Chapter 14: They Know What They Need: Co-Constructing an EAL Curriculum With Adult Refugee Students

English as an additional language (EAL) teaching in adult education programs, whether through community colleges or service organizations, often focus on a canned curriculum that has little to do with the needs of refugees experiencing resettlement. A community college may have levels designed to enable individuals to advance to the academic proficiency needed to engage in postsecondary education. Yet some refugees have little time or interest in pursuing this type of education. Instead, they are focused on meeting the language needs in their daily lives at home and at work. Using culturally responsive pedagogy as a starting point, we provide a framework to assist EAL instructors in co-constructing a curriculum in which the voices of refugee students are central. Strategies for developing meaningful curriculum and instructional practices with refugee students are provided.