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This very first comprehensive book-length reference guide dealing with older adult education is not only current on theoretical developments but also on the latest programs, policies, and research. It is unique in placing the subject of lifelong learning into historical perspectives, discussing ways ...

This very first comprehensive book-length reference guide dealing with older adult education is not only current on theoretical developments but also on the latest programs, policies, and research. It is unique in placing the subject of lifelong learning into historical perspectives, discussing ways in which programs have been transformed over the last 15 to 20 years, and in considering the impact of institutional policies on older adult education. Computer and electronic learning programs, research and programs dealing with intergenerational education, and future prospects in the field are surveyed also. Appendixes describe important organizations, programs, sources of information, state tuition waiver policies, and other guidelines and data. Relevant statistics, research findings, numerous tables, original documents, and anecdotes relating experiences of older learners further enrich this state-of-the-discipline reference guide for academic, professional, and public libraries and broad audiences of teachers, students, professionals, and general readers concerned with education and older adults.

Illegal Alphabets and Adult Biliteracy--based on four years of intensive fieldwork in a small rural community in Southern Illinois--is a landmark work in the area of adult literacy, combining insights from linguistics, anthropology, literacy studies, and education in a culturally situated ...

Illegal Alphabets and Adult Biliteracy--based on four years of intensive fieldwork in a small rural community in Southern Illinois--is a landmark work in the area of adult literacy, combining insights from linguistics, anthropology, literacy studies, and education in a culturally situated exploration of the language and literacy practices of migrant workers. As such, it is a substantive contribution to the linguistic study of indigenous literacies; to sociocultural approaches to language, learning, and literacy; and to ethnographic and critical approaches to education. The book begins with a true story about "illegal aliens" who, in the summer of 1980, in the town of Cobden, Illinois, decided to help each other write down English como de veras se oye--the way it really sounds. The focus is on why and how they did this, what they actually wrote down, and what happened to their texts. The narrative then shifts to how and why the strategies adult immigrants actually use in order to cope with English in the real world seem to have little in common with those used by students in publicly funded bilingual and ESL classrooms. The book concludes with a discussion of the ideal of a universal alphabet, about the utopian claim that anyone can use a canonical set of 26 letters to reduce to script any language, ever spoken by anyone, anywhere, at any time. This claim is so familiar that it is easy to overlook how much undocumented intellectual labor was invested over the centuries by those who successfully carried the alphabet across the border from one language to the next. From this undocumented labor, without which none of us would now be able to read, everyone profits. To make his story and his argument as accessible as possible, Kalmar steers clear of jargon and excessive technical terminology. At the same time, however, readers who are familiar with any of the current postmodern discourses on the social construction of symbolic forms will be able to bring such discourses to bear on what he has to say about the game, the discourse, and the scene of writing that constitute the focus of his theoretical analysis. When people today argue about "illegal aliens" in the United States, probably the last question on their minds is the one to which this book is devoted: how do "illegal aliens" use an alphabet they already know in order to chart the speech sounds of colloquial English? It is the author's hope that readers will interpret his story as a parable with serious political implications. Illegal Alphabets and Adult Biliteracy is a compelling, vitally relevant book for researchers, students, practitioners, and anyone else interested in language and literacy in social, cultural, and political contexts, including bilingual and ESL education, second-language acquisition and development, applied and sociolinguistics, multicultural education, educational anthropology, and qualitative research.

Adults have been and remain marginalized in academic institutions because of the persistence of a deeply rooted culture bias. This work analyzes the current state of the adult student experience in higher education, exploring the organizational, instructional, and interpersonal barriers that adults ...

Adults have been and remain marginalized in academic institutions because of the persistence of a deeply rooted culture bias. This work analyzes the current state of the adult student experience in higher education, exploring the organizational, instructional, and interpersonal barriers that adults face in reaching their educational goals. Using applied critical and postmodern theory, the author explores the hypothesis that adults are "at-risk" in higher education settings because of such bias. The book includes an extensive review and critique of the literature and of contemporary adult programs and practices. In addition, adult students' personal accounts of their academic experiences are presented. This study not only reveals the nature and scope of the obstacles faced by adult students, but begins to suggest tangible ways students and educators can work to overcome them.

This work examines the important role of learning in maintaining the health, quality of life, and longevity of older adults, and in providing opportunities for them to take on new roles in society. Based on extensive interviews with elderlearners and with learning services providers across the ...

This work examines the important role of learning in maintaining the health, quality of life, and longevity of older adults, and in providing opportunities for them to take on new roles in society. Based on extensive interviews with elderlearners and with learning services providers across the country, Elderlearners includes the results of the first comprehensive survey on the topic of adult learning in men and women over age 55. The authors provide key data on the sources, topics, and extent of the current learning activities of older adults, as well as on their preferred learning modes.