The Generation 1.5 Project
This project aims to identify the writing patterns and preferences of international students, as well as Generation 1.5 writers. We will upload results from this study and some materials based on our preliminary study of hedging of claims, integration of citations, and use of informal language. These materials will be available on our website so that teachers and learners alike will be able to access and use them. If significant differences in the use of these rhetorical functions are found between our two populations (international and Generation 1.5 students), then the materials will reflect these distinctions.
The Generation 1.5 project was launched in 2006 by a small group of researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) English Language Institute (ELI). We are collecting texts from writers who are just starting their academic careers at the university, specifically 1st and 2nd year undergraduates, who speak a variety of Korean or Chinese at home. Ultimately, the aim of this data collection is to provide an empirical basis for developing recommendations for writing/language instruction specialized for the Generation 1.5 group.
Read about the goals and ideas behind the project.
If you teach Chinese or Korean students at Michigan, encourage them to contribute to our Generation 1.5 project!
Research outcomes from the Generation 1.5 project.
The people behind the project
MICASE is a great resource for the ESL/EAP classroom, to help make your lessons more authentic and more effective for your students.
MICUSP is a corpus of advanced student writing from 16 disciplines at the University of Michigan.
Use the transcripts from the JSCC to help your students master the art of conference presentations or just improve their general presentation skills.
This project aims to identify the writing patterns and preferences of international students, as well as Generation 1.5 writers.
On these pages you find information about our research activities and training we provide in corpus analysis.