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Self‐scaffolding mediated by languaging: microgenetic analysis of high and low performers
Author(s) -
Knouzi Ibtissem,
Swain Merrill,
Lapkin Sharon,
Brooks Lindsay
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of applied linguistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.712
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1473-4192
pISSN - 0802-6106
DOI - 10.1111/j.1473-4192.2009.00227.x
Subject(s) - psychology , construct (python library) , meaning (existential) , trace (psycholinguistics) , agency (philosophy) , linguistics , sociology , computer science , philosophy , psychotherapist , programming language , social science
The growing literature about the positive effect of languaging or self‐explaining has so far failed to determine why some learners benefit from languaging more than others. We attempt to address this gap through a microgenetic analysis of the languaging behaviour of two university students learning French as a second language, whom we identify as a high and a low languager. We trace the development of their understanding of the grammatical concept of voice in French. Our findings suggest that languaging is a self‐scaffolding tool that our high languager used efficiently to solve cognitive conflicts, mediate mental processes, and construct meaning in general. On the basis of our results, we call for a change in educational practices that would allow for more learner agency through self‐scaffolding mediated by languaging.