Methodological Foundations in Conducting Mediation in the Process of Foreign Language Teaching

Abstract

The paper presents methodological foundations of conducting mediation in the process of teaching foreign languages to students that do not specialize in translation. Outcomes of the research are the following: principles of the concept of conducting mediation described in the Companion Volume to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR are analyzed and principles applicable for teaching mediation to students are outlined; typical communicative situations in which mediation is carried out are analyzed; the practical orientation of the mediation process in foreign language teaching is explained; algorithms for creating mediation tasks are developed; possibilities of optimization of educational process through the integration of mediation tasks are considered; examples of tasks for execution of mediation are suggested. It is concluded that in light of the significance of functions that mediation serves in the nowadays society, it is necessary to take into account the problem of incorporating teaching of meditation into the process of foreign languages teaching. Advanced mediation concept, which is presented in the Companion Volume to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR, provides theoretical principles for the development of methodologies for teaching mediation. Social functions of language use in mediation lay the foundations of these methodologies. Peculiarities of mediation tasks are the following: tasks are based on the educational goal that is formulated on the basis of illustrative scales with competencies for mediation that are provided in the Companion Volume to CEFR, tasks have natural for students communicative situation, which indicates for whom and with what purpose mediation is carried out. Provided that these requirements are met, mediation tasks fully and completely correspond to the activity-oriented approach in foreign language teaching and help to optimize educational process.