Stage 2: The designing process
The METLA task template
For the design purpose, the teacher can use the METLA template which consists of two parts: a first part for the teacher and a second part for the student. It guides the teacher as to what information to include in relation to the lesson or the task (e.g., type of task –role play, project etc, task description, aims, languages, duration, CEFR language proficiency level, CEFR-CV mediation descriptors). The second part of the template can be used by the teacher to present the actual texts and tasks for the lesson. It is actually the worksheet for the student. Grids for self-assessment and reflection can also be included here.
Download the template from here.
Some considerations when creating mediation tasks
This section focuses on how mediation can be taught and offers some important considerations in relation to the incorporation of learners’ home languages, the promotion of (inter/pluri)cultural elements, the introduction of multimodality and visuals, authenticity of texts and tasks, the development of learners’ mediation strategies, how teachers can bring a variety of genres into the classroom through mediation tasks, the incorporation of project work, the means through which learners’ collaborative skills can be developed and it discusses the issue of introducing technology. Finally, the METLA team gives some ideas as to how mediation can be assessed through means of alternative assessment.