PAC7 at JALT2008 Proceedings Article Data

Article title, keywords, abstract, and writer profiles

Title:
Scaffolding: Looking Through Learners' Eyes

Keywords:
scaffolding, socio-cultural theory, learning-strategies, learner development

Abstract:
This paper reports on a workshop about making links between socio-cultural theory and our teaching practice, using the concept of scaffolding. The workshop activities, devised and led by Deryn Verity, are briefly introduced and then seven different projects are reported. Various threads emerge from each paper to clarify and broaden our understanding of scaffolding and mediation. Bradley relates how her students responded to scaffolding through empathetic listening; Harada shows how Venn diagrams were a tool for clarifying her understanding of cultural factors in textbooks; Head reflects on learning Japanese keigo and draws lessons for her teaching; Kojima outlines a program for teaching strategies for scaffolding cooperative learning; Ozawa gives details of scaffolding speed reading strategies for TOEFL; Shimo discusses the challenge of creating student-student scaffolding in classes with an institutionally fixed agenda; and Stewart discusses scaffolding writing skills during her training as an on-line writing teacher.

Writer profiles:
Ellen Head has taught EFL in Japan since 2000. Her current work is mostly with students preparing to be elementary school teachers. She draws inspiration from the learner development SIG as well as from her students.

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