Language, Cognition and Scaffolding
2. Cognitive engagement
- the cognitive
challenges
of language
learning
are great
- much
of the
content
lies outside learner's
direct
experience
and is
often
more abstract:
e.g.,
- in science
lessons
learners
may
struggle
to describe
and compare
the
properties
of materials;
- may find it impossible
to hypothesize
about
why
particular
materials
are used
for
particular
purposes;
- may
be
able
to write up
the
procedural
part of a report after testing
materials
but
not
how
to write conclusions.
- being
taught
specific
thinking
skills
and
the
associated
language
- better
equipped
to deal
with
the
complex
academic
and
cognitive
demands
of learning
school
subjects
in a foreign
language