Grocery list (Task 1)
Learners should work in pairs (Learner A-B). Each learner receives a different worksheet: Learner A receives the Worksheet Grocery List A in Language A. Following the scenario instructions on the worksheet, Learner A should relay information related to food and practise polite question forms in Language B. Using the Worksheet Grocery List B, Learner B listens carefully to the information introduced by Learner A in Language B and then B selects the fruit and vegetables just mentioned by Learner A and writes them down in Language B.
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Themes: FoodShopping
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A1A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
A Londoner in Greece! (Task 15)
This task focuses on written mediation. The main aim focuses on developing learners’ skills in selecting information from source texts of different genres, summarising messages into a target language and developing the mediation strategies of paraphrasing, providing synonyms, distinguishing major from minor information.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
School World Song Contest (Task 37)
This activity is about incorporating learners’ home languages and an (inter-/pluri) cultural component. The learners watch a video news item about the Eurovision Song Contest and/or read an accompanying online text - both in Language A (the language of schooling). They then condense and summarise three key points in Language B (French) about Eurovision from the two source texts for the school newspaper or the school whiteboard and collaborate to produce a poster in Language B based on the information in the texts - the aim of the poster is to advertise a multilingual school song contest. They then prepare for an oral presentation about music in their home countries in Language B (with help from their families). They also use their mediation skills to record a voice message in their home language (Language C) to explain the information in the poster to their families.
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Themes: After school plans
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B1
Languages involved in the task: All languagesEnglishFrench
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: English
Reasons to learn Spanish (Task 38)
This activity aims at providing practice in gathering information from a specific text in Language A (Greek) by identifying the main points in order to give a presentation on the reasons why someone should learn Spanish.
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Themes: Languages
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting language
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreekSpanish
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Italian menu (Task 43)
Learners perform a number of mediation activities as they go through the process of reading the menu, choosing, and ordering food and drinks for each member of their family while on holiday in a foreign country. The activities aim at developing learners’ skills in selecting information from a source text and relaying it into a target text in another language.
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Themes: Food
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishItalianlanguage of schoolinghome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishItalian
Lost dog (Task 4)
The aim of this activity is to practise a specific vocabulary, introduce learners to different text media, and raise intercultural awareness. Learners read a short text in Language A about a friend’s missing dog and they then have to create an Instagram post and a “lost dog” flyer in Language B.
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Themes: Pets/ animals
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishEstonianFinnishFrenchGermanGreekPolishSwedish
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishEstonianFinnishFrenchGermanGreekPolishSwedish
Proper use of face masks (Task 6)
Learners are expected to relay information and explain data about the correct use of face masks with the help of poster diagrams, and also to produce an approximate translation.
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Themes: COVID-19
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingExplaining data (e.g. in graphs, diagrams, charts, etc.) in speech / in writingTranslating a written text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishMaltesehome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishMaltese
Maths family connect sessions (Task 11)
Learners are asked to relay information and explain data from a poster about Maths evening classes for learners accompanied by their parents.
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CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishItalian
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishItalian
T-shirt design competition (Task 12)
Learners perform a number of mediation activities as they go through the process of getting to know about a language t-shirt design competition and prepare a final presentation of their work. The task aims at developing learners’ skills in selecting information from source texts and relaying it into a target text in another language.
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Themes: Teen lifeAfter school plans
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishItalian
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishItalian
A visitor from Mexico (Task 14)
Learners learn how to describe places through the use of adjectives, and at the same time become familiar with different text types. They practise their skills in comprehending texts in Language A and producing meaning in Language B.
The lesson plan consists of five parts, each containing several steps. Communicating tourism information to people in another language is a common practise which can be taught in the classroom with steps 1-3 in the first part of the plan. The second part (step 4) involves intercultural aspects and uses a text format that learners are familiar with: a social media message. In the third part (step 5), learners can reflect on their multilingual practice. In the final two parts (steps 6 and 7), they are exposed to multimodal texts (song, video and text) and are asked to transfer information from one language to another on a relevant topic, i.e., learning foreign languages.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: All languagesEnglishSpanishhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishSpanish
Hot topics and digital media (Task 16)
Engaging learners in the crisscrossing of information available in several media in different languages, this task aims at developing their critical thinking and skills of relating and interpreting. Because young people consume information in several languages, this task intends to bring their multiliteracy skills to the foreign language classroom. The tasks, even if classroom-specific, are oriented towards students’ authentic, every day needs as consumers and producers of media.
