Tso!

International Baccalaureate Extended Essay

IB English & Literature II

To what extent does possessing literary skills affect the course of a persons life, particularly in
third-world countries?

By: Deion Tso

29 February 2016
Navajo Preparatory School
Abstract Word Count: 232
Essay Word Count: 3,600
Candidate Number: 0022

Supervisors Name: Mrs. Cheryl Wolfe

Tso!2

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

15

Bibliography

16

Tso!3
Abstract
Within this essay, the primary topic of discussion is to address the influence of how
previous studies were interpreted before illiteracy evolved into a global issue. While reading,
there are both excerpts and samples of how literacy has affected an individual and the extent of
the possible change. In this essay, the word change has been used to include, but not limited:
signing of papers, legal consultant, advisor, and leader. The overall main goal of the investigation
is to investigate and determine the outcome of the question of how reading plays a critical roles
in everyday lives. Particularly for individuals who live third-world countries. In an unlikely turn
of events, it was determined that the gender of individuals also plays a major role in the outcome
of a persons life. That in the inclusion of how gender affects an individuals education, it was
concluded that one of the two genders is actually more dedicated that the latter. That the
availability of literacy was determined by regionalism of the local people. Also, in the process
between the years of 1960s through the 1990s, there would be two countries that would aid in
the collecting of data as to why there were certain regions, which had greater associations with
available schooling in the area. Toward the ending, there is a quote that goes by, Making it easy
and making it necessary,

Tso!4
Introduction
Reading, one of the few basic tools that most people will learn in their lifetime. Tool of
which that has long since been underrated. By this I mean that according to the 2010 census
conducted by the United Nations Education and Scientific and Cultural Organization, found that
the global literacy rate has grown to 84 percent. Even with this statistic, there is still the
underlying fact that there are individuals in the world, whom are not literate. Not only does being
illiterate mean that a person is not able to read, but is also unable to perform simple daily tasks.
Such examples are that of basic signage, medical labels, and job applications. Between the years
of 1990 to 2000 the equivalent of the United States population, an estimated 360 million, people
learned how to read. (Hammer) Within the total amount of people who do not know how to read,
it is an estimated two-thirds are woman, most likely for the reason being that males are the
preferred choice for schooling. (Hammer) Perhaps an excellent point in that reading should be a
primary goal is expressed in a quote: When you educate a woman, you educate a village; when
you educate a man, you educate an individual, (Hammer) In this quote, when a single woman is
educated, the knowledge she possess does not simply stay with her, but the knowledge she
gained is passed to those around her. Which is n stack contrast to the male side of the situation,
for when a man gains knowledge, he the become an individual. Albeit the information is drawn
from a single source, the significance of this issue of illiteracy in the world can not be underrated
no can it be ignored.
Body

Tso!5
In different respects, many things are taken for granted, especially within the region of
First-world countries. Which would help to explain as to why in 1986, the Swedish Interactional
Development Authority (SIDA), would being their research about the correlation to review the
different aspects of education and the additional components that follow. (Lind, Johnston 3) The
reasoning behind this study was to determine whether or not there were either major or minor
gaps when coming up a definite definition of Literacy. The work that was conducted by SIDA
ranged from the years 1981-2000. The program that would come in to play was named,
Education for All, so that a case review could be done to determine if there was a possible way
to have a relevant and cost-effective primary school for young children. (Linda, Johnston 9)
Even with the gained understanding of how the possible eradication of illiteracy is seen as a
possibility, one man by the name of Daniel A. Wagner held a greatly different perspective on the
matter:
One prime reason for this paradox is that researchers have been motivated more by
theoretically derived questions than by research questions based on policy needs Thus
a great deal of time and effort has been expended on testing the advantages and
disadvantages of teaching through sounding-out (phonic) versus whole-word method
for English-speaking children, while only a fraction of effort has been used to study the
condition that lead individuals to seek literary training, the latter being critical
determinant in adult literacy programs. (Linda, Johnston 25)
It is clear that when reading over this concept to how literacy is an important aspect of living in
the modern age, D. Wagner held the belief that there is a difference between the ways of which
data had been collected. That the date was being not being used to assess the conditions of which

