consciences drive them to teach with all their hearts, minds, and spirits.

Teaching provides a special joy other educators seldom share. Teaching adults, educators frequently meet students terrified of teachers, books, desks, and classrooms; they frequently look into eyes filled with doubt and dread. Teaching adults, educators recognize they first must bring reassurance, comfort, and encouragement to their reluctant adult learners. Like all educational specialties, teaching adults requires patience, persistence, and insight; however, it especially requires respect for adult students’ dignity. Teaching adults, the finest educators feel overwhelming joy and satisfaction as confidence replaces terror and excitement replaces anxiety in students’ eyes.