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This study explored components of language comprehension (vocabulary, grammar, and higher-level language) skills for poor comprehenders in French immersion. We identified three groups of bilingual comprehenders (poor, average, and good) based on English reading performance and compared their language comprehension skills in English L1 and French L2. We also identified and compared English skills for three groups of monolingual comprehenders from English-stream programmes. Among both bilingual and monolingual learners, poor comprehenders performed significantly lower than good comprehenders on English vocabulary, morphological awareness, and inference. Bilingual poor comprehenders also differed from average comprehenders on English morphological awareness and inference. Similar results were found in French for the bilingual learners. Lower scores on French vocabulary and morphological awareness distinguished between bilingual poor and good comprehenders. Additionally, weaknesses in French semantics and inference distinguished between bilingual poor and good comprehenders and bilingual poor and average comprehenders. These results suggest that poor comprehenders share remarkably similar language characteristics in L1 and L2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van den Broek's landscape model explicitly posits sequences of moves during reading in real time. Two other models that implicitly describe sequences of processes during reading are tested in the present research. Coded think-aloud data from 24 undergraduate students reading scientific text were analysed with lag-sequential techniques to compare specific transitions and flexibility with transitions between students who gained much in learning from reading a passage ( n = 11) and those who gained little ( n = 13). Just before verbalising inferences, those who gained much verbalised vocabulary, background knowledge, and strategies significantly more than did those who gained little. Those who gained much showed more flexible patterns before verbalising strategies and vocabulary, but rigid patterns just before inferences, whereas those who gained little showed the opposite pattern. Results both support and point out weaknesses in contemporary theories of reading comprehension and may explain some results from classroom experimental work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about literacy skills of an important adult population: educationally and economically disadvantaged young adults. This exploratory study used principal components analysis of 33 measures of reading subskills, spelling, maths, memory and other cognitive processes among 335 at-risk 16- to 24-year-olds enrolled in a career and technical education programme. The analysis yielded a five-component model explaining 69% of the variance in the data. Most of this variance was attributed to two components: element and word skills (including spelling) and language comprehension (including vocabulary). Using these components, models predicting two performance criterion measures yielded different results. A model using all five components predicted 51% of functional reading measured by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System. A three-component model with element and word skills, language comprehension and processing speed predicted 55% of variance in reading comprehension measured by the Test of Adult Basic Education. Implications of these findings for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]