Tso!6
an individual could be seeking literary training, but was a tool to determine and interpret whether
or not the region being assessed held a stable literary program. When looking into the
interpretation made by Daniel A. Wagner referenced by the both Agneta Lind and Anton
Johnston, he had conducted previous work relating to the issue of how being literate in another
language other than the groups mother tongue had any profound effects on the groups ability to
be coherent. For within Wagners case study he had hypothesized that study in question would
help to develop three concepts. As his first concept, he proposed that for student in Third World
countries, there should be the availability of alternate forms of indigenous schooling. A
concept of which that has been previously ignored by development problems. Although his
second concept may be brief, it spoke of how in the literacy curriculum should be the product of
utilizing the language of the surrounding school systems. For his third concept, which was the
developed of the three, he discussed the policies and programmes in Third World Countries. In
the policies and programmes, only limited success has been achieved within the decades leading
up to research. The third concept was the one of the three that focused on the main goal of
bridging the gap between the language curriculum and the teachings of the indigenous cultures.
It should be acknowledge that during the study performed by Daniel Wagner, was conducted in
setting of Islamic schools. Which is where he came upon the fact of how due to the process of
which students learned in the Quranic oriented schools was different in the sense that when
compared to Pre-Renaissance formal European schools took up the form of religious instruction.
Which would constitute to the children becoming an apprentice to a mentor to continue possible
schooling. After the understating of Wagners view on his idea of Pre-Renaissance schooling, his
view of Quranic schooling would be a different viewpoint. That within regions that were led in

Tso!7
Quranic based schooling, children would only receive 3-5 years of schooling. In addition, not
only did the instructor of the children teach, but due to this literate capabilities, he is able to read
documents possibly pertaining to legal disputes. In this case, it would aide in the point being
made that being literate in your own language is helpful, especially when you are trusted in
taking care of legal paperwork within the respective village. (Wagner 4) Now that some points
have been pointed out as to why it is important or beneficial to be literate in your mother
language if possible. It is now time to acknowledge possible reasons as to why those who are
illiterate, do not possess the desire to become literate. Within the report of Agneta Lind and
Anton Johnston, both authors had included into their report, as to alleviate any possible bias,
possible reasons why illiterate individuals do not wish to become literate. Among the possible
reasons why individuals choose not to become literate is mainly due to three reasons. The first
being is that when a person becomes literate, those who are illiterate then become afraid of them.
Mainly due to the reason that when the individual was illiterate, the literate would then take
advantage of them through an assortment of means. The second being of utter embossment, for
when adults attempted to learn how to read, the phrase can not teach an old dog new tricks
came into play. For adults who tried and made mistakes were afraid of being made fun of and
would then begin to doubt their ability. The last reason was that in many countries education
and pain have been synonymous - the more pain, the more education. (Lind, Johnston 60)
It is important to realize that even though these three reasons do hold true as to why older
generation do not attempt to participate in learning a new language. The main cause is not the
person in question but, also the government of the country the individual is residing in. Most
likely, a great reason of why there is no attempt for gaining literacy, is due to the lack of

Tso!8
motivation in the people. Thus becoming a cycle of, one group not going forth until the second
group deems it ok. To an extent, it is similar in the sense of needing to give your own permission
to you own self before another individual s may proceed with their own agenda. Now which lead
us on and into this next quote:
"Because of the nature of the clientele the touch-stone of most literacy analysis is
motivation... The issue is not just the individual motivation, hut the motivation of the
government or agency concerned. Indeed the two are intimately connected, since it is the
apparent lack of individual motivation that impels literacy experts to concentrate on
motivation or commitment at the national level. Outside of the context of an ongoing
national campaign, it is undeniable that literacy is the one level of education in the Third
World where people are not clamouring for greater access or more provision." (Lind,
Johnston 60)
As stated and told before, there are three main reasons of which people will not attempt to learn a
new language. So it now time for a recap of how being literate is beneficial longer in life. That
the reasons for not learning is that the generalized fear of being tricked and swindled. The next
reason of why there is so much hesitation to learn how to read, is self-doubt that when older
generation do what to believe that they an learn a new language, the only thing holding
themselves from their full potential is their own thoughts. The third area of why older generation
do not attempt to read, is that receive knowledge there must be a type of punishment to aid in the
reinstatement that not even knowledge is free. Although the three previous points do exist and
hold valid ground of which they stand upon, there is a fourth barrier that third-world countries
must face in there daily lives.

Tso!9
all adult participants as well as teachers, had a positive attitude toward the adult
literacy literary programme, at least in the initial phase. They realize the importance of
such programmes, but in spite of this both enrollment and attendees are far form
satisfactory. The strongest barrier to motivation is poverty, since the potential learners
need to use all of their potential earning a living, they cannot spare sufficient time to
attend school. The programme moreover does not provide any immediate benefit, nor any
clear prospect of the future, and this is another major harrier. (Adult Literacy
Motivation)
In sense of needing to keep the topic balance of as to why some families simply can not go to
school, that does not stop some from having individual motivations for literacy. Some of the
personal motivations mantras are those that can be applied to and are the direct opposite of
what Third-world citizens feared in the previous reference of common fears. That the reasons,
older generations are determine to go to school is so that they will be able to help their own
children with homework, gaining a better job and high salary. strengthen the individual selfconfidence. For the person learning a new language, a huge plus that arises is that with
comprehensive knowledge of being literate, the risk of being cheated on calculations and
contracts are greatly reduced. It can be understood that those who know how to read, are not
going to be cheated at least once more in their lifetime, there are other motives that are at play.
That these motives are not only for the sake of the person, but also for the sake of others around
them. Some great examples given about a person who had persevered in becoming literate is now
aware of social rights and duties, participate in and influence social and political life, and the
strongest motivator is that the person can now improve their own social situation without relying

