A Comparison of the Language Skills of ELLs and Monolinguals Who Are Poor Decoders, Poor Comprehenders, or Normal Readers

SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com

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15

Comparative Analysis; Language Skills; English Language Learners; Decoding (Reading); Reading Comprehension; Reading Skills; Oral Language; Native Speakers; English; Grade 5; Elementary School Students; Cognitive Ability; Syntax; Vocabulary; Listening Comprehension; Foreign Countries; Longitudinal Studies; Phonological Awareness

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals; Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; Raven Progressive Matrices; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; Wide Range Achievement Test; Woodcock Reading Mastery Test

10.1177/0022219412466651

0022-2194

The overall objective of this article is to examine how oral language abilities relate to reading profiles in English language learners (ELLs) and English as a first language (EL1) learners, and the extent of similarities and differences between ELLs and EL1s in three reading subgroups: normal readers, poor decoders, and poor comprehenders. The study included 100 ELLs and 50 EL1s in Grade 5. The effect of language group (ELL/EL1) and reading group on cognitive and linguistic skills was examined. Except for vocabulary, there was no language group effect on any measure. However, within ELL and EL1 alike, significant differences were found between reading groups: Normal readers outperformed the two other groups on all the oral language measures. Distinct cognitive and linguistic profiles were associated with poor decoders and poor comprehenders, regardless of language group. The ELL and EL1 poor decoders outperformed the poor comprehenders on listening comprehension and inferencing. The poor decoders displayed phonological-based weaknesses, whereas the poor comprehenders displayed a more generalized language processing weakness that is nonphonological in nature. Regardless of language status, students with poor decoding or comprehension problems display difficulties with various aspects of language.

As Provided

85

2014

EJ1019764