IL RUOLO DEL 'SOSTEGNO' ALL'ESPOSIZIONE DI CONTENUTI STORICI IN LS

Abstract

In this paper, we have applied the concepts of Zone of Proximal Development
described by Vygotsky and scaffolding, as defined by Bruner and his collaborators (1976)
to observe what happens in two classrooms which are following the CLIL methodology
where history is taught in French. In the two classes the same didactic technique of '
lezione partecipata frontale' is adopted. Thus, the difference between the two experiments
is the age of the learners (high school and middle school), and therefore the degree of
foreign language knowledge and cognitive abilities in historic discourse. We argue that the
CLIL methodology is valid because it is situated inside the ZPD; we analyze the different
operations involved in the scaffolding process with several examples that privilege the oral
production competence. We discuss the validity of the model and make a proposal for
modifying the model so that it fits a classroom situation better as well as collective
teaching/learning - and not only for individual learning.