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Multicultural and multilingual Mediation: Second or/and foreign Language Acquisition on the example of the German language

Learn more about multicultural and multilingual communication and education

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CIVIS focus area
Society, culture, heritage
Open to
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
Field of studies
  • Social Science and humanities
Type
  • Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
Course dates
4 March - 31 May 2024

The project "Multicultural and multilingual mediation: Second or/and foreign language acquisition and use on the example of German" is intending, on the one hand, to complete the educational profile of students in the field of foreign language (mediation) and, on the other hand, to demonstrate the sociopolitical relevance of language mediation in a globalized world of life and work. According to the European Framework of Reference, language mediation is: "the generic term for various forms of oral and written transfer of texts into another language [or into another linguistic variety, or into another level of linguistic competence]. What is important in all forms is that the language mediator does not express his own intentions in the process, but is an intermediary between interlocutors who cannot understand each other directly." (Council of Europe 2001:89). In the new companion volume of the CEFR, mediation is "a reducer of distance". Mediation can be defined as any procedure, arrangement or action designed in a given social context to reduce the distance between two (or more) poles of otherness between which there is tension (North Coste/Cavalli 2015:27).

The present project is intended as an extension of the topic dealt with by the same team in the VM program "Cross-linguistic and Intercultural Mediation - German as a Lingua Franca", carried out in May-June 2022 and the first BIP Multicultural and multilingual Mediation: Second or/and foreign Language Acquisition on the example of the German language, carried out May/June 2023, and takes up the concept of mediation in a communicative-pragmatically oriented perspective in the continuation of the content, integrating psycho- and sociolinguistic, as well as language-didactic approaches.

Main topics addressed

  • On the concept of "intercultural mediation”
  • German as a medium of communication (L1, L2, Lingua Franca)
  • German in the context of speech acts and interculturality
  • German in a variation-linguistic perspective/heterogeneous language use
  • German in the proximity-distance model
  • German as (un)understandable language (easy and simple language)
  • Sample analysis of texts & tasks for language mediation from "German as a Foreign Language textbooks/example analysis of language certification tasks"
  • Mediation for specific target groups
  • Communication situation 1 (everyday life: doctor, everyday life)
  • Communication situation 2 (study, profession, research etc)
  • Applications in case-studies in communication situations and assignment of projects for the attendance phase.

Learning outcomes

The expected learning outcomes of virtual part is the transfer of the necessary prior knowledge and the theoretical basics regarding language mediation in German. This ensures that all participants have the same knowledge base. The 10th session is used to give project tasks and creates the transition between the two phases (virtual and presence phase). The partner universities travel to Madrid where the face-toface meeting takes place. Reflection after the face-to-face meeting and supervision and evaluation of the final projects.

General expected learning outcomes: Deepening of intercultural knowledge, acquisition of the practice of concrete intercultural interaction; European cooperation in international problems (migration, inclusion, etc.); professionalization of students, breaking down of communicative barriers, enrichment of students through practical interaction; thematic enrichment through the lectures of the specialists.

Dates:  4 March - 31 May 2024 Total workload: 168 hours
Format: Blended ECTS: 6*
Location: Madrid, Spain Language: German (B1) 
Contact: achita@gs.uoa.grmarisol.benito@uam.es  

*Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

27 to 31 May 2024

  • Invited speakers (i.e. stakeholders) in participating to the physical part.
  • Presentation of the prepared projects. f.e. concerning case studies in communication situations.

Virtual part

4 March to 24 May 2024

Seven weeks, each week 4 hours, taking into account holidays and semester starting.

Requirements

This course is open to Bachelor's and Master's students at CIVIS member universities enrolled in languages mediation.

Students should be willing to engage in intercultural cooperation both virtually and in-person.

Participants should have a good level of written and spoken German (B1).

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.

This course is also open to students with the same academic profile, who are enrolled at a CIVIS strategic partner university in Africa. Please check here, if you can apply and this particular course is open to applications from your university. Successful applicants will receive an Erasmus+ grant covering travel and subsistence costs during their stay. Applicants should be willing to extend their stay at the host university for 1-3 weeks for additional research and/or training purposes.

Application process

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 7 November 2023 with the following documents:

  • Motivation letter
  • CV
  • Language level
  • Theoretical foundations of language mediation

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Assessment

The common methods of performance based assessment include:

  • Portfolios
  • Self-assessment
  • Interview

Participation in all online lectures and in the workshop: 25 %

Preparation and presentation of a project in groups of 3 to 4 students from different universities: 25 %

Individual paper connecting the theoretical knowledge with a a case study discussed in the course or with the collaborative project in which the student have participated: 50 %

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

GDPR Consent

The CIVIS alliance and its member universities will treat the information you provide with respect. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on our privacy practices. By applying to this course you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

  • Marisol Benito Rey, Ass.-Prof., Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
  • Anna Chita, Ass.-Prof., National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
  • Friederike Batsalia, Full Prof., National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
  • Dafni Wiedenmayer, Assoc. Prof., National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
  • Sabine Elisabeth Koesters Gensini, Full Prof., Sapienza Università di Roma (Italia)
  • Ileana-Maria Ratcu, Ass.-Prof., University of Bucharest (Romania)
  • Hermine Fierbințeanu, Ass.-Prof., University of Bucharest (Romania)