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.

1. Mediation English (60 hours) — Dr Mariangela Picciuolo  

This module develops the linguistic, pragmatic and intercultural competences required to carry out spoken and written intercultural language mediation in a range of professional settings, with particular emphasis on business, healthcare and legal contexts.

The module adopts a highly practice-oriented approach grounded in the principles of dialogue interpreting and intercultural language mediation, combining theoretical reflection with extensive practical activities.

Throughout the module, students will develop skills in:

• active listening and note-taking techniques;
• turn-taking management and clarification strategies;
• spoken mediation strategies;
• sight translation;
• appropriate use of specialised terminology and register;
• analysis of linguistic, pragmatic and intercultural challenges;
• role plays and simulations based on authentic professional scenarios;
• reflection on the ethical and professional dimensions of intercultural language mediation.

During the course, students will be assigned approximately 6–8 selected readings (research articles, book chapters and excerpts from academic publications) focusing on dialogue interpreting, intercultural language mediation and specialised communication in business, healthcare and legal settings. These readings are intended to familiarise students with the academic discourse of the discipline while developing their ability to critically analyse linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical issues and apply theoretical concepts to professional scenarios. All readings will be made available on the University's Virtuale platform.

Active participation in simulations, discussions and practical activities forms an integral part of the learning process and classroom experience. Although participation does not directly contribute to the final grade—which is based exclusively on the two examination components described below—irregular attendance and participation may make it considerably more difficult to achieve the learning outcomes on which the assessment is based.

The module is delivered entirely in person.

Learning Outcomes — Mediation English

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

• understand specialised written and spoken texts in English;
• produce spoken and written output appropriate to language mediation in a range of professional contexts;
• apply linguistic and cultural mediation strategies, including sight translation, while adapting their language to different interlocutors and communicative purposes;
• employ active listening, note-taking and reformulation techniques during spoken mediation;
• interact effectively with speakers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds by managing turn-taking, clarification requests and communication breakdowns;
• recognise and appropriately use specialised registers, terminology and discourse conventions in the main professional domains addressed during the course;
• critically analyse linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical issues arising in mediation processes by applying the concepts discussed during the course and in the assigned readings;
• critically reflect on the use of English as a lingua franca and its implications for intercultural professional communication.

2. Mediation English Language Practice Classes (36 hours) — Dr Nigel James

The language practice classes are designed both to consolidate and further develop students' linguistic competence and to deepen their understanding of the linguistic and discourse features of English in the fields of business (intercultural communication), law and healthcare. Through targeted practical activities, students develop communicative competence across all language skills (productive and receptive), enabling them to mediate, produce and understand specialised English and Italian for professional purposes.

By the end of the language practice classes, students will be able to:

• recognise and analyse intercultural communication incidents in business contexts, identifying their pragmatic and cultural causes;
• understand and appropriately use specialised medical terminology in healthcare mediation contexts;
• understand and appropriately use specialised legal terminology, with particular reference to the right to healthcare and the civil rights of both documented and undocumented migrants;
• produce written responses in English that demonstrate lexical and grammatical accuracy and conform to an appropriate academic style across the three specialist domains covered during the course.

These four learning outcomes correspond directly to the four questions included in the written examination (see Assessment).

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching materials will be made available on the University's Virtuale platform (virtuale.unibo.it). Throughout the course, students will be provided with specialised glossaries, authentic dialogues and excerpts from professional interactions for analysis and use during practical activities, together with selected academic readings on dialogue interpreting designed to deepen their understanding of the linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical dimensions of language mediation.

Attending students, non-attending students and international students will refer to the same teaching materials and bibliography. The assigned readings constitute an integral part of the course and the examination preparation, and will provide the basis for the theoretical discussion included in the oral examination.

Teaching methods

• Interactive lectures introducing the key concepts of dialogue interpreting and language mediation.
• Role plays and simulations based on authentic professional scenarios in business, healthcare and legal settings.
• Practical activities focusing on spoken language mediation, active listening, note-taking and sight translation.
• Guided analysis of authentic dialogues, encouraging reflection on mediation strategies, linguistic challenges, and intercultural and ethical issues.
• Critical discussion of selected academic readings on dialogue interpreting, applying theoretical concepts to authentic professional cases and scenarios.
• Individual and whole-class formative feedback on practical activities carried out during the course.

