USING DIGITAL SCAFFOLDING TOOLS TO ADAPT OVERLY COMPLEX SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS FOR LOW-LEVEL EFL LEARNERS

Abstract

School EFL textbooks are frequently written at a level of lexical and syntactic complexity that exceeds what low-proficiency learners can process unaided, creating a persistent mismatch between mandated curriculum materials and learners’ actual reading level. This article examines how digital scaffolding tools automatic text simplification software, multimedia glossing systems, and related computer-assisted reading aids can be used to adapt overly complex textbook material for low-level EFL learners without abandoning the prescribed curriculum. Drawing on scaffolding theory and corpus-based vocabulary research, the article reviews evidence on lexical coverage thresholds for comprehension, on the effectiveness of digital glossing and automatic text simplification, and on design principles that distinguish effective from ineffective technology-based scaffolds. The results indicate that digital scaffolding tools can measurably support comprehension, but their benefits are not uniform across proficiency levels: automatic simplification, for example, has been shown to help higher-proficiency second-language readers more reliably than the lowest-proficiency readers it is often intended for. The discussion proposes a tiered framework for applying digital scaffolding tools to complex textbook material, matched to learners’ proficiency level and combined with teacher mediation and a built-in fading mechanism rather than used as an unsupervised, permanent substitute for it.