Scaffolding as Structure and as Process in the Development of Oracy with English Learners Aída Walqui Director, Teacher Professional Development Program WestEd awalqui@wested.org www.wested.org/qtel The CULI 6th International Conference 2006 November 28, Bangkok, Thailand

During this presentation I will briefly address: How ESL work is different than EFL work The theoretical basis of my work The process of apprenticeship in teacher professional development I will expand a bit more on: Scaffolding as structure and as process An instantiation of these two aspects in the apprenticeship of a teacher

A sociolinguistic look at L2s: Foreign Lg. Second Lg. Student does not need L2 to interact in country of residence Standards for proficiency are quite tolerant The L1 of the student is valued and unquestioned The FL does not displace the L1 Leads to “elite” (Fishman) or “elective” (Valdés) bilingualism The language is required for effective civil participation Standards for proficiency are very demanding Value of students’ L1 is not appreciated by many Over time L1 is displaced by L2 with severe consequences Leads to “folk” or “circumstantial” bilingualism

Teaching English as a Second Language in the United States An activity directed at minorities Stigmatized Increasing Educational Gaps in the system between majority and minority students Three demographic facts to illustrate the point…

Demographic changes: Population of ELs by state, 2003-2004

More adolescent ELs are native than foreign born The big surprise: More adolescent ELs are native than foreign born

Average scores of 8th graders in reading by English language proficiency and state: 2003

Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) is based on Sociocultural Theory Development follows learning (therefore, instruction precedes development) Participation in activity is central in the development of knowledge Participation in activity progresses from apprenticeship to appropriation, from the social to the individual plane Learning can be observed as changes in participation over time

Quality Teaching with ELLs Is premised on apprenticeship notions of schooling. This means that students: Are perceived and treated as capable, legitimate participants Engage in rich, intellectually demanding interactions that have been deliberately crafted Engage in high challenge, high support tasks that provide them with multiple points of entry to the academic community Takeover responsibilities that are handed over to them

Teachers going through QTEL professional development also learn by participating in activity

During professional development, teachers work through tasks During professional development, teachers work through tasks. This enables them to understand the language and pedagogy necessary to implement tasks, and builds the base for pedagogical reflection

Other activities in QTEL’s teacher professional development portfolio Coaching Collaborative Lesson Planning Video Clubs (adaptation of Lesson Study) Intervisitations Professional Conferences

Domains of Teacher Expertise QTEL Professional Development Addresses

CONTEXT Vision (beliefs) of teaching of students Reflection Knowledge Motivation reasons incentives emotions Knowledge subject matter (ELD) pedagogical pedagogical subject matter students self Reflection 1. anticipatory 2. active/interactive 3. recollective mindfulness Practice enactment of learning contingent scaffolding ongoing assessment Walqui, 1997, adapted from Shulman, 1995

Teacher expertise ESL teachers: Specialists in taking students from zero level of proficiency in English to a “threshold level” of understanding and performance in the language Disciplinary teachers: Take students from that threshold level and teach them at the same time the concepts and relationships studied by the discipline and the language needed to express, discuss, and create within that field

The emphasis of scaffolding (from the students’ point of view) Is on students’ learning potential Is not on students’ current abilities Consequently, we raise the expectations about what is possible: Vygotsky’s notion of prolepsis

Scaffolding takes place within four types of relationships that need to be well constructed in classrooms

An Expanded ZPD SELF REGULATION Resourcefulness, Self-access Inner Resources: knowledge, experience, memory investment Assistance from more capable peers or adults Resourcefulness, Self-access Scaffolding: Modeling… REGULATION SELF Interaction with less capable peers Interaction with equal peers “If one member of a dyad undergoes developmental change, the other is also likely to do so” (Bronfenbrenner 1979:65) “Docendo discimus” (We learn by teaching) van Lier, 2004

Scaffolding: How does the teacher make it happen? Is a dynamic and situated act that is responsive to a particular set of circumstances in a particular classroom context. It manifests itself: when teachers plan what to do in a classroom with specific students to ripen their potential (anticipatory reflection) when they act contingently in a class to support the development of new skills or understandings (scaffolding as process)

Two Elements of Scaffolding: Conventionalized, ritual structure (constant and flexible): teachers scaffold as they prepare tasks for their students, know what they are good for, decide when they are appropriate, how they connect to each other An interactional process, jointly constructed from moment to moment: teachers scaffold as they support students’ interactions The process is enabled by the scaffolding structure, and a constant evaluation of the process indicates when parts of the scaffolding structure can be dismantled or shifted elsewhere

Principles of Quality Teaching with Second Language Learners Sustain Academic Rigor in teaching English Learners Hold High Expectations in teaching English Learners Engage in Quality Interactions with English Learners Sustain a Language Focus in teaching English Learners Develop Quality Curricula in teaching English Learners

The Development of Academic Uses of English Different disciplines use the same language differently for specific purposes Academic uses of language, therefore, need to be taught within the disciplines, by subject matter teachers Within disciplinary language we use the concept of genre

Genre Staged, goal-oriented, purposeful communicative events that a community of practitioners share. Purpose Structure Preferred linguistic instantiations (taking situation into account)

Oral Development Jigsaw: From Description to Narrative BASE GROUP A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D EXPERT GROUP A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D BASE GROUP A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D

Teacher scaffolds the process: Guidelines for the apprenticeship of the genre: description Discusssion of purpose: why do people describe scenes to others? Structure: Where does the scene take place? Who is the central character(s) in the picture? What does this person look like (approximate age, sex, height, face, hair, clothes)? What is this person doing? Any other relevant information?

Preferred language: Teacher offers models of language that students may use: This scene takes place in … My picture shows … The picture I have shows a … The central character in my picture is In my picture you can see a …

Oral Development Jigsaw BASE GROUP A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D EXPERT GROUP Genre: Description A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D

Apprenticing a Second Genre: Narratives… Short Stories Discussion of purpose: Why do people tell stories? Structure: Setting, title There is a central character (and other character/s) Something happens to the character Resolution The event transforms the character

Oral Development Jigsaw BASE GROUP A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D EXPERT GROUP A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D Description From Description To Narrative BASE GROUP A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D

What would we see in a QTEL class? Students apprenticing disciplinary English from the teacher and from each other Students getting multiple opportunities to use the language in deliberate, purposeful ways Students gradually appropriating language that initially they did not have

The Apprenticeship of One Teacher Teacher: Roza Ng School: MS 131, Chinatown, New York City Students: Range of recent arrivals in the U.S. between three years and three months Issue that moved Roza to participate in QTEL professional development: traditional, teacher-fronted class

Change is possible, but it requires Systematic work Long, sustained, coherent teacher professional development Building communities of teachers who are supportive of each other in the same way that they need to be supportive of their students Visions of the possible guiding the work