The whole notion of what constitutes literacy probably needs to be reexamined as it applies to the linguistic cultures of this area. In the west, the prevailing conception of literacy has emphasized impromptu or reactive skills of (relatively simple) reading and writing. But in linguistic cultures where routine memorization of long oral texts is a fact of life, along with the ability to refer to, consult commentaries about, and recite long portions of these memorized texts, the ability simply to read and write may be regarded as comparatively insignificant.