Transliteracy: Crossing Divides

Abstract

Transliteracy might provide a unifying perspective on what it means to be literate in the twenty-first century. It is not a new behaviour but has only been identified as a working concept since the Internet generated new ways of thinking about human communication. This article defines transliteracy as "the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks" and opens the debate with examples from history, orality, philosophy, literature, and ethnography.