2/8     For adult illiterates, how long does it usually take them to learn
        how to read/write...months? years?
        \_ Most adult illiterates aren't illiterate in the same sense as a
           child who is learning from scratch.  They're "functionally
           illiterate" which means they can read a few words or maybe simple
           phrases and probably know the alphabet but can't read and
           understand lengthy passages.  Time to learn depends on why they're
           like that.  Some learning disabilities are physical and not easily
           overcome but a poor education as a child won't slow them as an
           adult.
           \_ But a child has many more hours per day to learn something than
              an adult.  An adult has to work, or do the housework, or take
              care of the kids, etc.
                \_ But the child isn't spending any more time than the adult
                   and also doesn't have the cultural background an adult has
                   to understand the context of the words.  Given the same
                   time an adult will become functionally literate before a
                   child if the adult is illiterate due to poor education and
                   not mental/physical disability that hinders learning.