The article discusses functional literacy as a concept referring to the condition of people or societies that use written language. It recovers the origins of the concept and its several applications, even those that are divergent. It also points out the principal theoretical and methodological problems implicated in the research on the theme. It affirms most current tendencies that consider literacy as multidimensional and the importance of considering practical and ideological contexts in which uses of writing and reading occur. It describes, in general terms, the methodological options of a study that is taking place in Latin America in which a group of Brazilian researchers are participating.
