Plenary Address, Colorado TESOL 2011 Cultural Perspectives on Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education Introduces the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (MALP)

1. Andrea DeCapua Helaine W. Marshall
The College of New Rochelle Long Island University

3. “Culture acts as a filter or set of lenses
through which we view and interpret
the world around us.”
(DeCapua & Wintergerst, 2004)

5. I never care about reading until
I come here In my country
nothing to read but here,
everywhere print, words and
signs and books and you have
to read

6. Needs of SLIFE
• Develop basic literacy skills
• Learn basic and grade-level subject
area concepts
• Develop academic ways of thinking
• Adapt to cultural differences in learning
and teaching

7. Two Aspects of Culture
1 Ways of Learning: Formal / Informal
2 Individualism / Collectivism

8. Western-Style Formal Education
• Abstract knowledge
• Scientific reasoning
• Logical deduction
• Formal school settings
• Literacy as central
(Anderson-Levitt, 2003; Flynn, 2007; Grigorenko, 2007; Ozmon & Carver, 2008)

9. Informal Ways of Learning
• Revolves around immediate needs of family and
community
• Grounded in observation, participation in
sociocultural practices of family and community
• Has immediate relevance
• Centered on orality
(Faulstich Orellana, 2001; Gahunga, Gahunga, & Luseno, 2011; Paradise & Rogoff, 2009)

10. Sample Task
(Luria, 1976)

11. Sample Question
What do dogs and rabbits
have in common?
(Flynn, 2007)

12. Academic Tasks
• Definitions
• What is a tree?
• True/False
• Denver is the capital of Colorado.
• New York City is the capital of New York State.
• Classification
• Categorize these objects

13. Contrasting Ways of Thinking
and Learning
Academic Pragmatic
• Classification • Cooking
• Sorting • Childcare
• Sequencing • Farming
• Compare/contrast
• Crafts
• Defining
• Religious practices

14. A Continuum of Ways of
Thinking & Learning
SLIFE
Informal Western-style
Learning Formal
Education

15. Cultural Dimensions
of:
Individualism
and
Collectivism
(Hofstede, 2001; Nisbett, 2003; Oyserman & Lee, 2008; Triandis, 1995; 2000)

16. Individualism
• Personal efforts praised,
rewarded
• Personal interests, desires,
primary
• Personal judgments
• Personal responsibility
• “Self-actualization”

17. Collectivism
• “We” rather than “I.”
• People see themselves as part
of an interconnected whole
• “Web” of relationships
• Group is more important than
any single individual

18. Cooperative Learning 
Individual Responsibility
SAMPLE ROLES
• Checker
• Datakeeper
• Group Leader
• Keyboard Operator
• Materials Manager
• Messenger
• Permission Giver
• Questioner
• Reader
• Reporter
• Summarizer
• Timekeeper
• Word Analyst
• Writer/Recorder

19. Assumptions of North American
Teachers and Learners
1. The goals of instruction are
a) to produce independent learners
b) to prepare the learners for their future
2. The learner brings along
a) preparation for academic tasks
b) an urge to compete and excel as an individual
(Adapted from DeCapua & Marshall, 2011)

20. (Ibarra, 2001)

22. Mutually Adaptive Learning
Paradigm - MALP
• Instructional Model
• Elements from students’ learning
paradigm
• Elements from U.S. learning paradigm
• Transitional approach to close
achievement gap
Marshall, 1998; DeCapua & Marshall, 2011

23. Two Different Learning Paradigms
Aspects of North American
SLIFE
Learning Classrooms
Immediate Future
CONDITIONS Relevance Relevance
Interconnectedness Independence
Shared Individual
PROCESSES Responsibility Accountability
Oral Transmission Written Word
Pragmatic Tasks Academic Tasks
ACTIVITIES
(Adapted from DeCapua & Marshall, 2009, 2011; Marshall, 1994,1998)

24. MALP
SLIFE North American
Classrooms
Immediate Future
Accept SLIFE
Relevance Relevance
conditions
Interconnectedness Independence
Combine SLIFE &
North American Shared Individual
processes Responsibility Accountability
with
Oral
Transmission Written Word
Focus on new
activities with
Pragmatic Academic
familiar language Tasks
& content Tasks
(Adapted from DeCapua & Marshall, 2009, 2010; Marshall 1994, 1998)

25. Project-Based Learning
with
MALP

26. Project-Based Learning
• Allows for differentiation
• Promotes integration of literacy
and content knowledge
• Improves student engagement;
learner-centered rather than
teacher-centered

27. and…
from a MALP perspective
• Provides immediate relevance
• Fosters a sense of interconnectedness
• Allows for both shared responsibility and
individual accountability
• Incorporates oral transmission with print
• Develops academic ways of thinking

28. Sample MALP Projects
• Class Surveys
• Concept Posters
• Bookmarking
• Class Collections
• Theme Booklets
DeCapua, A., & Marshall, H.W. (2011). Breaking new ground: Teaching students with limited or
interrupted formal education in U.S. secondary schools. Ann Arbor, MI: U of Michigan Press.
Marshall, H.W. & DeCapua, A. (2010). The Newcomer Booklet: A project for limited formally
schooled students. ELT Journal, 64, 396-404.

29. Prototypical MALP Project
Class Surveys
Characteristics that foster MALP
• Interpersonal
• Relevant topics likely to emerge
• Natural movement from oral interaction to written
product
• Provision for both group and individual task delegation
• Instruction in academic ways of thinking

30. Betty’s Class
• Ages:
18-61
• Education:
None to 5th grade
• Classes:
– ESL
– Hmong Literacy
– Life-skills Math
– Problem Posing
• Origin:
Hmong from Laos

31. Class Diagram
• Crossing the Mekong
• Interviewing at home
• Sharing data in class
• Drawing map & flags
• Using sentence frame
• Entering data
• Responding to questions

32. Paj Ntaub

33. Carol’s Class
Ages:
15 – 21
Education:
3rd grade to 8th grade
Classes: Self-contained
– English
– Social Studies
– Math
– Science
Countries of origin:
Haiti, Dominican Republic,
El Salvador, Guatemala

34. Class Brainstorming

35. Bar Graph
• Class brainstorming
• Five most common activities
• Interviews in class
• Data gathering
• Graph
• Sentences below graph

36. And now on to math . . .

37. Gloria’s Math Class
• Ages: 14 - 18
• Education:
– 5th grade – 9th grade
• Class:
– Integrated Algebra
– Low-proficiency ELLs and SLIFE
• Origin:
– Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Mexico, Puerto Rico and Albania

38. What does a MALP Classroom Look Like?
• Word wall
• Calendar
• Sentence frames
• Teacher-made concept
posters
• Student–produced
posters

39. Word Wall

40. Class Calendar

41. Sentence Frames

42. Teacher-made Concept Poster

43. Number Lines

44. Bar Graph Posters

45. Venn Diagrams

46. Like and Unlike Terms Posters

47. Tomorrow’s Session

48. http://malpeducation.com