Quora Answer: Is it Possible to be Able to Speak English but Not be Literate?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Is it possible to be able to speak English but unable to read or write it?” 

Your ability to speak a language is not related to your literacy in it.  Those are distinct skills.  In the same vein, it is possible to be able to read a language, but not understand it.  This happens when the language uses the same script as a language you already know.  Universal literacy is a recent phenomenon, and we take it for granted in developed countries.  In the past, we had populations where the majority of the population could not read and write.