78677 - Mediation - English (LM)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to familiarize the students with theories of linguistic and cultural mediation and its diverse practical/professional applications. The students are expected to be able to apply the theoretical and practical tools learned in class to the needs of the public and social services, as well as to international and intercultural communication. They are also expected to progress to being able to independently monitor and update their skills and competence, also for the purpose of conducting autonomous research in the field. Language classes aim at improving students’ linguistic competence; over the two year period students’ knowledge of English should reach the level C2 according to the European framework in all four abilities. These classes will work in connection with the lectures to improve students’ writing skills in particular.

Course contents

The course consists of two integrated modules, both delivered during the first semester, from Thursday 25 September to Friday 19 December 2025:

1. Mediation English, taught by Dr. Picciuolo, includes 30 in-class sessions of 2 hours each (total 60 hours), scheduled as follows:
   • Monday 13:00–17:00 (two consecutive lessons)
   • Wednesday 15:00–17:00
   Classes take place in Classroom D, Via Filippo Re 8.
   
2. Esercitazioni (Language Practice Classes) (36 hours), taught by Dr. Nigel James.
   Further details will be published shortly on his teaching page: https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/nigel.james/didattica/2025

The course develops students’ linguistic and discourse-pragmatic skills for written and spoken mediation in business, legal and healthcare contexts. Activities will follow a practical approach: classroom exercises, role-play, simulations, sight translation and note-taking strategies, along with formative feedback. Special attention will be devoted to English as a Lingua Franca and to non-standard English varieties used in real-life professional interaction.

Students will acquire terminology, syntactic patterns, and genre conventions of each sector, as well as intercultural and strategic competence.

The course is delivered entirely in person.

1. Mediation English (Dr. Picciuolo): Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand specialized written and spoken texts in English;
• produce context-appropriate written and spoken output for mediation purposes;
• apply techniques for linguistic and cultural mediation, and sight translation;
• interact effectively with speakers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds using adequate pragmatic strategies;
• identify and use appropriate register and conventions of major professional genres (business, legal, healthcare);
• critically reflect on the use of English as a lingua franca and its intercultural implications.

2. Esercitazioni (Dr. James): Learning Outcomes

The Esercitazioni (language practice sessions – 36 hours) aim to both consolidate and enhance students’ linguistic competence, and to deepen their understanding of linguistic and discursive features of English in the commercial (intercultural communication), legal, and healthcare domains. These practical sessions are designed to develop students’ communicative skills (productive and receptive), enabling them to mediate, produce, and comprehend specialized language in English and Italian across professional contexts.

Esercitazioni: Written Exam

The written test is based on topics covered during the esercitazioni. It consists of four questions, all written and answered in English:

• Two on intercultural communication (cultural incidents) in commercial contexts,
• One on medical language,
• One on legal language (focusing on the right to medical care and the civil rights of both regular and irregular migrants).

The use of a monolingual English paper dictionary is allowed. The test will be handwritten, with a duration of 60 minutes.

The written test accounts for one-third of the final grade. Besides content knowledge, lexical and grammatical accuracy are essential to achieve a top score. Evaluation will follow the descriptors of the C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), and students are expected to write in an academic style.

A maximum of 15 points is awarded for language use and 15 points for content.

Note: If both the official course exam and the esercitazioni are passed (minimum 18/30 in each), individual marks cannot be rejected. Only the final average can be refused, in which case both parts of the exam must be retaken. The result of each part remains valid for four sessions, including the one in which the exam was first taken.

Teaching materials (dispensa) will be available on virtuale.unibo.it.

The lecturer responsible for the esercitazioni is Dr. Nigel James (nigel.james@unibo.it).

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching materials will be provided via Virtuale (virtuale.unibo.it). Attending students, non-attending students, and international students will have the same bibliographical references. The course requires the reading and analysis of field-specific texts, examples of mediation, and further articles for in-depth study.

Teaching methods

• Interactive lectures with a practical focus
• Role-play and simulated tasks
• Mediation, note-taking and sight translation activities
• Class discussion and guided reflection
• Individual formative feedback

Assessment methods

Students must register for the exam via AlmaEsami (see Unibo homepage > “Online Services”).
Once registration closes:

• students may remove their name from the list, but cannot be added;
• all students on the AlmaEsami list will receive a detailed email explaining the exam procedure.

EXAM STRUCTURE

• Two parts:

1. Written exam (with Dr. James)


The written test accounts for one-third of the final grade. Besides content knowledge, lexical and grammatical accuracy are essential to achieve a top score. Evaluation will follow the descriptors of the C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), and students are expected to write in an academic style.

A maximum of 15 points is awarded for language use and 15 points for content.

Note: If both the official course exam and the esercitazioni are passed (minimum 18/30 in each), individual marks cannot be rejected. Only the final average can be refused, in which case both parts of the exam must be retaken. The result of each part remains valid for four sessions, including the one in which the exam was first taken.

2. Oral Exam: Mediation – English (Dr. Picciuolo)

Permitted materials during the exam: paper and pen for note-taking.

For DOMESTIC STUDENTS (attending and non-attending):

The oral exam aims to assess students’ communicative, pragmatic, and translation competences, in particular their ability to interpret, mediate, and transfer content effectively, taking into account context, register, and field-specific terminology.

The exam will last about 15 minutes and will include 3 tasks:

1. Dialogue Mediation IT ↔ EN (bidirectional, field-specific)

2. Sight Translation (EN → IT, field-specific)

3. AI vs Human Translation Analysis
   – identify errors, explain the level at which they occur (terminology / syntax / register), and propose solutions using metalanguage.

For INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (attending and non-attending):

The oral exam aims to assess students’ communicative and pragmatic competences, in particular their ability to reconstruct and report content clearly and effectively, as well as to analyse translation errors already discussed in class, identifying the level (terminology, syntax, register) and proposing appropriate strategies to address them.

The exam will last about 15 minutes and will include 2 tasks:

1. Note-taking & Report Back
   – listen to an English dialogue, take notes, and reconstruct/summarize the content.

2. AI vs Human Translation Analysis
   – same as Italian students: identify errors, explain the level, and propose a solution using metalanguage.

Assessment Criteria

The oral exam will be assessed according to 6 main criteria:

• Accuracy of meaning

• Appropriate use of terminology, syntax & register

• Strategies & mediation techniques

• Sight translation (Italian students only)

• Note-taking (International students only)

• Use of metalanguage (AI vs Human translation analysis)

• Fluency & coherence

Grading

• Written exam grade (Dr. James): 1/3

• Oral exam grade: 2/3

Exam Sessions

• February 2026

• June 2026

• September 2026

 

 

Teaching tools

The course adopts an inclusive approach that embraces students’ linguistic, cultural, and educational diversity. Different accents, language backgrounds, and communication styles will be acknowledged and valued to foster a respectful and participatory learning environment. Teaching will rely on accessible digital materials (slides, texts, videos) available via Virtuale, as well as practical and collaborative activities (role-play, surveys, group work) to promote active engagement and intercultural awareness.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities are kindly asked to contact the appropriate office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as early as possible, so that suitable accommodations can be arranged. Requests for adaptation must be submitted to the lecturer at least 15 days before the exam date. The lecturer will evaluate the appropriateness of the requested adjustments in light of the course learning objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Mariangela Picciuolo