Teenagers and young adults: Putting reading in its place

Abstract

Firstly, literacy practices are situated among the other cultural practices of teenagers, on a basis of research data in sociological, psychological and didactical fields. This enables an illustration of specific features of the relations this group have with literacy. Then research results are related concerning reading practices in general and reading literature in particular. Who proposes reading to which teenagers? Which texts are proposed? Through what medium? What kind of reading strategy is implemented? Moreover, who reads? What sort of literature? With what benefits? Finally, writing is treated. In this area little research data is available, therefore an attempt is made to summarise what is known about young peoples writing practices, using the few available surveys. It should be noted that a researcher who is interested in the literacy practices of today's young people has to take into account the fact that the internet and computers are new tools which aid and encourage reading and writing, and that they create new conditions of literacy practice.