In broad terms, mediation can be defined as a process in which the “distance” or “tension” between individuals who wish to communicate is reduced. The distance or tension can stem from the gap in knowledge or competence (cognitive mediation) or a conflict (relational mediation) and the reduction of the distance or the resolution of the conflict requires the use of language (Coste and Cavalli 2015: 12-13). In the educational setting, cognitive mediation comprises activities that aim at facilitating learners' knowledge and skills. Relational mediation, on the other hand, comprises the activities that help manage interactions between interlocutors and prevent or resolve tensions and conflicts among them. Conflicts or misunderstandings may arise due to, for example, deficits in cultural, social, or language competences. Here the goal of a successful mediation is to create an environment that will enable learners to understand one another and cooperate successfully.

Using language as a means of mediation involves four fundamental types of mediation: linguistic, cultural, social, and pedagogic (North and Piccardo 2016: 9-11). Linguistic mediation can be interlinguistic (cross-linguistic), that is, involving two or more languages; for example, during the activities of translation, interpretation, or collaboration in a multilingual group when the speakers alternate the use of several languages to reach the goal of the communicative activity. However, linguistic mediation can also be intralinguistic when the mediation processes happen within one language. Intralinguistic activities involve processing information and changing the text format, genre, style, etc. Such activities include, for example, summarising, paraphrasing, streamlining, or amplifying information to help understand the communicated information. In intralinguistic mediation, language users/learners concentrate on both the transfer of information and the use of language in a way that is appropriate to the context.

Finally, pedagogic mediation is an aspect of mediation that describes activities and strategies that educators use to facilitate access to knowledge within the context of a classroom, seminar, workshop, vocational or professional training. Such activities include encouraging critical thinking, encouraging creativity, and creating conditions for developing ideas through collaboration in group activities (collaborative co-construction of the meaning).

This ECML project "CEFR Companion Volume Implementation Toolbox (VITbox)" follows the view of mediation presented in CEFR Companion Volume (2020) where "the [language] user/learner acts as a social agent who creates bridges and helps to construct or convey meaning” (CEFR CV 2020: 90). The project’s module on mediation aims to provide adaptable materials for teacher educators and for teachers’ self-study purposes who would like to learn more about mediation activities and strategies as well as how the activities and strategies could be incorporated in foreign language pedagogy. For specific information on cross-lingual mediation, it is recommended to consult materials developed in “Mediation in Teaching, Learning and Assessment – METLA”, another European Centre for Modern Languages project.

Using a foreign language always involves immersing in the foreign culture, which involves “passing from one culture to another” (North and Piccardo 2016: 9). For instance, while speaking a foreign language, a proficient language user produces the utterances in such a way that they conform to the socio-cultural norms of the foreign language. Apart from this, different languages sometimes contain words for ideas that are “untranslatable” between languages. Cultural mediation aims to enable understanding across speakers of different languages and cultures. Passing the information across cultures should be done without surrendering the integrity of the source information. Such activities require language users/learners to develop “cultural awareness,” which is the ability to evaluate critically one’s own and other cultures and countries (Byram, Gribkova, and Starkey 2002: 13).