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Themes: Communication/social media
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeAdapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: CroatianEnglishFrenchGermanhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: CroatianEnglishFrenchGerman
Healthy diet! (Task 17)
This task focuses on written mediation. The main activities included aim at developing learners’ skills in selecting information from source texts and relaying it into a target text in another language.
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Themes: Food
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreekhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
The internet and its dangers (Task 26)
This task focuses on written mediation. It aims at developing learners’ skills in selecting information from different source texts, one of which is written in Language A (English) and another in Language B (Greek), and relaying messages into Language B (foreign language).
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CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Amplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: C1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Celebrating Mother’s Day in Portugal (Task 29)
Learners are put in a role play situation: Celebrating Mother’s Day in Portugal. They go through some “adventures” to get to buy a present together with their dad, who doesn’t speak a word of Portuguese. The aim of the lesson is to activate learners’ previous knowledge and develop their mediation strategies and the skills needed to deal with informal situations encountered in daily life.
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Themes: Costumes/ cultureEurope
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeAdapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishPortuguese
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishPortuguese
A Mexican in your town (Task 30)
This task aims at familiarizing learners with different text types and practising their skills in comprehending texts in Language A and producing in Language B and vice versa. In the first part, learners mediate a German text about tourism information in Spanish. Then a Spanish text is mediated into German or a heritage language, involving intercultural aspects and using a text format that learners are accustomed to: a WhatsApp message. In the third stage, learners reflect on their own experiences with mediation.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B1
Languages involved in the task: GermanSpanishhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: GermanSpanish
Organising a school trip to Germany (Task 35)
The task is based on a visit of Maltese learners to Leipzig, Germany. First, the German-speaking learners read a brochure about the main sights in Leipzig and briefly relay the information (in English) from the brochure (Activity Worksheet; text 1) in discussion with the Maltese. After that, the Maltese-speaking learners agree on a specific area of interest (in Maltese) and report back to the German-speaking learners in an email (in English). The German-speaking learners then read the part of the brochure (online; text 2) regarding the chosen topic and report information about the topic orally (in English) to the Maltese-speaking learners, in a virtual meeting. Potentially, as a follow-up activity, the Maltese-speaking learners present and discuss (in Maltese) the options they heard about in the previous step.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGermanMaltese
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGermanMaltese
A visitor from Scotland (Task 39)
Learners learn how to describe places through the use of adjectives and at the same time they become familiar with different text types. They practise their skills in comprehending texts in Language A and producing a text in Language B. Communicating tourism information to people in another language is a common activity which can be developed in the classroom with the first activity. The second part involves intercultural aspects and uses a text format that learners are accustomed to: a social media message. In the third part students can reflect on their multilingual practises. In the final two parts, learners are exposed to multimodal texts (song and text) and are asked to transfer information from one language to another on a relevant topic: learning foreign languages.
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CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishSpanishhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishSpanish
Volunteering (Task 44)
Through this task, learners will have the opportunity to practise their cross-linguistic mediation skills in a variety of ways. However, it is not only different languages that are involved, but also different genres across languages.
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Themes: After school plansVolunteering
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Visiting Paris (Task 45)
This task aims to familiarise learners with the process of transferring information from one language to another with the use of videos which focus on specific monuments in Paris.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFrench
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFrench
A newcomer in our class (Task 89)
Learners welcome a newcomer from Poland in their class. They learn how to describe classroom rules to the newcomer by using the imperative form of verbs (affirmative or negative form) and the appropriate nouns and adjectives. They practise their skills in comprehending a short text in Language A and producing meaning in Language B.
The task plan consists of six steps, each containing three stages. Communicating classroom rules to a peer in another language is a common practice which can be taught in the classroom with steps 1-4, in the first part of the task plan. The second part (step 5) involves collaboration and creativity, as learners make their own posters for the school’s classrooms. In the final part (step 6) they reflect upon their multilingual experience, producing short texts which will be published on the school’s blog.
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Themes: Languages
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreekPolishhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek