Scaffolding is considered a salient part of EFL education for developing different language skills, especially for better communication, and its inevitable impact on learners’ psychological processes. The present experimental study primarily investigates the impact of Piagetian symmetrical vs. Vygotskyan asymmetrical scaffolding on EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. To this end, the researcher chose approximately 77 intermediate EFL learners based on the results of piloted OPT. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to two groups of 35 and 42 EFL learners. In one group, symmetrical scaffolding (Peers’ assistance) was employed, and in the other, asymmetrical scaffolding (teachers’ assistance) was implemented as the treatment. The data analyses revealed that participants’ pragmatic competence improved significantly through Vygotskyan asymmetrical scaffolding, suggesting learners receive assistance from teachers or competent peers. The findings of this article embrace pedagogical and theoretical implications for EFL curriculum planners, practitioners, teachers, learners, and material developers.
Keywords: Piaget; Vygotsky; scaffolding; intermediate EFL learners; pragmatic competence
