Dimensions of Discourse-Level Oral Language Skills and Their Relations to Reading Comprehension and Written Composition

We examined the relations of discourse-level oral language skills (i.e., listening comprehension, and oral retell and production of narrative texts [oral retell and production hereafter]) to reading comprehension and written composition. Korean-speaking first grade students (N = 97) were assessed on listening comprehension, oral retell and production, word reading, spelling, handwriting fluency as well as reading comprehension and written composition. Listening comprehension, and oral retell and production tasks were best described as having a bi-factor structure, capturing a general discourse-level oral language construct as well as unique listening comprehension and oral retell constructs which are not explained by the general discourse-level oral language skill. The general discourse-level oral language skill was related to reading comprehension whereas listening comprehension and oral retell were not. Although positive in direction, the general discourse-level oral language skill did not reach the conventional statistical significance in relation to writing quality. These findings suggest that the general discourse-level oral language skill underlying listening comprehension, and oral retell and production tasks is important for reading comprehension, and unique listening comprehension and oral retell skills that are not subsumed to the general discourse-level oral language skill do not independently contribute to reading comprehension.