Survey Finds 1 in 20 Lack Basic English Skills

A study recently released by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy finds that 11 million U.S. adults lack basic English skills. Out of the 11 million "non-literate" in English, it's estimated that 4 million can't speak English and the remaining 7 million can't answer basic written questions. According to USAToday.com, this means approximately 1 in 20 American adults "can't read a newspaper, understand the directions on a bottle of pills or carry on a basic conversation."

Making reference to the "No Child Left Behind Act", the director of the National Center for Family Literacy's Hispanic Family Learning Institute stated that the study shows that "many adults are being left behind." Saying that, " One adult unable to read is one too many in America", Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has pledged that several federal agencies will coordinate adult education.

Read more about the study and its findings in the article on the USA Today Web site.