Immigrant students with limited formal schooling have assumptions and experiences that are very different from those of their teachers. Our instructional model, the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (MALP) addresses the issues these students encounter by reducing cultural dissonance and transitioning them to formal schooling. We describe the implementation of MALP in community-based adult language and literacy programs and examine how this culturally responsive model encouraged participation, developed a sense of community, and reduced cultural dissonance.
Implementing a Mutually Adaptive Model of Instruction for ESL LIteracy in Community-Based Programs
1.
Implemen(ng
a
Mutually
Adap(ve
Model
of
Instruc(on
for
ESL
Literacy
in
Community-‐Based
Programs
Andrea
DeCapua,
Ed.D.
Helaine
W.
Marshall,
Ph.D.
New
York
University
LIU
Hudson
Allegra
Elson
Sara
Cole
KaEe
Murphy
Greater
PiGsburgh
Literacy
Council
(c)
copyright
MALP,
LLC.
For
terms
and
condiEons
of
use,
contact
informaEon@malpeducaEon.com
2. Low
Educated
Second
Language
and
Literacy
AcquisiEon
for
Adults
(LESLLA)
LESLLA
Symposium
San
Francisco,
CA
August
2013
LESLLA
Partnerships
Researchers
PracEEoners
Andrea
DeCapua
NYU
Helaine
W.
Marshall
LIU
Hudson
Allegra
Elson
Sara
Cole
KaEe
Murphy
Greater
PiGsburgh
Literacy
Council
✚
3. The
Hidden
Assump(ons
• Preferences
in
accessing
&
transmiWng
informaEon
• Ways
of
interacEng
• ResponsibiliEes
in
imparEng
&
receiving
knowledge
• Ways
of
thinking
&
learning
90%
10%
Flaitz,
2012
4. Three
Cultural
Differences
• Orality
versus
Literacy
• Informal
Learning
vs.
Formal
EducaEon
• CollecEvism
versus
Individualism
5. I
never
care
about
reading
unEl
I
come
here
In
my
country
nothing
to
read
but
here,
everywhere
print,
words
and
signs
and
books
and
you
have
to
read.
The
most
importants
I
have
learned
about
the
United
States
that
is
a
book,
newspapers,
or
notebook
and
pens.
These
things
are
always
let
me
know
how
to
live
here.
6. 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
(Gahunga,
Gahunga,
&
Luseno,
2011;
Paradise
&
Rogoff,
2009)
7.
8. • “We” rather than “I”
• People see themselves as
part of an interconnected
whole
• “Web” of relationships
• Group is more important
than any single individual
Collec(vism
9. • Personal efforts praised,
rewarded
• Personal interests,
desires, primary
• Personal judgments
• Personal responsibility
• “Self-actualization”
Individualism
10.
11. SLIFE
U.S.
Classrooms
CONDITIONS
PROCESSES
ACTIVITIES
(Adapted from DeCapua & Marshall, 2009, 2011; Marshall, 1994,1998)
Aspects of
Learning
Two
Different
Learning
Paradigms
Shared
Responsibility
Individual
Accountability
Pragmatic
Tasks
Academic
Tasks
Interconnectedness
Oral Transmission
Independence
Written Word
Future RelevanceImmediate Relevance
12. Two
Different
Learning
Paradigms
Struggling Language
Learners
U.S. Classrooms
Immediate
Relevance
Future
Relevance
Shared
Responsibility
PragmaEc
Tasks
CONDITIONS
PROCESSES
ACTIVITIES
Interconnectedness
Oral
Transmission
Independence
(DeCapua
&
Marshall,
2009,
2010;
Marshall,
1994,
1998)
Aspects of
Learning
Individual
Accountability
School-Based
Tasks
WriGen
Word
Standardized
Tes-ng!
13. Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm MALPTM
Instructional Model
SLIFE* U.S. Classrooms
ACCEPT
SLIFE
CONDITIONS
COMBINE
SLIFE
&
U.S.
PROCESSES
FOCUS
on
U.S.
ACTIVITIES
with
familiar
language
&
content
with
(DeCapua & Marshall, 2010, 2011; Marshall 1994, 1998)
Interconnectedness Independence
Shared
Responsibility
Individual
Accountability
Pragmatic
Tasks
School-Based
Tasks
Immediate
Relevance
Oral
Transmission Written Word
Future
Relevance
*Students
with
limited/interrupted
formal
educaEon
14. Collabora(on:
Greater
PiQsburgh
Literacy
Council
Downtown
Center
• Serves
adult
ELL
immigrants
&
refugees
• ESL,
computer,
GED
classes
Familes
for
Learning
Center
• Provides
adult
ESL,
parenEng
educaEon,
early
childhood
educaEon,
literacy
15. Goals
of
Collabora(on
• To
transi(on
low-‐educated
adult
learners
to
formal
schooling
and
different
ways
of
thinking
and
learning
• To
reduce
cultural
dissonance
• Develop
English
language
skills
• Create
posiEve
learning
experience
• Establish
warm
classroom
climate
• Build
relaEonships
• Improve
aGendance
16. Data
Collec(on
•
BEST
Plus
• Classroom
observaEons
– peer
– researcher
• MALP
Checklist
• Google
Hangout
meeEngs
18. Voices
Part
I:
From
the
Field
• Sara:
MALP
Teacher
Planning
Checklist
• Allegra:
Peer
ObservaEons
• KaEe:
Mural
Project
Part
II:
From
the
“Ivory
Tower”
• Helaine:
A
LESLLA-‐Inspired
Partnership
19. Sara’s
Class
• 2
Classes:
High
Beginner,
Bridge
Literacy
• Prior
EducaEon:
0-‐
16
• Oral
Skills:
Beginning
to
Low
Intermediate
• Literacy
Levels:
none
to
some
• Ages:
19-‐75
• Time
in
US:
5
days
–
8
years
20. Sara’s
Checklist:
Component
A
Accept
Condi(ons
for
Learning
A1.
