Learner-centered scaffolding in tertiary-level ESP instruction

Abstract

This article investigates learner-centered scaffolding as a comprehensive pedagogical framework for tertiary-level English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction. The study addresses the increasing demand for adaptive instructional support in higher education, where students are expected to simultaneously acquire professional knowledge and develop foreign-language communicative competence. Particular attention is devoted to the cognitive, communicative, emotional, and professional dimensions of scaffolded ESP learning, emphasizing the importance of balancing instructional assistance with the gradual development of learner autonomy. The paper systematizes the theoretical foundations of learner-centered scaffolding and examines its principal pedagogical mechanisms within tertiary education. The study analyzes how adaptive and contingent instructional support contributes to the management of cognitive load, the reduction of language anxiety, the enhancement of communicative confidence, and the development of self-regulated learning. Special emphasis is placed on differentiated instruction, professionally contextualized tasks, metacognitive regulation, visualization, adaptive feedback, and scaffold fading as mechanisms facilitating the transition from assisted to autonomous professional communication. The article additionally identifies major difficulties experienced by tertiary-level ESP students, including cognitive overload, communication anxiety, insufficient authentic communicative practice, fragmented acquisition of professional terminology, reduced motivation, and difficulties integrating disciplinary knowledge with foreign-language production. The practical dimension of the research is represented through a system of learner-centered scaffolded strategies that demonstrate how instructional support can be adapted to learners’ cognitive readiness, communicative competence, and professional specialization.