Author : Mahua De
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (829 download)
Book Synopsis Learning Communities and the Acquisition of Academic Literacy Skills of Generation 1.5 Students at a Community College by : Mahua De
Download or read book Learning Communities and the Acquisition of Academic Literacy Skills of Generation 1.5 Students at a Community College written by Mahua De and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Generation 1.5 students are American-educated children of immigrants who have completed part of their elementary and sometimes, secondary education in their native country and in their native language before immigrating to the United States (Harklau, Losey, and Siegal, 1999; Goen, Porter, Swanson, & vanDommelen, 2002; Thonus, 2003). Because of the interruption in their education, many Generation 1.5 students experience difficulties as they negotiate through the academic reading and writing requirements of the freshman college composition course even after they graduate from an U.S. high school. At the same time, the schism in research between composition studies and second language instruction has resulted in the difficulty of composition specialists to understand and address problems faced by second language learners, especially Generation 1.5 students (Matsuda, 2003; Silva & Leki, 2004). This study investigated the impact of Learning Communities (LCs) as an alternative format of delivering instruction to Generation 1.5 students in freshman composition classes in a community college. An LC offers two or more linked classes as well as additional support in the form of tutoring, mentorship, and counseling to a cohort of students (Brownell & Swaner, 2009; Killachy, Thomas, & Accomando, 2002; Smith, MacGregor, Matthews, & Gabelnick, 2004). Participants in this semester-long study included six Generation 1.5 students, four of whom were enrolled in composition classes within two separate LCs, and two in a stand-alone composition course. Data for this study emerged from essays and interviews of the six participants as well as interviews with their instructors and tutors. These data were analyzed qualitatively to assess the manner in which the LCs shaped the writing skills of the participants. The study demonstrated that well-designed LCs had a number of positive, even redundant features from which several participants chose the most appropriate ones to improve their writing skills. In doing so, they became active actors in the learning process, using their funds of knowledge and working with instructors, tutors, and their peers to improve their academic skills. However, other students, some with a higher level of confidence in their writing skills, resisted the idea of participating in LCs and their academic progress was less obvious. The study is significant as it contributes to the fields of both second language composition studies and the learning communities. The study addresses the existing gap in research on Generation 1.5 students, a subset of second language learners, in the composition classroom. It also explores the potential of LCs in serving these students in their freshman year in college.
