For Abby, English language learning specifically and education in general was seen as facilitating work. In 2003, Abby reported that learning English was important for her both to be able to retain her current job and to find better employment.
Her goals in education changed between 2004 and early 2006. In 2004 she reported that her educational goal was to receive a vocational-technical degree at a community college. However, in early 2006, that goal had changed to obtaining a high school equivalency, GED.
Although she needed to work to support herself, Abby steadily enrolled in English language courses. Since immigrating to the U.S. in 2003 until our last interview with her in early 2006, Abby had studied at local community colleges for at least 14 academic terms.
While studying was seen as a way to achieving diplomas (high school and community college) and better employment, Abby also faced pressure from her family situation to learning English. When asked how her family either helped or hindered her ability to learn English, Abby reported that her parents, somewhat desperately, have exhorted her to learn English because they are depending on her.
| I: | In what way does your family help you in your learning English? | |
| Abby: | My family? My mom and dad do not speak English. No, not much. | |
| I: | You don't think they help any? Do they encourage you to learn more? | |
| Abby: | Yes, they would say: Work hard! We are depending on you. We don't know [English]. | |
| I: | So they encourage you. | |
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Abby's standardized assessment scores show that she made steady progress in English language learning during the past four years, despite working and traveling between Portland and Salem.
In the classroom, Abby displayed hallmarks of a well-prepared and active learner. In her second term of classes, we can see how Abby was able to take organized notes on English vocabulary to help her learn (Click to View) (Requires Internet Explorer). She was also often a leader in participating in language learning tasks. These two clips from Abby's second and third terms of study respectively show her assigning interlocutors for a language learning task (Click to View) (Requires Internet Explorer) and asking her peer some preliminary questions to get her oriented to and started in their peer language learning task (Click to View) (Requires Internet Explorer).