Reaching Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education Through Culturally Responsive Teaching

This article considers how developing an understanding of the beliefs, values, norms, and ways of thinking and learning of students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) is central to effective instruction for this population. Because these students are different from other English language learners (ELLs), teachers must develop the ability to suspend judgment by building deep cultural knowledge of SLIFE. This can then inform curriculum and pedagogical practices that best support SLIFE in their transition and adaption to formal education. Following a review of culturally responsive teaching as outlined by Gay (; ; ), I continue with an examination of the Intercultural Communication Framework (DeCapua and Marshall, ; Marshall, 1994) intended to develop teachers' understanding of cultural factors influencing students' ways of thinking and learning. The article concludes with an exploration of a culturally responsive instructional model, the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (DeCapua and Marshall ; ), designed to better serve SLIFE.