Three Foci of an Effective High School Generation 1.5 Literacy Program

Abstract

There is an increasing amount of research and discussion about the characteristics and learning needs of “Generation 1.5.” These learners share characteristics of both first‐ and second‐generation immigrants; they have grown up and been educated in the United States, but live in homes where English is not the primary language. They often have considereable fluency in social English but less fluency in academic language. To date, most research focused on the Generation 1.5 population has considered college and adult levels. However, the needs of Generation 1.5 high school students must be considered in light of how curriculum, learning strategies, and teaching strategies affect their literacy development. This article presents recommendations as a framework through which to develop a high school literacy program that meets the needs of the Generation 1.5 population. The nine recommendations are categorized within three areas of focus: curriculum centered, learner centered, and educator centered.

Developing literacy in second‐language learners: Critique from a heteroglossic, sociocultural, and multidimensional framework

“…The term generation 1.5 originated in the Korean American community and was later used in Asian American studies as a new category to analyze generational status and social identity (Wong, 2000). Generation 1.5 students share characteristics of both first-and second-generation immigrants (Rumbaut & Ima, 1988) and do not fit into any of the traditional categories of non-native English speakers (Forrest, 2006). Generation 1.5 students immigrated to the United States as children (Yi, 2005).…”

Using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning in Assessing Motivation and Learning Strategies of Generation 1.5 Korean Immigrant Students

“…With this background, Generation 1.5 students exhibit different characteristics from both their parents' generation (first generation) as well as their offspring's generation (second generation). For example, unlike the first generation, the social English of Generation 1.5 students is fluent like the second generation; their academic English is, however, oftentimes not as fluent as second generation immigrants [22]. As Asher et al [23] indicated, Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) is cognitively more demanding than Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS), and without CALP skills, students are not able to be academically successful.…”

Perspectives of High School Students in a Spanish Immersion Program

“…writing is the component in which immigrant students may be deficient and which Harklau has defined as "complex linguistic structures and rhetorical styles that are not typically used in everyday social interactions" (p. 2). Research on immigrant and ELL students has documented the challenges faced by these students (Asher, 2011;Forrest, 2006;, especially in high school and college. It is relevant, at least to some extent, to the NSS participants in this study, who had not had the opportunity to develop their academic language in their L1 since virtually all of their schooling had been in English.…”

“…They lack the L1 language skills of their parents, who were educated in their home country, yet are not fluent in the English of their peers (Asher, 2011). As a result, deficiencies existed in their academic language skills in their L1 and their L2 (Asher, 2011;Forrest, 2006;. These deficiencies may not be immediately apparent to educators in the schools because these students demonstrate a familiarity with American culture and have been educated in the U.S. (Forrest, 2006).…”

“…As a result, deficiencies existed in their academic language skills in their L1 and their L2 (Asher, 2011;Forrest, 2006;. These deficiencies may not be immediately apparent to educators in the schools because these students demonstrate a familiarity with American culture and have been educated in the U.S. (Forrest, 2006). A study by Garnett (2012) of the K-16 trajectories of immigrant students from17 empirical studies in Canada documented the ethnic and cultural diversity of their backgrounds as well as widespread variations in academic achievement.…”