When people are ill, they want to know what is happening to them and how they can get better. Current health policies support patients' access to health information and encourage them to take part in decisions regarding their health. But little is known about how patients learn and the difficulties they may encounter in the process. This paper…

Based on a qualitative study of Latin American adults enrolled in a California English as a second language (ESL) program, this article examines the ways in which gender as a social construct mediates learners' decisions and opportunities to learn English. In narratives audiotaped during life-history interviews, participants shared their varying…