Generation 1.5 students' perceptions of L1 use in multilingual college-level composition classrooms

In research on second language acquisition (SLA), there has been an ongoing debate about the use of students' first language (L1) in the classroom. This study investigated generation 1.5 students' perceptions of (L1) use in a college level multilingual composition classroom. A survey was developed and administered to 280 students enrolled in first-year composition courses at California State University, Sacramento. Survey responses were analyzed quantitatively, through descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Open-ended survey items were analyzed qualitatively to illustrate major findings. Although results indicated that some generation 1.5 students in this study use their L1 in TL tasks, some of these participants did not find their L1 useful in completing TL tasks. Their major reasons included that these students were not always fluent in their L1. The results support existing literature that suggests L1 can be used as a resource in TL tasks. The results of the present study can help teachers develop a better understanding of the beliefs that generation 1.5 students bring into the classroom, which should enable them to assist these students more effectively.