Much research has indicated the importance for all learners of intellectually challenging classrooms, along with high levels of teacher support, for improving educationally outcomes in school. This is especially the case for ESL learners. In this course we will take the notion of ‘high challenge, high support’ as a basic theme, and will discuss how ESL learners can be supported to work in their ‘challenge zone’ in speaking, reading and writing across the curriculum. A particular focus will be on the ‘high support’, or scaffolding, required to ensure ESL students are successful learners, and on ways teachers can build bridges between what students bring to the classroom, and the new learning in which they are engaged.