TEACHING JOURNAL: Generation 1.5 Students

It is both my pleasure and privilege to be currently working with several Generation 1.5 students in my classes and one-on-one tutoring sessions. I will be journaling my experiences this summer in order to bring attention to "silent demographic" that has been creeping into American public schools and causing some consternation among teachers. Having worked both locally and abroad in the ESL/ELD and mainstream English composition industries, I will also be working "aloud" (in written format) on creating some sort of teacher-training methodology for teachers who encounter this special group of students.

I have reprinted part of an article I wrote for The Examiner last year below to offer one definition of a Generation 1.5 student below.

A Generation 1.5 student:

• was born in a non-English speaking country.
• immigrated to the United States as a young tween or teenager (age 12 and up)
• usually has studied for three or more years in the United States or another English-speaking country
• frequently speaks two or more languages fluently
• does not speak English at home with their parents (although they may speak English, or language hybrids - such as Spanglish or Konglish - with their siblings)
• may (or may not) get placed in ELD classes in high school or college, although they may exhibit some ESL- like difficulties, particularly with written language
• do not have formal training in academic English (reading and writing) or American history
• are usually oral or auditory learners
  

More information on the challenges facing Generation 1.5 students (and part two of my Examiner commentary) can be found here.