Études romanes de Brno (Jul 2024)
Mediation activities and strategies in teaching of French for specific purposes : results of a pilot research
Abstract
Why is the skill of language mediation important in the teaching of French for Specific Purposes (FSP) and more specifically in the teaching of legal French? Mediation, introduced into language teaching by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001) and then redefined and highlighted using the new descriptors in its Companion Volume (2018), is a language activity that is particularly present in the world of work. In the field of law, language mediation can contribute to a better understanding of local legal culture and its specific features. In the multilingual European context, instead of producing legal texts, students will need to understand them and be able to explain their content to potential clients or collaborators, convey the message the texts contain, and identify the points that legal cultures have in common. The aim of this study is to show the results of the pilot research carried out on a small sample of teachers in spring 2022. Using comprehensive interviews, it seeks to highlight FSP teachers' approaches to mediation activities and strategies. The initial results of this pilot research show that FSP teachers in universities are aware of the importance of mediation skills and are looking for ways to develop activities suitable for practicing language mediation, how to incorporate them in their classes, and therefore how to develop and practice language mediation strategies in their courses.
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