Understanding the Camera Techniques in the Film - Term Paper Example

The theoretical justification for ESL teaching methods can be traced back o Vygotsky’s social learning theory as the very idea of scaffolding, the underlying principle behind the ESL training is an offshoot of Vygotsky’s social learning theory. For Vygotsky, the most effective learning always occurs within the ZPD (zone of proximal development) and for him, scaffolding is the support given to the learners for new learning. The purpose of scaffolding is to turn a dependent learner to an independent learner.

For Hammond & Gibbons scaffolding is the “task-specific support, designed to help the learner independently to complete the same or similar tasks later in new contexts” and effective scaffolding enables the students “to transfer understandings and skills to new tasks in new learning contexts, thereby becoming increasingly independent learners” (Hammond & Gibbons, 2005, p. 8). Drawing conclusions from the authors’ theories the four student handouts aim at offering the necessary scaffolding to the learners wherever necessary.

As the authors purport, it is sure that the learners are already familiar with various components of film review and appreciation of films. However, the student handouts employed in the paper seek to facilitate new learning regarding the various components of films. Student handout 1 provides a clear cut understanding of the various shots and camera techniques employed in movies. In the second student handout, the learning outcome is a thorough exercise on identifying examples of scenes and shots for each of the shots they are already familiar with through the first handout.

The third handout introduces all the major components of films and provides an opportunity for sufficient practices. The fourth handout aims at emphasizing the significance of the climax in any movies. Scaffolding is closely linked with Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theories of learning. Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development makes it clear that there is the difference in learning aided by an experienced peer or an adult and unaided learning and that scaffolding offers the learner the aid one needs and helps one to be independent.