Assessing Literacy Autobiography - Essay Example

It enables a person to understand things on a much higher plane and provides them with the leverage of better expression when it comes to giving their opinions and ideas to others.

My memories of literacy, takes me back to my childhood days when I lived with my family in Saudi Arabia and was in constant touch with my mother tongue Arabic, that came naturally to me because every day, my mother would read me stories and narrate her life events as the years passed by. Going to school and learning my lessons, taking part in school activities, and moving with a good circle of friends, helped to influence me further and make me more literate over the years. A lot of my leisure time during the holidays was spent reading some of the finest books from a library near my house where my parents enrolled me as a member.

My adolescent years were greatly influenced in supplementing my reading by watching movies or engaging in multi-media by playing computer games and even entertaining role-plays with my friends that I enjoyed so much. Both my parents played major roles where my language learning was concerned. They helped me imbibe a deep love for reading and speaking well, by taking me to meetings, debates, and oratorical presentations where I had the opportunity of watching great speakers speak in-depth on important subjects. Knowing that only my mother – tongue would not be sufficient for an all-around education, they engaged me in special classes for learning the English language which I loved and further developed through reading and writing both at school and at home.

Reading assignments given by my teachers over the years, helped to harness a deep understanding of both English and Arabic language and served to further influence my use of grammar and arrangement of sequential thoughts of expression when I was given writing assignments. My English teacher was a major influential factor in my life because not only did she possess profound knowledge of the subject, but she showed genuine interest in every student while imparting that knowledge to us.

Presently, I study at the Prince Mohammed bin Fahad University in Dammam and I think I have traveled a long way where my understanding of literacy is concerned. I now understand that literacy has a much deeper meaning for me in terms of its grammar, descriptive methods, logical and critical presentation, and simple and precise expression and I have learned that all these things are very important if I need to be a fairly good literate personality. Learning is a continuous process and my professors at college continue to influence me and encourage me in enhancing my language skills of both Arabic and English which is very useful in my learning experience as a student.