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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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:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishFrenchGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishFrenchGreek
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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Themes: Communication/social media
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writingTranslating a written text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B1
Languages involved in the task: All languagesEnglish
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: English
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
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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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 knowledgeStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
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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Themes: First-aid instructions
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:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
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
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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Themes: Travelling/ countriesCostumes/ cultureMythology
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:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: C1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek