5th October 2023
Dear all,
this is what we did yesterday:
- we checked our homework paying special attention to adverbs
- we did exercise 5 on page 15
- we introduced Mediation (written and spoken), a new skill.
Read this presentation for more information on mediation
https://prezi.com/view/sEey3sSGLfsahFmmy7lt/
STEPS for a good mediation:
Mediation is a technique used to express relevant aspects of a text in another language.
Do not translate literally!! You have to
process the text. The task is given in a specific situation, e.g. you help
a tourist to understand information in Spanish, you write an article for an
American school’s year book using a Spanish source, etc.
Step 1:
Read the task carefully to find out what information your addressee
needs.
Step 2:
Read the text given to get its meaning and intention.
Step 3:
Highlight or underline keywords. Don’t panic if the text is long and /or
complex – Concentrate on the points relevant for the focus of the mediation /
to the addressee and leave out the rest.
Step 4:
Take notes in English to process the relevant passages from the Spanish text.
Use your own words. Sometimes it is useful to simplify or paraphrase important
words or phrases.
Step 5:
Structure your notes according to the task – if necessary, rearrange the
structure of the original text.
Step 6: If
there are passages in the text which need explanation to be clarified, add
further information. Don’t forget to explain concepts that are typical of one
culture but not of the other, e.g. “Abitur” (final exam taken at German schools
for higher education).
Step 7:
Adapt your language (style, register) to the task and addressee. In an article
for a school year book, you use relatively formal language; in an email to a
friend, you write more informally.
EXPRESSIONS
FOR MEDIATION
REFERRING TO THE SOURCE TEXT:
· I’ve
read/looked at/listened to ……the leaflet/article/ad/information…… as you
asked me to, and ..
CHOOSING
AND REPHRASING THE CONTENT RELEVANT TO THE SITUATION/RECEIVER. SHOWING THAT
YOU'VE CONSIDERED THE TASK INFORMATION
Since
Seeing as
Given that you ...
As is indicated here...
As far as you're / your situation is concerned, ...
Since
/seeing as you have a dog/are a single parent …….. I consider ( option
number 1.....) is the one that best fits your requirements
REPHRASING
CONTENT
· That is to say, …..
· In other words,
. What this basically means is .....
. In a
nutshell, ....
EXPLAINING
/COMMENTING
· That’s
why….
· For this
reason….
EXAMPLES
· For
example, …
· For
instance, ….
BRIDGING
INTERCULTURAL DIFFERENCES THROUGH COMPARISON
X is
similar to /very like/not unlike ……
X is a kind of ……
Cocido is a kind of stew
OFFERING AN
OPINION
In my view,
…
From my point of view, …
In my humble opinion, ….
GIVING
ADVICE AND EMPHASIS TO HIGHLIGHT KEY INFORMATION
-If I were you, I’d…
- I suggest you + present simple
- I suggest+ verb-ing
- I recommend+ verb-ING
- I recommend that +subject+verb
What
I think you really need to pay attention to are/is (the dates, the place....)
C CONCLUSION
I hope this information is helpul/comes in handy
Let me know if I can do anything else
LIST OF CONNECTORS, LINKS, TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES
Click here for a very useful list. These words will improve your mediations hugely
SPECIFIC INFO FOR WRITTEN MEDIATION
- Avoid repetitions
- Try to express the same information in fewer words
- Highlight key information (using emphasis)
- Compare, contrast and draw conclusions. Emphasize the advantages expressed in
the article, but should also make reference to the disadvantages and extract a
final conclusion
- Adapt the message to the recipient by referring to cultural aspects
- Break down the information. Introduction, pros, cons and conclusion could be
a good structure on some occasions
- Synthesize: by providing original ideas and opinions based on your previous
knowledge and your interlocutor's from different sources of information,
including the text to mediate
Your homework: page 128 in your student's book exercises 3 to 7
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