Grocery list (Task 1)
Learners should work in pairs (Learner A-B). Each learner receives a different worksheet: Learner A receives the Worksheet Grocery List A in Language A. Following the scenario instructions on the worksheet, Learner A should relay information related to food and practise polite question forms in Language B. Using the Worksheet Grocery List B, Learner B listens carefully to the information introduced by Learner A in Language B and then B selects the fruit and vegetables just mentioned by Learner A and writes them down in Language B.
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Themes: FoodShopping
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A1A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreekhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
A Londoner in Greece! (Task 15)
This task focuses on written mediation. The main aim focuses on developing learners’ skills in selecting information from source texts of different genres, summarising messages into a target language and developing the mediation strategies of paraphrasing, providing synonyms, distinguishing major from minor information.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Reasons to learn Spanish (Task 38)
This activity aims at providing practice in gathering information from a specific text in Language A (Greek) by identifying the main points in order to give a presentation on the reasons why someone should learn Spanish.
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Themes: Languages
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting language
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreekSpanish
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Lost dog (Task 4)
The aim of this activity is to practise a specific vocabulary, introduce learners to different text media, and raise intercultural awareness. Learners read a short text in Language A about a friend’s missing dog and they then have to create an Instagram post and a “lost dog” flyer in Language B.
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Themes: Pets/ animals
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishEstonianFinnishFrenchGermanGreekPolishSwedish
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishEstonianFinnishFrenchGermanGreekPolishSwedish
Airport instructions (Task 9)
This is a project activity that focuses on cross-cultural communication and the way we communicate parts of this information to different people. First, the learners read a text regarding airport transportation and write informal short messages as part of written text communication with an exchange student. Then, the learners use the same information to write a formal email to the student’s parents.
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Themes: Travelling/ countries
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishFrenchGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishFrenchGreek
Healthy diet! (Task 17)
This task focuses on written mediation. The main activities included aim at developing learners’ skills in selecting information from source texts and relaying it into a target text in another language.
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Themes: Food
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreekhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Student-teacher e-communication (Task 18)
This is a project-based task that focuses on email communication between learners and teachers. The duration of the task is two lessons. There are eight distinct steps. The aim is to familiarise learners with the style of email communication in general, and raise awareness of intercultural communication in particular.
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Themes: Communication/social media
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
First-aid poster (Task 22)
This is a project-based task that focuses on first-aid instructions. Learners create informative posters and present them in front of a small group of other learners.
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Themes: First-aid instructions
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
First-aid instructions (Task 24)
The aim of this task is to practise learners’ reception and production skills in an authentic situation. They first read a short text in Language A about fainting, and then role play a phone call scenario in pairs.
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Themes: First-aid instructions
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Processing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Breaking down complicated informationAdapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
The internet and its dangers (Task 26)
This task focuses on written mediation. It aims at developing learners’ skills in selecting information from different source texts, one of which is written in Language A (English) and another in Language B (Greek), and relaying messages into Language B (foreign language).
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CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Amplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: C1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
World mythology (Task 31)
The aim of this task (which could be adapted to include Languages A-B-C) is to familiarise learners with different cultures and media texts. Firstly, the they discuss the features of myths. Then, working in pairs, they listen to a YouTube video about a myth in (Language B(/C), and do the activities (e.g., to collect new vocabulary). Next, they listen to another YouTube video or read a text about a myth with the same topic in Language A and take notes in Language B. Based on their notes, they are asked to create a short podcast in Language B. Finally, they write an article for the school newspaper where they compare the two myths and discuss in Language B (/C) how myths could be used as examples of different cultures.
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Themes: Travelling/ countriesCostumes/ cultureMythology
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Linking to previous knowledgeBreaking down complicated informationAdapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 3 (Upper secondary education (including general and vocational education))
CEFR language proficiency level: C1
Languages involved in the task: EnglishFinnishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishFinnishGreek
The Earth’s spheres (Task 41)
This task focuses on written mediation (filling in a table). The main activities aim at:
a) developing learners’ skills in selecting information from a source text (a scientific text), b) organising relevant information in specific groups, c) summarising messages in a target language, and d) developing the mediation strategies of paraphrasing, providing synonyms, and distinguishing major from minor information.
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CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Social media and teenage life (Task 42)
This task focuses on written mediation. The main activities aim at: a) developing learners’ skills in selecting information from a source text (a blog entry), b) summarising messages in a target language, and c) developing the mediation strategies of paraphrasing, providing synonyms, distinguishing major from minor information.
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Themes: Communication/social media
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingNote taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B1B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
Volunteering (Task 44)
Through this task, learners will have the opportunity to practise their cross-linguistic mediation skills in a variety of ways. However, it is not only different languages that are involved, but also different genres across languages.
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Themes: After school plansVolunteering
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageAmplifying a dense textStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)ISCED 2 (Lower secondary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: B2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreek
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek
A newcomer in our class (Task 89)
Learners welcome a newcomer from Poland in their class. They learn how to describe classroom rules to the newcomer by using the imperative form of verbs (affirmative or negative form) and the appropriate nouns and adjectives. They practise their skills in comprehending a short text in Language A and producing meaning in Language B.
The task plan consists of six steps, each containing three stages. Communicating classroom rules to a peer in another language is a common practice which can be taught in the classroom with steps 1-4, in the first part of the task plan. The second part (step 5) involves collaboration and creativity, as learners make their own posters for the school’s classrooms. In the final part (step 6) they reflect upon their multilingual experience, producing short texts which will be published on the school’s blog.
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Themes: Languages
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediating text:Relaying specific information in speech / in writingProcessing text in speech / in writing
CEFR-CV Common European Framework of Reference - Companion Volume
scales for mediation strategies:
Adapting languageStreamlining a text
Educational levels: ISCED 1 (Primary education)
CEFR language proficiency level: A2
Languages involved in the task: EnglishGreekPolishhome language
Language of the teacher's material: English
Languages of the student's materials: EnglishGreek