Investigating the Effectiveness of Scaffolding Techniques on ESP Students’ Speaking Skills: A Case Study of Third Year Marketing Students at Khemis Miliana University

This study investigates the effectiveness of scaffolding techniques in developing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) speaking skills among third-year marketing students at Khemis Miliana University. Using a case study approach with mixed methods, the research implemented and evaluated four scaffolding techniques from mid-October to mid-December 2019: speaking frames, Challenge-Action-Result technique, peer scaffolding, and teacher-mediated scaffolding. Pre- and post-intervention speaking assessments revealed significant improvements across all dimensions of speaking performance, with particularly large effects on marketing-specific communication skills and lexical resources. Qualitative data from observations and interviews provided insights into the implementation process and students' experiences with each scaffolding technique. The findings suggest that a combination of scaffolding approaches, sequenced from more structured support to more autonomous learning, effectively addresses both linguistic and professional communication needs in ESP contexts. The study contributes to theoretical understandings of scaffolding by demonstrating its application to specialized discourse development and offers practical guidance for ESP instructors seeking to enhance students' speaking skills in professional domains. Implications for ESP pedagogy in higher education and directions for future research are discussed.