The aim of the course is, on the one hand, to discuss techniques of the mediation on the example of the German language and, on the other hand, to demonstrate the socio-political relevance of language teaching in a globalised living and working environment.
According to the European Framework of Reference, language mediation is: „the generic term for various forms of oral and written transfer of texts into another language [or into another linguistic variety, or into another level of linguistic competence]. What is important in all forms is that the language mediator does not express his own intentions in the process, but is an intermediary between interlocutors who cannot understand each other directly.”(Council of Europe 2001:89). In the new companion volume of the CEFR, mediation is „a reducer of distance”;. Mediation can be defined as any procedure, arrangement or action designed in a given social context to reduce the distance between two (or more) poles of otherness between which there is tension (North Coste/Cavalli 2015:27). The present project is intended to be a continuation and extension of the theme addressed by the same team in the Blended Intensive Programs in 2023 and 2024 and which takes up the concept of mediation in a communicative-pragmatic manner oriented from a pragmatic perspective in the continuation of the content, integrating both psycho- and sociolinguistics as well as linguistic-didactic approaches.
The physical mobility part will be running from 26 to 30 May 2025 in Bucharest, Romania.
In the virtual meetings, theoretical knowledge about mediation is passed on, but is then discussed at a practical level in group work tasks.
The fact that the students come from several countries and the common language of communication is German makes the theme of multicultural mediation more tangible.
Moreover, there will be the following topics addressed during the classes:
- Applications in case-studies in communication situations and assignment of projects for the attendance phase
- On the concept of „intercultural mediation”
- German as a medium of communication (L1, L2, Lingua Franca)
- German in the context of speech acts and interculturality
- German in a variation-linguistic perspective/heterogeneous language use
- German as (un)understandable language (easy and simple language)
- Sample analysis of texts & tasks for language mediation from
- German as a Foreign Language textbooks/example analysis of language certification tasks
- Mediation for specific target groups: Communication situation 1 (everyday life: doctor, everyday life)
- Communication situation 2 (study, profession, research etc)
- AI and mediation
The virtual part will be running from 7 March to 16 May 2025.
The virtual activities take place in weekly meetings of 4 hours each, through which teachers can get to know the students, determine their level and interests. Students also get to know each other better, often working in groups and being given small tasks to solve.
The schedule of the virtual component of the course is structured as following:
- 7.03.2025: On the concept of „intercultural mediation”
- 14.03.2025: German as a medium of communication (L1, L2, Lingua Franca)
- 21.03.2025: German in the context of speech acts and interculturality
- 28.03.2025: German in a variation-linguistic perspective/heterogeneous language use
- 4.04.2025: German as (un)understandable language (easy and simple language)
- 11.04.2025: Sample analysis of texts & amp; tasks for language mediation from
- 25.04.2024: German as a Foreign Language textbooks/example analysis of language certification tasks
- 9.05.2025: Mediation for specific target groups: Communication situation 1 (everyday life: doctor, everyday life);Communication situation 2 (study, profession, research etc)
- 16.05.2025: AI and mediation