2009-09-02
Acknowledging the importance of terminology on International Literacy Day

8 September 2009 marks the International Literacy Day. On this day the international community focuses on the status of literacy and adult learning globally. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), despite many and varied efforts, literacy remains an elusive target: some 776 million adults lack minimum literacy skills, which means that one in five adults is still not literate. In addition, 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

On this occasion, Infoterm acknowledges the important role of terminology for literacy and adult education. Authentic and relevant reading material is crucial for successful literacy training for adults, which means that text books, brochures and other material used should not only be in the preferred language of the learners but also often is very subject-field specific.