I feel successful in how I was given the tools to learn to read and build on my selfesteem that I can grow and be helpful to my family first and through that then be able to go out and help others. Peter

In spite of this new self-image, practitioners and programs must be sensitive to the use of the word “illiteracy,” in the presence of adult learners who become distressed by the label “illiterate,” even when it is indirectly applied. As Paula explains:

When I was in the Program, I was upset about the name Center for Literacy. We are not illiterate. We just have a part of us that doesn’t function. Illiterate means a person that can’t do anything. We can do a lot of things except pick up a book and go from the front to the back. We have women that can’t read but can do hair and men who can’t read but can fix cars. So we are not illiterate.

The Pressure to Complete

The pressure to complete also impacts upon learners and programs. After years of frustration, participants who experience success in learning are anxious to persist in their studies. Fifty-five percent of basic literacy participants and 14 percent of participants who enrolled at ESL, ABE or GED levels spent between three and 11 years in ABLE programs. At the same time, adult education programs are being pressured to provide participants with educational upgrading in a minimal timeframe. Participants from literacy, ESL and GED programs pleaded for patience; patience on the part of tutors, teachers and stakeholders. Marcia, who began as a basic reader and now works as a teacher’s aide with HMR students. She talks about the importance of having patience as she addresses the role of tutors working with basic literacy students.

I know that they’re volunteers and I know they are in a program to help others, but I need them to understand that they are there to help someone and not to give their knowhow. I think they need to take patience with students, and I think they need to know that they’re adults even though they might be getting material on very low levels...

We have been very smart people throughout our lives, we need to have someone that is caring and understands and listens to us because for the first time in our lives we are admitting to another person, we don’t read. We need to know that that in the beginning of our tutoring, we are actually touching base with the tutor of trust. We need to know that if we can trust that person, we can learn from that person. Maybe they need to take their time on some things. A lot of tutors think they have so many hours (maybe 50 hours), and they want to rush through something, and that is not always the way to do it. Be patient.

Benny was concerned about the pace of ESL instruction. He believes the pressure to get people ready for work must be tempered in order to take into account participants’ age and psychological burdens.

Well, the people in my school, in their own country, they never learned how to write, to read, or to speak the language. The teachers work with those people to teach them reading, writing, and how to speak the language. The people need to be taught to get ready to go to work. They don’t understand how hard it is for those people who come to the school to learn reading, writing, and the language. Sometimes they don’t understand. They want to push the people. Most of the people now are writing, reading, and speaking the language. They need more time. It’s harder. It’s different.