Written by : Rea Ann Londres & Arnie Lyn Quinanahan
Orality and literacy are different forms of communication that are widely used nowadays. Even before the advent of technology, written and oral forms of communication have already been practiced by a lot of people worldwide. Although orality existed way before literacy, only a few of its developments have been actually recorded which lead to some of it being forgotten. It was during the discovery of literacy that communication has taken a more concrete form. Although there had been arguments regarding which of the two is better, we think that no culture is better or inferior than the other. Each has its own strengths on certain occasions which makes it more appropriate to use. In terms of its preservation, literacy is more efficient. Oral cultures tend to rely on the human mind to retain memories of events and word of mouth in order to preserve the culture, making it vulnerable to revisions. Literacy, on the other hand made it possible for people to have a substantial object to read on. In terms of expression of emotions before a crowd, orality is more appropriate. Verbal communication allows you to word out your emotions more clearly and emphasize on certain terms you need to bring more attention to. It takes less time and is therefore more spontaneous. Literacy on the other hand, requires more time and is therefore more tedious to prepare, ensuring that lesser mistakes are committed. Also, the form of communication that we use varies depending on the distance of persons involved. Verbal Communication is more appropriate for people who are nearer each other, while letters and emails are usually used by those situated farther away. Although the two are separate areas in the field of communication, both coexist in order to facilitate exchange of ideas and information more efficiently. In the end, it still depends on you and on your understanding of which really is better.
Uttered Notion 