Generation 1.5 and Academic Libraries: Strategies for Supporting English Learners (ELs) in Reference and Instruction

Background – Compared to native English speakers, English Learners (ELs) often face additional barriers to academic success. Though typically competent in social English, Generation 1.5 ELs struggle with academic English at the postsecondary level and are still considered to be in the process of learning English. As colleges become increasingly linguistically diverse, academic librarians must adapt to support the growing numbers of ELs in the campus community. Objective – This paper aims to provide academic librarians with information on the scope of English Learners in K-12 through postsecondary education, academic challenges of Generation 1.5 students at the postsecondary level, and strategies that librarians can employ to support English learners in the contexts of reference and instruction. Methods – The author searched journals in the disciplines of academic libraries, higher education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and linguistics. Additional resources searched include education data and statistics, research institute publications, and English as a New Language (ENL) teaching resources. These sources were explored in regard to the topics of EL educational statistics, K-12 ENL programs, ENL pedagogy, ELs in postsecondary education, Generation 1.5 students, ELs’ academic challenges and educational needs, and academic libraries and ELs. Results – A review of the literature on ELs in academic libraries, particularly Generation 1.5 students, reveals that Generation 1.5 is a population that is in need of support at the postsecondary level. Because Generation 1.5 students often hold strong social English skills, they may enter college without an EL designation or specialized academic support. However, research shows that Generation 1.5 students struggle with college-level academic English, specifically in grammar and vocabulary. These challenges impact students’ communicative success both in college classroom and library environments. Conclusion – Academic librarians may adopt pedagogical strategies commonly employed in ENL classrooms to use in reference and instruction environments. Techniques include themes such as awareness of language use and reinforcement of content, and require low-stakes implementation into library practice. Though librarians may be unaware of the language learning needs of their students, such strategies have shown to be useful for all students. Because techniques that are helpful to ELs also typically benefit all students, these strategies are also applicable to native English speakers.

Generation 1.5 Learners: Removing the Mask of Student Invisibility and Recognising the Learning Disconnections That Marred Their Academic Journeys

Distinctive cohorts of students revealing inherent problems in managing their learning are on-going concerns in all universities. Students identified as Generation 1.5 learners are an increasing phenomenon in Australian universities yet may be “invisible” or unknown to teaching staff. They are neither fully proficient in their first language nor in English which is typically their second language (L2). Characteristically possessing well-developed basic interpersonal communicative skills, they lack the cognitive academic learning proficiencies essential for tertiary success. This article reports on doctoral research into six Generation 1.5 undergraduates navigating one academic year in one Western Australian university. Key findings include their “invisibility” and how L2 learning “disconnections” marred their studies. Learning disconnections comprise discrepancies and disjunctions driven by the participants’ immigration experiences, their academic needs, and their lack of connection with the teaching methods and the university-provided learning support services. Greater awareness of the distinctive features of these learners may improve their academic outcomes.

Ethnic trauma in migration: FSU-born Israeli women’s narratives in an online support group

This article lays ground for the concept of ethnic trauma for understanding the crisis of migration and its aftermath. The analysis is based on autobiographical stories recently published by the online community of the women who immigrated to Israel from the USSR/FSU as children or adolescents (Generation 1.5) in the early 1990s. Despite its self-selected nature, this story-telling project captures many generic features of the Russian-Israeli (and other) immigrant experiences. These stories form a collective narrative featuring trauma, coping and eventual victory – a discursive plot quite typical for contemporary Israeli therapeutic culture. In the age of identity politics, ethnic trauma becomes a political tool deployed in the struggle for recognition by different immigrant and minority groups. The discourse of trauma, resilience and overcoming/catharsis incorporates immigrants in the local discourse, letting them negotiate their identity and claim full belonging. Thus, ethnic trauma emerges as a political resource to support immigrants’ claims of equal rights and demands for symbolic reparations.

Narrowing the Language Gap: The Learner-Content, Learner-Instructor, and Learner-Learner Experiences of Hispanic Generation 1.5 English Learners in First-Year College Composition Courses

Hispanic Generation 1.5 students are foreign-born, U.S. high school graduates socialized in the English dominant K-12 school system while maintaining their native language and home culture (Allison, 2006; Blumenthal, 2002; Harklau et al., 1999; Rumbault & Ima, 1988). When transitioning from high school to college, these students sometimes assess into ESL, basic, or mainstream courses based on their English language abilities, and because of this placement, Hispanic Generation 1.5 students might have different learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner experiences than their mainstream peers. The purpose of this study was to describe the learner-content, learner-instructor and learner-learner experiences of Hispanic Generation 1.5 students. This study employed a qualitative design that included an analysis of the participants' interaction experiences. The main source of data was in-depth, face-to-face interviews with forty-one Hispanic Generation 1.5 students at one California State University and one California Community College. Purposive sampling was used to select the interview participants, ensuring that all participants identified as both Hispanic and Generation 1.5 learners and were taking or had taken at least one first year college composition course at their respective institutions. The study findings show that Hispanic Generation 1.5 students at both colleges believed that meaningful interactions with their English instructors, peers, and content played a critical role in their success. Participants indicated that they preferred content that was relatable and engaging; they preferred instructors who were caring, professional, engaging and supportive; and, they preferred peers who were prepared, engaging and supportive. Closing gaps between and among learners and their peers, instructors and content is a critical factor in student success.

One person, three identities? Examining re-politicization of ethnic, national, and Australian identities among 1.5-generation Taiwanese immigrants in Australia

Immigrants of the 1.5-generation (1.5-ers) differ from first- and second-generation immigrants because they are generally better immersed in the culture of the host society than the first generation; yet, compared to the second generation, they often have to renegotiate their identities in relation to parents, colleagues at work, and people in the host society during the processes of migration. Drawing on interview data from Taiwanese 1.5-ers in Australia, this article takes a further step and points out that in addition to the identity struggle between home and host country, Taiwanese 1.5-ers also identify as ethnic Chinese (Huaren) and constantly negotiate between these three identities (Huaren, Taiwanese, and Australian). This article argues that identity negotiation and hybridization is in nature a re-politicization process in which respondents are fully aware of the political meanings and power disparities of each identity. It is also a process whereby Taiwanese 1.5-ers mobilize, downplay, and hybridize specific identities based on time and context.

Analyzing writing performance of L1, L2, and Generation 1.5 community college students through Coh-Metrix

Proficient writing in English is a challenge for the linguistically diverse community college population. Writing research at the community college level is warranted in order to guide instruction and assist students in achieving higher levels of proficient writing. The current study examined the writing of three community college groups: native English Language students (L1, n = 146), English as a Second Language students primarily educated abroad (L2, n = 31), and English as a Second Language students who graduated from high school and lived in the United States for more than four years (Generation 1.5, n = 72). The writing samples were analyzed using Coh-Metrix to examine group differences in lexical, syntactic, and cohesion characteristics. Results indicated significant differences in syntactic and lexical measures among all groups, with small to large effect sizes. The majority of differences related to proficient writing characteristics were found between L1 and Generation 1.5 groups.