Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i2VLlDm11577; Wed, 31 Mar 2004 16:47:13 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 16:47:13 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <19A93424.18516875.0AB94E44@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: AndresMuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10167] Re: layers of meaning X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Atlas Mailer 2.0 Status: O Content-Length: 3070 Lines: 51 Hey, according to the adult literacy survey, there are an estimated 90 million adults who score in the two lowest literacy levels. about 50 million scoring in the lowest. this is about one fifth to a third of the adult population, and I am sure that a lot of them drive. there are a lot of teenagers who drive, and they may lack literacy skills, and they are also "teenagers" so, we live in a world of danger. I live in el paso a community with one of the lowest literacy skills in the country, but I am not afraid of driving. I am really not afraid of immigrants or people with low literacy skills. a lot of them are excellent drivers. I am bothered by people driving 55 in the left lane in big SUVs while talking on their cell phones, and by those who think that they have to hog the leftlane and go 60 or below. BTW, I do hate SUVs, they waste gas and they are a greater danger than other vehicles. Unfortunately some people use immigrants as scapegoats and fear them. The same people usually tend to fear blacks and other minorities too. In el paso, 80% of the poplation is of mexican origin or ancestry. interestingly, it is one of the safest big cities in the United States next to Sacramento another city with mostly mexican immigrants or their decendents. so, I am certainly glad that I live here, even though many people are immigrants, don't speak english and have limited literacy skills. The likelyhood of getting run over by some jerk in a hummer while on his cellphone, or a purple hair lady in her cadillac is a lot less in El Paso than in other communities. Andres In a message dated 3/31/2004 2:28:51 PM Eastern Standard Time, Albert Wat <ayw@georgetown.edu> writes: >I hate to drag this topic out even more, but I really don't think it's >appropriate to compare non-English speakers/readers who drive to >Alzheimber's patients who drive. There are a lot of other non-written >cues that we all use as drivers on the road. There are reasons why >signs are made with specific colors and shapes. I have an uncle who >spoke and read little English, and he was navigating the roads of L.A. a >lot better than my father, who has a master's degree in British >Literature. In fact, he taught my father how to drive and helped me get >his license when my father moved to the States from Hong Kong! > >I, for one, would be more fearful of giant SUVs on the road! > >- Albert > >Edith Fensom wrote: > >>I have to agree with the original poster about the safety of people driving >>when they can't read the signs. I don't think I am being racist when I say >>this. It's a similar situation to when my mother-in-law was in the early >>stages of Alzheimer's and still driving. Scary. I realize that reading and >>driving are two different skills but do think you need to be able to react >>quickly when necessary. >> >>On the other hand I realize how important and necessary a driver's license >>is to live and work in America. It's a difficult situation. >> >>Edith >> >> >> >> > > > > -- go here: www.geocities.com/andresmuro/art.html
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