The Key Role of Coding in Literacy Development
To achieve full literacy, all literacy skills must be developed together and equally: reading, writing, listening, speaking, and comprehension. If students are not being taught all of these skill areas together and in full integration, then illiteracy develops.
Linguists have consistently emphasized these areas of literacy in terms of second-language learning or multilanguage learning. Often, students who are learning a second or third language have better literacy skills than other students because of this. Yet, they are often thought of as performing at a lower level than other students and are excluded in some school systems from higher-order thinking challenges.
In a 2017 article, I address the changing literacy that new and newer technology brings and how meaning is deciphered differently by users compared to non-users. Additionally, the article discusses the differences between younger and older people in terms of how they understand what is meant in various technology environments. What is interesting too is how coding can support a wider literacy development overall.
Coding's Impact on Language Development
All languages support literacy development due to the skills required to use language. For years, linguists have discussed the importance of developing all aspects of literacy when learning a second language. Teachers of ESL have studied the importance of integrating all literacy skills in order for students to learn the language more efficiently. Now, with the rise in coding teaching and learning, it is becoming apparent that, because coding involves "computer languages," literacy skills are benefiting as a result, and literacy itself is becoming a wider-scoped set of skills and with an increased benefit across all disciplines.
"Computer literacy" and now "digital literacy" may or may not include direct knowledge of coding, but do address forms of literacy that are developing as a result of the growing use of technology. The knowledge of how to use computers well, as well as the various benefits of digital tools and environments, are increasingly important for all learners, particularly in preparation for future employment.
In general, these literacies help to develop thinking skills, logical reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, and innovation. All of these skills benefit many areas of work. The actual languages used in coding, however, also specifically develop language skills as they serve the same function as any language — to convey meaning to computers and users. They also require being able to manipulate the code to more directly and effectively communicate with computers in order to benefit the end result.
Therefore, literacy is expanding to include other thinking and reasoning skills. Social linguists have long emphasized the social importance of language, emphasizing that language should not be learned in a vacuum but with a useable social context. The same is true of the expanded new literacy: While including conventional literacy development and use, it also expands to include digital literacy or "new literacy," as it is often referred to. In a Nord Anglia (2020) article, the author explains as one of five benefits to learning coding that they list:
"Our ability to quickly pick up complex or technical tasks diminishes with age. For example, the older you become the harder it is to learn a new language.
"The same goes for technology use and, more precisely, coding. Today, the importance of learning to code rivals even that of reading and writing. It's a core skill that can help a child develop a deeper understanding of how technology works. Given the extent to which technology shapes our lives, learning to code helps develop a better understanding of the world around us."