When I think about literacy, it means understanding. I think that there are many types of literacy out there, especially in our information society where people have access to so much more information.  For example, I consider myself to be computer literate, literate in reading and writing, but hopelessly Spanish illiterate. If I were in France on vacation, I could not interpret the signs, could not read a map, and could not ask for directions; but I could become French literate if I chose to study and practice.  Becoming literate in any area takes work, and for some, it comes easier than it does for others.  I have a knack for understanding computer hardware and software; yet writing a creative literary piece sends me running for cover.   So to be literate, in whatever area, means having an understanding which also involves being able to communicate with others about it.