This work provides an analysis of how knowledge is constructed and defined by teachers and lecturers in schools and universities/colleges. It considers how everyday uses of reading, writing, numeracy and science are cast aside in favour of academic language and academic discourse, arguing that such discourses are alien to learners’ daily experiences and are, therefore, difficult to acquire and adopt. Chapters examine literacies of English, mathematics and science as practised in and outside schools and colleges. The book is interdisciplinary and multicultural, adopting perspectives from the UK, USA, South Africa, India, Brazil and Kenya. It should be of interest to a wide market of educationalists, including those involved in educational policy making, teacher education, cultural/multicultural studies, development studies, anthropology, and adult and continuing education.