Investigating a Case Study of a Literacy Learner Essay

Investigating a Case Study of a Literacy Learner - Essay Example Asked about her educational background, she gave confusing answers as to what level she finished school, because she mentioned something about earning a certificate to be a primary school teacher. She kept saying â€Å"grade 2 teacher†, and it was unclear if she meant she can only teach second grade or â€Å"grade 2† was a level of skill in Nigeria. Sarah understands that learning the English language well will open many doors for her. Being a second language, she admits difficulty in mastering it because back home, she uses her native language which is Yoruba. Her parents are illiterate people and she does not speak English to them. She adjusts her language to the people she relates to. If her friends understand English, then she speaks to them in English, but if not, then she resorts to her native language. She enrolled in the current class to further her skills in the English language. She knows that her vocabulary skills will improve with reading books and if there are words she does not understand, then she refers to a dictionary to check its meaning and how it should be pronounced. Her use of language can sometimes be unclear due to the run-on sentences she attempts to express. Her listener can get lost in comprehending what she means. Sometimes, she contradicts herself. She said â€Å"I don’t borrow any story book . I borrow my English, vocabulary yes†. It might be confusion on her part on the proper use of the English language, as she may be trying to translate what she wants to say from her native language. She admits, â€Å"I try for example I try to speak more than the way I am to have more knowledge in English to improve in order to further my education because for any step I want to take English is desiring me for that.†. Although to her listener, she may seem to say the say things in the same sentence, one needs to consider that it may be the way she emphasizes a point in her native Yoruba. To English speakers, it may sound too wordy and somehow nonsensical, but to Sarah it might make perfect sense. . Still, her interview provides much information on her yearning to improve herself, to reach her dream of becoming a nurse. It also reflects on how she treats people. From her explanation of her work experience, she enables people to be independent and not to be stagnant, and she would do anything to help them. She is indeed a lifelong learner and encourages others to be the same. Her overwhelming desire to optimize her potentials makes her move towards her goals, and she tries to overcome potential impediments such as work or busy schedules. The motivation to learn is affected by the reinforcements to learning namely intrinsic motivation or the inner drive to learn which leads to personal fulfillment; extrinsic motivation, which consists of rewards such as high grades or a prize for performing well; social reinforcement, an example of which is praise and approval from significant persons in an individual's life; and achievement, or the attaining of the learning goal. Having an interplay of the four kinds of reinforcement is the most effective way to motivate a learner to pursue more knowledge and acquire more skills (Stoll, L., Fink, D. & Earl, L., 2003). From the interview, Sarah’s main motivation is to be a nurse so she can continue enabling ot hers. Her journey to learning is more intrinsically motivated. Even how she assesses her improvement is intrinsic, as she said, â€Å"You know that when you love something you have to put all your effort because you are looking to achieve something on it, you have to put your effort how difficult it is you have to continue. When it’