How extensive is the problem of low literacy in non-native speakers of English?
• Of the 28.4 million people with a non-English background, 22% said that they could only read and write in their own language and 35% were identified as functionally illiterate. This includes those who are literate in their native language but are unable to take tests in English. (Source: 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey) • Nationally, 27.8% of individuals with Hispanic origins who are 25 years of age or older have less than a 9th grade education, and another 16.1% have not finished high school (a total of 43.9% for Hispanics), whereas only a total of 12.3% of white, non-Hispanics 25 years of age or older have less than a 9th grade education or failed to complete high school. (Source: March 1999 Census Data) • Minority populations, and especially those for whom English is a second language, are more likely to be functionally or marginally illiterate. (Source: 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey) • Adults who are functionally or marginally illiterate are more likely than those perfo
