Teachers’ Scaffolding to Promote EFL Students’ Speaking Skill: The Case of First-Year Students in the Department of English at Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou

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Date

2020

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou

Abstract

The present study attempts to identify the scaffolding strategies mostly implemented by the teachers of the speaking module in the Department of English at Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-ouzou. Second, it aims at determining whether teachers’ scaffolding improves freshmen-students’ speaking skill and reduces their oral problems. Lastly, it seeks to determine teachers’ attitudes towards the implementation of these techniques in speaking sessions. This study is based on the application of a learning theory: The “Zone of Proximal Development” in teaching; that is Scaffolding as well on “Walqui’s Scaffolding Strategies.” Two data collection tools are used: a questionnaire and an interview, in which a mixedmethod approach is adopted. As far as data analysis is concerned, the quantitative data are analyzed using the rule of three in Microsoft word and Excel. For the qualitative data, the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) is used. Indeed, the results of this research provide evidence that all the suggested scaffolding strategies are implemented in speaking sessions, mainly: ‘Bridging, contextualization, text representation, schema building and Developing meta-cognition’, confirming that these techniques help students overcome their oral difficulties and promote their speaking capacities. Teachers have positive attitudes toward scaffolding; all the respondents confirmed its effectiveness for the development of the students’ speaking abilities. Moreover, while proceeding in scaffolding, teachers should be creative according to their students’ different learning interests and styles.

Description

30cm ; 72p.

Keywords

Speaking Skill, Vygotsky’s Theory: Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), Scaffolding, Walqui’s Scaffolding Strategies (2006).

Citation

Didactics of Foreign Languages