Orality and Literacy: Walter J. Ong

This article concentrates on the connections between orality and writing, or, the similarities, as well as differences, between what we say and how we present it on the page. Language is overwhelmingly oral (7), and until recently, not much of our communication was put on the page. (This rings more true for some cultures than others.)

Most everyone is comfortable with his or her orality, at least in a society where people share the same orality. It is when we transfer those things spoken -- probably unconcsiously -- to the page that we might stumble. For instance, grammarians will be quick to point out the problems in spelling and grammar without looking at the context of the work.