‘Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word’
The article surprisingly puts forward an unexpected idea that the ‘written word’ and the ’skill of writing’ itself is an advanced technology. As Ong (1982) stated, ‘the most momentous of all human technological inventions’. Today, writing is second nature to humans, yet it is forgotten that this skill is acquired from learning whilst developing at a young age. Yes, humans also learn how to speak. However, talking is almost natural to the human body.’By contrast with natural, oral speech, writing is completely artificial. There is no way to write naturally’. Ong 1982The numerous examples given depicting the evolution of writing, from it’s thought origins of the Mesopotomian cuneiform 3500 BC to today’s printed words in the form of on-line articles were also interesting. Ong mentions that throughout time, the written word has progressed from pictures and characters to the use of the alphabet.
