Oral language is a critical component to the development of reading acquisition. Much of the research concerning the relationship between oral language and reading ability is focused on children, while there is a paucity of research focusing on this relationship for adults who struggle with their reading. Oral language as defined in this paper includes: phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary, syntactic knowledge, listening comprehension, and dialect. Definitions of each of these constructs are provided. We explore the research on each aspect of oral language and its relationship to reading in adults who have low reading skills. Overall, adults who have difficulty with reading often have difficulty with oral language skills. Suggestions for instructors of Adult Basic Education classes are discussed.