Adult literacy advocate Jo Medlin wasn’t looking to become a television identity when she signed up to the SBS documentary Lost for Words. A consultancy role was what the President of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) had in mind.
“I thought I would be lurking in the background,” says Jo, who graduated from UNE in 1998 with a Master of Adult Education and Training. But the producers soon recognised her teaching ability and kind manner, and co-opted her into an onscreen role.
Jo took 10 weeks’ leave without pay and relocated to Sydney to contribute to the three-part series, which followed eight participants through an intensive literacy program. From the 60-year-old man who longed to gain his driver’s licence to a young mother who dreamed of reading to her children, Lost for Words opened a window on the challenges faced by the seven million or so adult Australians (43% of the adult population) who have trouble reading and writing. People with very real, but modest ambitions.
With 26 years’ experience working in the space – in TAFE, workplaces and the community – Jo was perfect for the part. Motivated by her own love of reading and desire to “open up the wonderful world of books” to others, she relished the opportunity.
“It was fabulous and a joy to work on. It showed just what a life-changing experience education can be, which we don’t often get to see on TV,” Jo says.
And the program has been a resounding success. Not only has it transformed the lives of the participants; Lost for Words has inspired hundreds of people to volunteer as adult literacy tutors and many more to inquire about changing careers.
“It brought profound changes for the people involved and it’s now almost a full-time job for me responding to people who want to become involved in adult education,” Jo says. “Since the show aired, we have had more conversations about adult literacy and got more information out there to more people than in the past 26 years I have been teaching.”
Challenging stereotypes and stigmas about adult literacy, and raising public awareness were cornerstones of the production, which sought to inspire respectful discussions and have a positive social impact.
“We need the general public to know that this is not something that is anybody’s fault and not peculiar to one particular demographic,” Jo says. “It spans society and most of the time you don’t know that someone is struggling with their literacy until they tell you.”
In fact, they can be very good at disguising their difficulties with everyday tasks like shopping, negotiating public transport or even reading signs.
“They either do one of two things to cope,” Jo says. “They develop these amazing, sophisticated strategies like you see on Lost for Words (like ringing friends and family or using text-to-speech on their phones) or, if they are brave enough, they ask for help at their local community centre or from people like librarians – anywhere they can find a familiar, friendly face. Still, the sense of shame can be overwhelming and poor literacy can really impact their lives and career progression.
“One of the key reasons I was so keen to be involved in Lost For Words is that across Australia our adult literacy programs and funding focuses very much on the long-term unemployed and migrants looking for employment. Only very occasionally does it consider people already in a workplace. But we know there are all these other people out there who could do with some sort of assistance that we are not reaching. The program gave us a way to talk about this.”
Jo’s work with ACAL and on the national steering committee of the Reading Writing Hotline has convinced her of the need for community hubs staffed by literacy or numeracy experts, where people can get help filling in forms or attend short courses that fit in with their work and family commitments.
“Access to help continues to be a major obstacle,” Jo says. “We need a system where you don’t have to commit to attending a class. We need to reimagine the way we see literacy and the world of compliance and curricula that have grown up around adult literacy education.”
Jo started out as a primary school/special education teacher and became a literacy teacher because she loved reading. “The best experience I have teaching is when I see people opened up to the world of books; I just can’t imagine life without reading,” she says. During her Masters at UNE, special topics exploring reading research internationally and adult literacy in Australia as a social movement changed her entire approach.
“I came to see myself as a facilitator, not as a teacher,” Jo says. “If I hadn’t gone back to UNE do my Masters, I would not have gone down the track I have. It opened all sorts of doors to me. It gave me the theoretical background and experience to drive programs and to become involved in consultation at the national level.”
Heart-warming Lost For Words thrust Jo into a very different spotlight, but she’s hoping to use the exposure to advance her advocacy efforts. The close bond she forged with the participants also sees her continuing to offer them support and private tutoring.
“Their learning will continue,” Jo says. “We helped them to develop some learning-to-learn strategies rather than teaching them to read. But I am thrilled that one is now having driving lessons and another is reading to his newborn.
“They have shown us that it’s never too late and you’re never too old to learn. Those of us who can read can be very judgemental about those who can’t. I hope Lost for Words has reduced some of the stigma and shame, and hopefully the government will also start to take notice.”
