‘Old English literacy, the digital revolution, and media aliteracy’

Abstract

This essay advocates introductory-level study of Old English and the history of the English language as a way to confront growing aliteracy and lack of critical literacy in contemporary American culture. Our culture needs to connect issues of literacy and New Media with the history of our language in order to become aware of the ways that literacy and language have informed and created culture throughout human history; Old English specialists can shepherd these connections throughout the undergraduate curriculum.