Tso!10
on others. Let it be known and taken into account that the situations that were explained and
discussed in pervious points were within the areas of a formal education, which included but not
limited to a teacher/mentor who was capable in providing the necessary tools for their students.
There is a man by the name of J.D. Ekundayo Thompson, who was a contributor to the debate of
Non-formal Education. As a contributor to the debate of Non-formal Education, there was both
the pro side of things, along with the cons also. For the debate of Non-formal Education was that
it was seen as a positive change in the curriculum of learning. The latter believed that this new
type of education could be used a a social control mechanism. As this paper rolls into the section
under J.D. Ekundayo Thompson, it must kept in mind that the benefits that have been explained
do vary from person to person and that the results told are not guaranteed.
The topics of which J.D. Ekundayo Thompson explained about is the incorporation of Nonformal Education. Which was the idea that all major problems, particularly in third-world
countries, would step-by-step solve themselves if every person had the right
education (Thompson 17) In order to better explain the points case he made about Non-formal
Education, Thompson divide his own opinions into three categories. The three groups he would
utilize to aide in the persuasion of his Non-formal education were: Positive Change Argument,
Social Control Agreement, and Contextual Agreement. (Thompson 17, 18) When first conceived
on using this plan as a way to help in the process of people become literate, there were some
major faults. The first major fault to be found was that the education can not be separated from
the social, cultural, and human factors of development. On the grounds that should eduction be
separate from the other aspects ti would leave humans as bewildered humans. The next
component that Thompson would discuss would be the Social Control Argument component.

Tso!11
Within this component, it is when economic and political problems of development obscure the
pathway for education. In the last component of his three part idea, it comes down to the
Contextual Argument, that in order to have grow as a nation, the first areas of learning should be
in the rural areas. A conflict with this idea is that even though it does have potential, the situation
of which a school often results in would render the aftermath appalling. Additionally, with the
idea of Contextual Argument, it has been thought out that should this idea gain momentum, it
runs the risk of accidentally excluding those that are categorized as run-aways, street-urchins,
and the homeless., Should this possible pathway become an actuality, then it would defeat the
purpose of Education for all. Thus concluding on the information that D.J. Ekundayo
Thompson has provided.
It is important that this research scope go back and delve a bit further in the the work of Agneta
Lind and Anton Johnston. The research question of this essay was, To what extent does
possessing the ability to read affect a person chance to succeed, especially in third-world
countries? In addition to the issue of whether or not knowing how to read is important but also
the motivational drive behind the individual along with with stimuli increase said persons ability
in gaining the skin of literacy.
When both Agneta Lind and Anton Johnston began examining the research obtained by he
Individual Motivation for Literacy, is was concluded that the success of adults becoming literate
was placed on one thing, Motivation (Lind, Johnston 59) Within this exercise that the two
performed, the results were contradictory. Since in the beginning most of the motivation for
learning is either weak or feeble. Except, that the experiment was allowed to be carried our fully,
there was a surprise reaction, that when adults begin to take an interest in becoming literate, the

Tso!12
other begin to follow. , Experience shows that it is more or less futile to try to promote literacy...
until keen interest in learning to read and write has been awakened. (Lind, Johnston 59) In
addition to the experiment of literacy, both Agneta Lind and Anton Johnston used a poem by the
Director of the National Institute of Adult Education in India to use a a base point when judging
the comprehension skills of new readers. Some of the excerpts are listed below:

We joined the literacy classes before. But after some time. we got wise.
We felt cheated. So we left the classes.

We agree to join the classes

if you teach us how not to depend
On others any more.
We should be able to read simple books,
keep our own accounts, write letters
and read and understand newspapers.
One more thing -
why do our teacher feel so superior?
They behave as if we were ignorant fools,
as if we wen: little children.

Treat us like adults.

Behave with us as friends.
And yet, something more -
we don't get a square meal.
We have few clothes.
We don't have a proper shelter.
And, to top it all. floods come and wash away
everything, then comes a long spell of drought. drying up everything.
Would it help us if we became literate?
Can literacy help us live
a hole better? some a little less?

Tso!13

Would we get better seeds. fertilizer and all the water

we need? Would we get proper wages?

If all this is thine. all of us

will join the literacy classes, it will then be learning to live a better life.

