Scaffolding strategies for the elder people’s cognitive engagement and second language learning

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate senior university teachers’ use of scaffolding strategies for enhancing elder people’s cognitive engagement and their second language learning. The main focuses of the study included, the types of scaffolding strategies used by Senior University teachers to enhance older people’s cognitive engagement and the processes of using these scaffolding strategies. From the literature review, the major findings of this study are as the following: The elder people’s cognitive engagement is classified into three categories: Attention, memory and critical thinking the elder people’s teachers’ scaffolding strategies in different ways could help older people to achieve different categories of cognitive engagement; and Senior University teachers’ perceptions of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding strategies are important for their appropriate role in assisting and cooperating with the elder people’s second language learning.