Orality: Parts Three and Four: Secondary Orality and Communication Styles

Part 3: Orality and and Secondary Orality.

You can teach those who do not read to read and better understand the printed word; there are many good works in that area, but this will not reach the vast majority of people. Not only will it delay teaching them about Christ until they can read and understand what they read, but teaching them to read and then approaching them like they think and learn like a literate ignores the fact that simply learning to read does not automatically change the way they learn, think or communicate.

Even some of those who are what we often think of as literate because they can read are not really literate in their thinking and approach to life. Some still function as oral communicators, this may be especially true if their society functions in an oral mode. Literate ways of thinking replace oral ones only gradually and sometimes incompletely. It takes at least ten to twelve years of literate style education to produce someone who is fully comfortable with literate means of communication. If, as is the case in Brazil, the approach to education is one of rote memory, they may continue to be oral learners and communicators regardless of the years of education. Also, unless one continues to read and write regularly, literary skills and ways of thinking can be lost over time.

In some countries, thought of as literate countries, people are more influenced by audio and visual means than print. Secondary orality or post-literacy is a recent development of our technologically orientated world. It is dependent on literacy, but expressed through audio and visual means like television, radio, and the internet. It causes one ” to think, process information, make decisions, and socially organize ourselves more and more like oral people rather than literate ones” For this reason it is called secondary orality.

Some counties have gone from being oral in nature to secondary oral in nature, without going through a literate stage. This is especially true in places like Brazil where the electronic experience came before the written experience.

But Brazilians’ indifference to books has deeper roots. Centuries of slavery meant the country’s leaders long neglected education. Primary schooling became universal only in the 1990s. Radio was ubiquitous by the 1930s; libraries and bookshops have still not caught up. “The electronic experience came before the written experience,” says Marino Lobello, of the Brazilian Chamber of Books, an industry body.”

A 1999 Newsweek profile of Brazilian television suggested that many Brazilians are moving from the primary orality to the secondary orality without ever passing through the stage of print orientation that has historically separated the two”

When literates stop reading, they no longer form their conclusions through reading and abstract reasoning, but through the basis of sounds and images. They revert back to the basic primary means of communication – that of orality. Today even most of the literate people in the world no longer obtain a lot of their ideas of the world from reading. Secondary orality or being post-literate affects the way people think, make decisions, process information and organize socially. In short it shifts us in the direction of having an oral culture than a literate one.

It has a lot of implications now and in the future for the way we teach, disciple and train up leaders.

Part 4: Characteristics of Orality and Literacy

What would happen if we, with our lists and study books and Bible study guides and logical sermon outlines, exposition and notes, suddenly had no access to the printed word? How would we survive both in daily life and as Christian workers if we had to rely solely on what we remembered and could communicate by word of mouth, not on what we could reference in the printed word? How would we teach? How would it change the way we communicate, learn and even think? What do literates do that is incompatible with oral learning?

We have to ask ourselves these questions in order to answer the question of how can we help others who lack the literary skills we have, to know, understand and apply the lessons in the Bible to their lives so that they may live for Christ and reach others for Christ. We need to begin by understanding how they function within their oral world. We must ask ourselves: How do they think and learn? How do they see sounds and words different from literates? How do they use language differently? How is context, style and dialog different? How are relationships different within oral and literate communities? In order to reach those who are oral communicators we first need to understand how literate communicators and oral communicators differ.

Not only is it a question of knowing how to read or not, but one of understanding how the thought processes, values, behavior and social organization are affected by literacy. Some are so deep and significant as to be barriers to the gospel if literate communicators approach an oral communicator in the way in which they have become accustomed.

For an oral communicator, words have no visual presence. Words are sounds, used to paint pictures and talk about people and events. Words are defined by and given meaning through their context; they do not stand alone as individuals with specific definitions. When speaking, clarity, style, articulation, context and dialog are all important. Communication is not stripped down to get a point across, flowery language, repetition and redundancy are common. Set words and phrases may be used as they carry a common cultural understanding that goes beyond just the words spoken.

When sharing information, ideas concepts or facts an oral communicator will employ narratives, using stories and symbols to relate them to others. They encase and pass on information in ways they can easily remember since they must rely on only what they can recall when needed. Not only are stories more easily remembered that lists, steps or outlines for an oral communicator, so are poems, songs, proverbs and sayings. They tend to communicate in groups and learn in interaction with other people. Studying as literates know it is unknown to them, instead apprenticeships are sometimes used in order to train and pass on skills. When questions are used they are indirect in nature. They will avoid asking or answering direct questions.

