Of metaphors and literalization: Reconceptualizing scaffolding in Language Teaching

The metaphor of scaffolding is ubiquitous in the field of education and that of Language Teaching, in particular. However, the term has become literalized, thus losing its original meaning, and is now an umbrella term encompassing various forms of teacher intervention. Added to this, the metaphor has come under extended criticism as a consequence of the spread of Sociocultural Learning Theory. This paper explores the metaphor of scaffolding and attempts to validate it as a legitimate form of mediation within the sociocultural construct of Zone of Proximal Development by promoting a reconceptualization of the term, in light of alternative definitions. Implications for language teaching and language teacher education are highlighted and new perspectives advanced.