TKT YL Module 3 Strategies for scaffolding

Child: What does ‘animal’ mean?

Teacher: Cats and horses are animals.

• giving an example

• defining

• demonstrating

• reformulating

Answer explanation

Using an example of language to show its meaning

Child: This Martin’s pen.

Teacher: OK. Well can you give it back to him, please.

• asking an open question

• demonstrating

• giving an example

• ignoring error

Answer explanation

Teachers may focus on meaning and not form and can choose to

ignore errors to encourage fluency.

Child: Last Saturday my auntie take me to the cinema.

Teacher: Take?

• asking an open question

• defining

• echo correcting

• prompting

Answer explanation

The teacher repeats a mistake with rising intonation to show something

is wrong and encourage self-correction.

Child: Sorry. I don’t understand.

Teacher: Put your chair like this (shows). Then you can’t see Sam’s picture.

• demonstrating

• reformulating

• giving an example

• prompting

Answer explanation

Showing the meaning of words or phrases through using models,

actions or picture sequences.

This dinosaur is more big.

Teacher: OK, this dinosaur’s bigger.

• echo correcting

• defining

• demonstrating

• reformulating

Answer explanation

An indirect way of correcting language, such as when parents correct

their children. For example, a teacher can correct what a child says by

repeating the sentence correctly without drawing attention to it.

Child: What’s an insect?

Teacher: It’s an animal with six legs.

• reformulating

• giving an example

• defining

• prompting

Answer explanation

Giving an explanation of the meaning of a word, as in a dictionary.

Child: I can’t remember the name of the colour.

Teacher: Pur …

Child: Purple.

• demonstrating

• prompting

• echo correcting

• giving an example

Answer explanation

Teachers can help learners think of ideas, remember words or phrases

and correct language by saying a part of the word or phrase or giving

another type of clue.