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    Programme 2020-2023
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    Mediation in teaching, learning and assessment
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Teaching materials database

The METLA task database contains sample (cross)linguistic mediation tasks in different languages for different contexts.

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Here you can search for materials involving a specific language. This can be the language involved in the task (a language that the material addresses) and/or the language of the student’s learning material (a language students are expected to work with).


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12 teaching material(s)
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Filmmaking competition (Task 7)

Learners perform a number of mediation activities as they go through the process of getting to know about a language film design competition and of actually writing the script for the competition. 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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Airport instructions (Task 9)

This is a project activity that focuses on cross-cultural communication and the way we communicate parts of this information to different people. First, the learners read a text regarding airport transportation and write informal short messages as part of written text communication with an exchange student. Then, the learners use the same information to write a formal email to the student’s parents.

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Students’ housing problems (Task 10)

The task discusses the living situation of university students in Germany and other European countries and invites learners to reflect on their plans after graduation. First, the situation is displayed in an info text and graphics. The learners then mediate the contents to a friend in the form of a voice message and explain it further in a WhatsApp message. Then they compare the situation in Germany to their friends’ and family’s experiences in other countries. In task 4, another text about living with the parents is read and mediated to another friend. Finally, the learners prepare a panel discussion (in groups) about the advantages and disadvantages of living with parents during university. They receive two texts in favour and two texts against living with parents (in English) and watch a video (in German) in order to prepare the discussion.

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Tower of Babel – WhatsApp group (Task 13)

The aim of this task is to develop learner’s reception and production skills in an authentic situation. Firstly, the learners discuss the features of a typical social media (e.g. WhatsApp) message. Then, working in small groups, they read five different WhatsApp messages (Language B/C), and provide an answer either in Language A and/or B(/C), depending on the instructions given in the message. Finally, they share their answers with the rest of the groups. As a follow-up activity, learners have to write their own message in Language A as part of their homework, and next time, in pairs, they answer their own messages in Language B (/C).

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Student-teacher e-communication (Task 18)

This is a project-based task that focuses on email communication between learners and teachers. The duration of the task is two lessons. There are eight distinct steps. The aim is to familiarise learners with the style of email communication in general, and raise awareness of intercultural communication in particular.

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First-aid poster (Task 22)

This is a project-based task that focuses on first-aid instructions. Learners create informative posters and present them in front of a small group of other learners.

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First-aid instructions (Task 24)

The aim of this task is to practise learners’ reception and production skills in an authentic situation. They first read a short text in Language A about fainting, and then role play a phone call scenario in pairs.

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Mediation in intercultural daily communication (Task 27)

This task aims at developing learners’ abilities to evaluate the use of mediation strategies in daily situations. By analysing a cross-linguistic (Arabic-French) and intercultural situation as depicted in a literary work, learners are able to discuss how intercultural differences, linguistic skills, and power structures impact the outcomes of mediation in daily interaction. Even if the task is almost exclusively planned to be developed in the target language (French) at an advanced level, learners can rely on their knowledge of the official/school language (Language A) and of Arabic (as possible heritage language).

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World mythology (Task 31)

The aim of this task (which could be adapted to include Languages A-B-C) is to familiarise learners with different cultures and media texts. Firstly, the they discuss the features of myths. Then, working in pairs, they listen to a YouTube video about a myth in (Language B(/C), and do the activities (e.g., to collect new vocabulary). Next, they listen to another YouTube video or read a text about a myth with the same topic in Language A and take notes in Language B. Based on their notes, they are asked to create a short podcast in Language B. Finally, they write an article for the school newspaper where they compare the two myths and discuss in Language B (/C) how myths could be used as examples of different cultures.

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European Day of Languages (Task 33)

Learners in groups prepare one product: a short video, a poster, or a leaflet promoting multilingualism for the European Day of Languages (26th September) at their secondary school. They prepare their video/poster/leaflet about the advantages of multilingualism, and then present their products to the class.

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Eat and throw away - Lessons learnt from the pandemic (Task 36)

During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to statistics, most people had to change their lives drastically. Many gained weight. At the same time, the use of plastic increased, with an environmental impact. This task provides the same source text on which learners will work in different languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian and German), and leaves room for the teacher to decide what language(s) will be used as Language A (language of source texts) or Language B (or the learners' end product, which is a leaflet). An additional aim is to raise learners' awareness of health and environmental issues during the pandemic, and to find some solutions to the problems.

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Transition Year work experience (Task 46)

The aim of the task is to compile a class Padlet (in Irish) comprising a series of video and text summaries of information learners gather online about work experience placements. They firstly watch a video in which other learners share ideas in English on work experience placements, then they use a specific web resource in English to learn about various work experience possibilities for their Transition Year placements. They choose an experience which interests them, and they learn relevant vocabulary in Irish related to careers to help them complete a task in Irish which involves contributing a video recording and short text to a class Padlet.

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