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requiring both activity and interactivity Thornbury, 2005:39. He, further, elaborates that in classroom terms, it takes place in cycles of assisted
performance, in which learning is collaborative, co-constructed, and scaffolded. Vygotsky as cited in Rose 2008 proposed that all learning takes place in the gap
between what a child is able to do independently and what they can do with the support of a teacher. He called this gap where learning takes place the ‘zone of
proximal development. He considered learning as closing the gap with scaffolding.
Without the social interaction with other more knowledgeable people, or without teachers’ guidance and help in learners’ ZPD, it will be difficult for
learners to develop their knowledge and competence.With the help of adults, learners can do and understand much more than they can on their own Cameron,
2001. Assistant and support in learners’ Zone of proximal Development is known as scaffolding. By considering such philosophical foundations of language
learning in this context, therefore the writer is interested in investigating how English teacher scaffold students’ speaking skills.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to investigate scaffolding strategies used by English teachers in improving students’ speaking skills. The study specifically
attempts to find out what types of scaffolding to facilitate students in conducting speaking skills in a classroom, to investigate the most frequently applied type of
scaffolding, and to investigate the teacher’s pedagogical consideration: the
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reasons behind the use of scaffolding strategies in improving learners’ speaking skills.
1.3 Research Questions
1. What types of scaffolding are used by the English teacher during speaking
class? 2.
Which type of scaffolding does the English teacher utilize most frequently?
3. What are the reasons behind the use of scaffolding strategies?
1.4 Definition of Terms
In this study, there are some terms that need to be presented to clarify their meanings namely:
1. Scaffolding refers to teacher assistance and support that is designed to
help learners move towards new skills, concepts, or understandings Hammond, 2001. In school setting scaffolding is what teachers say and
do to enable children to complete complex mental tasks they could not complete without assistance Pearson and Fielding, 1991, p.842 in Hogan
and Pressley, 1997:45. 2.
The zone of proximal development is the distance between the actual development level of the learner as determined by independent problem
solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more
capable peers Vygotsky, 1978 cited in Hammon, 2001. Vygotsky
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proposed that all learning takes place in the gap between what a child is able to do independently and what they can do with the support of a
teacher. He called this gap where learning takes place the zone of proximal development Rose, 2008.
3. Speaking: the action of expressing oneself in speech or giving speeches.
Concise Oxford Dictionary: 2001. Speaking is the uniquely human act or process of sharing and exchanging information, ideas, and emotions
using oral language Cooper and Moreale, as cited in Fisher and Frey, 2007. In this case, it refers to the students’ speaking.
1.5 Scope of the Study
