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, A, & Wintergerst, W. 2004. Crossing cultures in the
language classroom. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan
Press.
(

4. 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

5. Two Aspects of Culture
1 Ways of Thinking
2
Individualism / Collectivism

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

7. 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)

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

9. Academic Tasks
• True/False
• Philadelphia is the capital of Pennsylvania.
• New York City is the capital of New York State.
• Classification
• Categorize these objects

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

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

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

13. 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

14. 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)

15. (Ibarra, 2001)

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

17. 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)

18. 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)

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

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

21. Paj Ntaub

22. More about MALP?
• Visit:
www.malpeducation.com
• Contact us:
adecapua@cnr.edu
helaine.marshall@liu.edu