I
am
making
this
lesson/project
immediately
relevant
to
my
students.
–
incorporated daily activities that the students
engage in
A2.
I
am
helping
students
develop
and
maintain
interconnectedness.
– interview each other and ask about where they
shop on a daily basis
– must work together to get answers for the
whole class
21. Sara’s
Checklist:
Component
B
Combine
Processes
for
Learning
B1.
I
am
incorpora(ng
both
shared
responsibility
and
individual
accountability.
- Shared Responsibility: create and fill out grid; put
answers on board together
- Individual Accountability: complete worksheet by
themselves, respond to questions
B2.
I
am
scaffolding
the
wriQen
word
through
oral
interac(on.
- worksheet & grid first introduced orally and talked about
as class.
- class gives examples and talks about personal experience
and preferences
- students ask questions and then begin working with grid
22. Sara’s
Checklist:
Component
C
Focus
on
New
Ac(vi(es
C1.
I
am
focusing
on
tasks
requiring
academic
ways
of
thinking
- numeracy skills
- comparing and classifying
- drawing conclusions from data
C2.
I
am
making
these
tasks
accessible
to
my
students
with
familiar
language
and
content.
- students are familiar with language about food,
buying food, neighborhoods, and basic numbers
- Food shopping idea familiar from earlier units on
daily activities.
23. Allegra’s
Class
• Morning
FoundaEons
• Prior
EducaEon:
None
to
some
high
school
• Oral
Skills:
Minimal
oral
English
skills
• Literacy
Levels:
Zero
to
minimal
literacy
in
first
language
• Ages:
26
-‐75
• Time
in
US:
3
weeks
-‐
2
years
24. Allegra
–
Peer
Observa(ons
• Teachers
observed
each
other
• Teachers
took
notes,
reviewed
using
MALP
Checklist
• Helpful
having
second
set
of
eyes
and
ears
and
sounding
board
for
beGer
ways
to
implement
Checklist
• Challenge
to
schedule
observaEons
since
all
teach
at
the
same
Eme.
25. Ka(e’s
Class
• 2
Family
Literacy
Classes
• MulElevel
• Prior
EducaEon:
0
-‐
14
years
• Oral
Skills:
very
low-‐advanced
• Literacy
Level:
alphabet
recogniEon
-‐
4th
grade
• Time
in
US:
1
month
-‐
10
years
• Age:
mid-‐20s
to
mid-‐40s
• All
women
with
young
children
27. Reflec(ons
The
Students
and
MALP:
• Family
literacy
parEcipants
very
engaged
in
mural
project
• Interconnectedness:
– Students
developing
friendships
inside
and
outside
of
class
– Support
and
helping
each
other
in
class
The
Teachers
and
MALP:
• Very
enthusiasEc
• Reminder
to
keep
lessons
learner-‐centered
and
to
bring
‘outside
in’
• Open
entry/open
exit
program
challenges:
– integraEng
new
students
– keeping
lesson
on
track
28. A
LESLLA-‐Inspired
Partnership
• Met
the
goal
of
bringing
together
researchers
and
pracEEoners
in
adult
educaEon
• Significance
–
Helped
establish
validity
of
MALP
in
adult
ESL
and
literacy
program
• Future
direcEons
• On-‐going,
not
ending
yet
29. Website:
hGp://malpeducaEon.com
Wiki:
hGp://malp.pbworks.com
Book:
Marshall,
H.W,,
&
DeCapua,
A.,
(2013).
Making
the
Transi4on
to
Classroom
Success:
Culturally
Responsive
Teaching
for
Struggling
Language
Learners.
Ann
Arbor,
MI:University
of
Michigan
Press
MALP
Resources
(c)
copyright
MALP,
LLC.
For
terms
and
condiEons
of
use,
contact
informaEon@malpeducaEon.com
30. Contact
Us!
Researchers
Andrea
DeCapua
drandreadecapua@gmail.com
Helaine
W.
Marshall
helaine.marshall@liu.edu
Prac((oners
Allegra
Elson
aelson@gplc.org
Sara
Cole
scole@gplc.org
KaEe
Murphy
kmurphy@gplc.org
(c)
copyright
MALP,
LLC.
For
terms
and
condiEons
of
use,
contact
informaEon@malpeducaEon.com