Literacy is the second volume of the Encyclopedia of Language and Education, the first attempt to overview an area which has emerged as a coherent and exciting field of study in the last two decades. While forming part of a series of ten volumes, Literacy also stands on its own, drawing on some state-of-the-art reviews of current concerns in the study of literacy prepared by leading writers and researchers. The book is organised in three main sections: Literacies and Social Theory, Literacies and Social Institutions and Living Literacies – Social and Cultural Experience. The approach is multidisciplinary, drawing on insights from fields as diverse as anthropology and computer science, sociolinguistics and psychology. The international flavour of the volume is reflected not only in the choice of contributors from nine different countries but also in the emphasis throughout on the impact of globalization on our understanding of literacy.