In this webinar, Marta Paluch (University of Sussex) will present details of a pilot adult literacy programme in Guatemala. She describes the engagement of participants and facilitators with the dialogic approach, expressing their experiences, thoughts and values. Please do join in live online if you are able!

This presentation reports on research with adult literacy facilitators (ALFs) in Guatemala who were implementing a pilot adult literacy programme. The pilot programme presented literacy as a social and cultural practice, focussing on meaning and drawing on the local context for the learning of reading and writing. The dialogic approach encouraged participants to express their experiences, thoughts and values. These, written in simple sentences with support from the facilitator were developed into reading texts for the literacy group participants.

The facilitators met at fortnightly training and development workshops where they exchanged experiences of working with the pilot programme activities. Collaborative learning became a strong feature of these workshops. During two systematization workshops the pilot team explored in more depth the experiences gained in the course of the programme and through reflection and theorisation, constructed collective knowledge.

The presentation gives details of the literacy programme, describes participants and facilitators engagement with the process and analyses what was learned.

Participation is free of charge.

Details and registration here.

Marta Paluch worked in adult education in London for many years as a tutor, co-ordinator and manager. She has also worked as an English language teacher and adviser in Turkey, Yemen and Ethiopia. In her work with literacy and English language students she has focussed particularly on encouraging students to express their ideas in writing and to publish this writing in simple formats. After retiring from full time work, Marta went to work as a volunteer for CONALFA, the national adult literacy programme in Guatemala. This work led to research for a PhD about how adult literacy facilitators develop their practice. An academic visit to CREFAL, the regional adult education centre for Latin America, in Mexico, led Marta to the methodology of Systematisation of Experiences which she used in her research. Marta has presented her research at conferences in the UK, Nepal and India. She was awarded her PhD in February.