But if we find out that we are

being duped again
with empty promise.
we will stay away from you
("ERIC - Adult Literacy in the Third World: A Review of Objectives and Strategies.,
1990.)

Usually, there had been some campaigns that had some small-scale massive dropouts These
small massive dropouts had no effect on the amount of people who were and had been attending
the greater scale of literacy schools. A real life situation that would apply here occurred in during
the era of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), that the citizens of Russia who were
indeed illiterate had the choice of either learning how to read or face the loss of you job. (Lind,
Johnston 65) In addition to this fact, one of the key components that was included was the
learning how to read should be, Making it easy and making it necessary.
What was found to be staggering was a that in certain Africa countries, such as Zimbabwe and
Zambia an average of 75 % of men participated in learning how to become literate. Albeit that
both Agneta Lind and Anton Johnston researched this topic, there was a surprising result. That
the result found that although the illiteracy rate was higher among women than men, it was found
that woman had a higher attendance rate than the men. When further investigation was
conducted, it was found that the reasoning behind this occurrence was that although women were

Tso!14
in high attendance, the attendance has highly irregular. Even so, the more woman joined the
more knowledge would be passed down. As stated in the introduction of Kate Hammers quote,
When you educate a woman, you educate a village; when you educate a man, you educate an
individual, For when woman learns to read, she is not the only one to succeed but also her
village, here are some examples:
A.

the desire to help children to study. Ibis is one of the most commonly-declared
motives for literacy expressed by women learners. Moreover, when women are
forced to refrain from participating in literacy, they often translate their motivation
into a wish to have their children in school. (Hammer)

B.

more self-reliance and control over personal life. Recently women on the south coast
of Kenya explained the advantages of having learnt to read, write, and calculate by
referring to their new abilities to sign their names, to travel, control money transactions, read medical prescriptions and instructions, and their resulting feeling of
pride and self-reliance. (Hammer)

C.

liberation from isolation and absolute submission to received authority. (Hammer)

D. the wish to be actors in society in the same way as men. There are several interesting
experiences, particularly in the context of social transformation and political
mobilization for literacy and equality between women and men, showing the
importance for women of coming together through literacy participation to dis- cuss
common problems. (Hammer)
From these examples, it is shown the benefits of how learning how to read is actually an
extremely valuable skill. Especially for women who make the extreme effort to attend classes

Tso!15
and share the knowledge among her village. It is from this commitment that is also a factor that
deems whether or not she is deemed as successful.
Conclusion
To conclude my essay on the topic of To what extent does possessing the ability to read
affect a person chance to succeed, especially in third-world countries?. We have looked at the
results of what occurs when a person, particularly the African countries where women are the
ones who do their utmost attempt to get into school, so that one day the knowledge gained will
be passed on for generations. For the fact that in the quotes I used in the essay above, women are
the one who are the ones to go far and make the most her decisions. The answer to my
knowledge question is that it is true, when a person becomes literate in what is categorized as a
third-world country the individual is better off. Granted it does not play along with what is
deemed as successful by Western standards, the individual is better off knowing how to read.

Tso!16
Bibliography
Adult Education Handbook. Dar-Des-Salaam: Tanzania Publ. House, 1973. Print.
Adult Literacy Motivation: A survey on adult education in Bangladesh. 1979. Dhaka: FREDP.
Bruce, Christine Susan. "Information Literacy as a Catalyst for Educational Change A
Background Paper." (2004): 8-19. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
"ERIC - Adult Literacy in the Third World: A Review of Objectives and Strategies., 1990." ERIC
- Adult Literacy in the Third World: A Review of Objectives and Strategies., 1990. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
Gorman, Thomas P. Language and Literacy: Current Issues and Research. Thran: International
Institute for Adult Literacy Methods, 1977. Print.
Hammer, Kate. Global Rate of Adult Literacy: 84 per Cent, but 775 Million People Still Can't
Read." The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 07 Sept. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
Hanemann, Ulrike. Advancing Literacy: A Review of LIFE 2006 - 2009 Literacy Initiative for
Empowerment. 3rd ed. Hamburg: UNESCO Inst. for Lifelong Learning, 2009. Print.
Lind, Agneta, and Anton Johnston. Adult Literacy in the Third World: A Review of Objectives
and Strategies. Stockholm: Swedish International Development Authority, 1990. Print.
Thompson, J.D. Ekuyandayo. Curriculum in Non-Formal Education. Rep. N.p.: African
Association for Literacy and Adult Education, n.d. Web.
Wagner, Daniel A. INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AND LITERACY IN THE THIRD WORLD
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CULTURAL RESOURCES FOR LITERACY TRAINING.
Philadelphia: U or Pennsylvania, 1984. Print.
95. (n.d.): n. pag. 1995. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.