Information is placed on a flow of time, so order of presentation can be important. As they organize their experiences and knowledge through narratives they string happenings together to form longer narratives. Common themes may be repeated in the different experiences strung together.

Narratives form an important part of the communication process. Stories,songs, poems and proverbs are like containers that holds those thoughts, concepts and ideas presented together. They may take them out of the narrative container to examine them, but place them back when done and store them as part of the story. Gestures or movements are used to help them express their words. Those listening may participate in the narrative, responding to the speaker while speaking. Shared stories are deeply felt. Parts or details may be left unsaid, depending instead on shared backgrounds and non-verbal methods of communication to pass on the information. They can always clarify something not understood.

If they can read they will either read aloud or imagine the sounds of the words as they read. Written forms of communication are seen as records of something spoken and a way to aid in memorization for later verbal sharing.

Oral communicators learn by hearing. They view things holistically, in the totality of their context and of those involved. They are highly relational and concrete orientated. Knowledge is passed on through what is remembered and taught to future generations.

For a literate communicator, sounds are recognized as words that are objects or symbols on paper. They are used to convey information and talk about concepts, ideas or principles. Words stand alone as individuals with specific definitions that give the what is said meaning. When speaking, clarity of reason, brevity, detailed description and logical analysis are all valued. Communication is stripped down to get the point across. Flowery language, repetition and redundancy are usually avoided, since anything not understood or missed can be read and analyzed later. Words are used more independently and set phrases are often avoided, instead they are encouraged to come up with new ways to say the same thing.

When sharing information, ideas concepts or facts, a literate communicator will employ logical arguments, analysis, charts, diagrams and lists, using stories and events just as examples to illustrate a point. They explain in detail, comparing, classifying and analyzing to break what they know into parts. They expect others to take notes, fill in blanks or remember steps and principles. Since they can rely printed matter when needed, they store and pass on information in printed forms. Memory skills are reduced because of lack of use. Verbal presentations and text are often reduced to lists, principles, steps, outlines or other similar forms of brevity for printed matter. They tend to communicate more one to one and learn alone in interaction with printed materials, studying and showing what is learned in a written form. When questions are used they are direct in nature. Order of presentation is not as important as clarity of logic.

Narratives like stories, poems songs and proverbs are not the most important part of the communication process. Narratives and events are used just as illustrations and examples of the main thought or idea. The container is the general principle encased in progression of thought and logical analysis. Gestures or movements and non-verbal communication are not used as much as for oral communicators. They can not be reduced to a written form. Those listening do not enter into the story as deeply as an oral learner, they approach it more objectively. Descriptions are detailed as one can not depend on shared backgrounds and non-verbal methods of communication to pass on the information. Ambiguity is avoided as they can not clarify something not understood by a reader.

Literal communicators learn by seeing. They view things abstractly and analytically, compartmentalizing and breaking down into pieces. Knowledge is passed on from various sources through facts, books, computers and not what is remembered. The literate approach to life is not just confined to their written materials, but permeates their speech, relationships and thought patterns.

Few people are totally exclusive to one category or the other. Those that are classified as semi-literate are in a grey area between the two types. To a certain extent they can learn to recognize, understand and use the principles and ideas and teachings of literate communicators, but they may not be comfortable there and will live day to day as oral communicators; in critical learning situations they will favor oral communication styles.

Oral communication is the basis for all print communication. It is the primary form of communication basic to humans and because of this can be understood by literate communicators as well. Literate communication and the associated learning preferences as taught responses and attitudes.

The mistake a lot of literates make is to “assume that literate presentations (especially ex positional and analytical ones) can be understood by anyone, even oral communicators.”This is simply not the case. This is why it is not enough to simply take and read materials created by literates for literates and expect an oral communicator to learn from them. Making it verbal does not make it oral communication. Although literate communicators can learn through oral means the reverse is not so. That is not to say that oral communicators can not learn and comprehend as well as a literate communicator. They can, but they must be taught in ways compatible to their learning styles.

What would happen within our ministries if we began to communicate and approach teaching as oral communicators with narratives grouped in common themes presented in the flow of time? What would happen if we verbally guided them through the process of examining what a story contains for their lives, allowing them to remove the gems from the treasure box of the story and discover what jewels are there for them and their world? What would happen if we did it in a way they could replicate?

If we want to reach those for Christ who struggle to understand the literate ways of communication we must change how we present the message of the gospel and train up disciples and leaders. We must attempt new ways of reaching the more than 50% of the people in the US and the more than 70% around the world who do not communicate as we do. To do less is to place obstacles in front of those who can not, do not or will not learn through the literate means we rely on and so often use.