Scaffolding is
used to describe what happens in some interactions with both first and second
language learners. These learners may not have the linguistic tools necessary
to express their ideas. Therefore, their interlocutors may sometimes help to
build the conversation or topic by providing crucial bits of language. In that
manner, the more proficient speaker is providing assistance or scaffolding. There are
different kinds of scaffolding; among them you may find Visual scaffolding,
instructional scaffolding and interactional scaffolding.
Visual scaffolding
Visual scaffolding is support that includes images and words that can be seen as well
as heard. Visual scaffolding is a magnificent way to provide comprehensible
input to ESL students so that not only will they learn the essential subject
content; they will also make progress in their acquisition of English. ESL
students greatly benefit from the type of scaffolding that makes a broad use of
visual aids because purely oral scaffolding by the teacher is not sufficient.
When students can see an image of what the teacher is describing or see the key
words that the teacher is explaining, it helps to make the input much more
comprehensible, and also helps to remove the affective filter which results
from the fear or lack of interest that comes of understanding very little in
class.
Jerome Bruner (1978, as cited by Foley, 1994), researcher in
cognitive and educational psychology, coined the term "scaffolding"
as a description for the kind of assistance given by the teacher or more
knowledgeable peer in providing comprehensible input. In order to facilitate a
child's learning one must use contexts that are familiar and routinized. These
predictable routines (such as reading books together or conversations at bath
time) offer the caregiver as well as the child a structure/format that allows
learning (how to use a language) to occur.
Instructional scaffolding
Applebee (1986, as cited by Foley, 1994) interpreted instructional
scaffolding as a way of describing vital factors of formal instruction. His
perspective is that learning is a process in which the learner gradually
internalizes procedures and routines from the cultural and social context of
the environment in which the learning happens. In that view, there is a more skilled language
user that helps the language learner by modelling the task verbally or in
writing. Furthermore, it can be done by one probing questions to elaborate the
knowledge possessed by the learner. In that manner, the teacher is encouraging
and providing additional props.
These supports may include resources, a compelling task, templates and
guidance on the development of cognitive and social skills. Instructional
scaffolding can be used in various contexts such as modeling a task, giving
advice or providing coaching. As the learner's competence grows, the amount of scaffolding is
gradually reduced until the learner is able to function alone and even generalize
to similar circumstances.
According to
Applebee (1986, as cited by Foley, 1994), the best and most effective use of instructional scaffolding helps the
learner figure out the given task on his own. He claims that there are
five criteria for affective/productive scaffolding: *Students should make their
own contribution to the activity/task as it develops. *The tasks should build
upon former knowledge and skills but simultaneously, be a bit difficult in
order to allow new learning. *A structured learning environment- It allows
presenting the students with useful and efficient strategies and approaches to
the task. *Tasks should be solved jointly, thus the role of the teacher is more
collaborative rather than evaluative. *Students should take a greater responsibility for controlling the
progress of the task as they
internalize new procedures and routines. So as they
become more competent the amount of interaction changes accordingly.
Interactional scaffolding
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| Photo by eltpics on Flickr |
Finally, Thornbury (2006)
provides a slightly different view of scaffolding. He uses the term to describe
the temporary interactional support that is given to learners while
their language system is 'under construction' (Thornbury, 2006).
The support can be provided by
teachers, parents or more competent peers that enable them to perform a task at
a level beyond their present competence. By providing
needed language, scaffolding may increase the salience of some aspects
of language, for example, when learners are actively engaged in the
conversation and are open to receive new data, they are paying attention to
both what is said and how it is said.
By asking questions,
reformulating and extending a child's utterances, the adult prompts the child to
modify his/her output bringing it step by step close to the target. As the
child’s ability to handle conversation increses, the adult's support can be
gradually withdrawn (Thornbury, 2006).
To sum up, scaffolding provides a conversational framework and is believed
to shape second language acquisition.
References
Thornbury,
S. (2006) An A-Z of ELT: A Dictionary of Terms and Concepts Used in English
Language Teaching. Oxford, UK. : Macmillan Education
Foley,
J. (1994). Key concepts in ELT. ELT Journal, 48(1): 101–102.
Retrieved from: http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/content/48/1/101.full.pdf+html
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