Adult education programs must increasingly serve non-native speakers of English, many of whom are neither literate in their native language nor in English. It is suggested that first language literacy promotes second language acquisition and that literacy skills in the native language are likely to transfer to the second language. This digest defines the central cognitive and psycholinguistic tenets inherent in the native language literacy approach and provides, social, cultural, and political justification for the approach. Instructional delivery models for initial literacy and other literacy program models are described. It is concluded that more research on the results of the different approaches to teaching English-as-a-Second-Language literacy skills is needed. Such research should consider not only the pedagogical and linguistic factors involved in the education of adults, but also the social and political implications of bilingualism and biliteracy with regard to equal opportunities and full participation in society. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (LET)