What is Literacy?

Literacy is a key part of our survival in the every day world. But how do we define literacy? Is it being able to read words on a page, pass a test, or do you need to be able to communicate with others and understand what you are reading and doing. I would argue the last point. I think it is almost impossible to survive in a community where you cannot understand and interact with those around you.
This then raises another important question: What makes you smart? Does not being able to communicate make you stupid? It is important to consider, especially when dealing with ESL, students that just because they may be unable to communicate in English, this does not mean they cannot excel in other areas. As a teacher it is extremely important to consider the different needs of every child in your classroom. If a child is an ESL student, you may need to communicate with them in a way that is literate for them. For example, the Youtube video "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan, is a wordless video that clearly tells a story using the pictures. One is able to follow the story line of the man who leaves his family in a foreign country to deal with the hardships of finding a job and surviving in the United States. Someone does not have to be able to read at all to be able to follow this storyline. It can be spoken about and described in any language. The use of pictures might be a good example for a teacher with ESL students.
In conclusion, it seems that literacy can be defined in many different forms, and as a teacher, it is your job to decide what methods and definitions work best for the students in your classroom.