Assessment methods

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

Examination Structure

The final assessment consists of two independent examination components, which may be taken in any order:

• Written Examination – Language Practice Classes (Dr Nigel James)
• Oral Examination – Mediation English (Dr Mariangela Picciuolo)

To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum mark of 18/30 in both examination components.

The final grade is calculated as a weighted average of the two components:

Examination Component Weight

Written Examination (Language Practice Classes) 1/3

Oral Examination (Mediation English) 2/3

If one component is not passed, only the failed component must be retaken. The mark obtained in each component remains valid for four examination sessions, including the session in which it was first taken.

Grade Refusal Policy

The final grade may be declined only after both examination components have been successfully completed (minimum 18/30 in each).

Individual component marks cannot be refused separately. Students may decline only the final overall grade, calculated as the weighted average of the two examination components. Declining the final grade requires students to retake both the written and the oral examinations.

1. Written Examination (Dr Nigel James)

The written examination is based on the topics covered during the Language Practice Classes and consists of four questions, all written and answered in English:

• two questions on intercultural communication (cultural incidents) in business contexts;
• one question on medical language;
• one question on legal language (with particular reference to the right to healthcare and the civil rights of documented and undocumented migrants).

Feature Details

Duration 60 minutes

Format Handwritten (pen and paper)

Permitted materials Monolingual English paper dictionary

Not permitted Artificial Intelligence tools, electronic devices or any other form of digital assistance

Maximum mark 15 marks for language + 15 marks for content (30 marks total)

In addition to content relevance, lexical and grammatical accuracy will be assessed. Marking follows the descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), C2 level, used as a benchmark for evaluating academic written English rather than as the minimum entry level for the course. Students are expected to write in an appropriate academic style.

Examples of marked examination papers together with the corresponding assessment rubric will be made available on Virtuale before each examination session.

Teaching materials will be available on virtuale.unibo.it.

Lecturer responsible: Dr Nigel James (nigel.james@unibo.it [mailto:nigel.james@unibo.it] )

 

2. Oral Examination – Mediation English (Dr Mariangela Picciuolo)

Permitted materials during the examination: pen and paper for note-taking purposes only.

Five days before the examination, students will receive an email indicating the specialist domain assigned for their examination (business, healthcare or legal), selected at random. This is intended to allow students to review the relevant specialised terminology and the main theoretical concepts covered during the course.

During the examination, students will listen for the first time to a dialogue performed by Dr Picciuolo and Dr James, based on authentic professional scenarios comparable to those practised during the course.

The dialogue, the examination tasks and the question based on the assigned readings will all relate to the same specialist domain, enabling students to integrate practical mediation skills with the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course.

Oral Examination Pathways

The oral examination is offered in two equivalent formats, each lasting approximately 15–20 minutes. Both formats assess the same learning outcomes, adapting the examination tasks to the student's linguistic repertoire.

Pathway (a) directly assesses bilingual Italian–English language mediation, which constitutes a core learning outcome of the course.

Pathway (b) is designed for students who do not possess a functional knowledge of Italian. It assesses the same underlying competences—specialised terminology, dialogue management, ethical awareness and theoretical understanding—through English-only tasks (note-taking, report-back and discussion), since bilingual mediation is, by definition, not feasible without competence in both languages.

The two pathways are equivalent in terms of academic standards, assessment criteria and weighting, although they differ in the linguistic tasks required.

(a) Students with a Functional Knowledge of Italian

(including international students with an adequate command of Italian)

The examination consists of:

• Dialogue mediation (Italian ↔ English): students listen to a dialogue performed by the lecturer and Dr James and mediate orally between the two speakers, working from Italian into English and from English into Italian, demonstrating accurate and contextually appropriate transfer of meaning.
• Sight translation (English → Italian): sight translation of a short specialised text in the assigned language direction.
• Discussion of the assigned readings (in English): students answer a question based on the assigned readings, applying the theoretical concepts discussed during the course to a professional scenario.

(b) Students without a Functional Knowledge of Italian

(All tasks are conducted in English.)

The examination consists of:

• Note-taking and report-back: students listen to a dialogue in English performed by the lecturer and Dr James, take notes, and provide an accurate and well-structured oral report-back.
• Discussion of an ethical scenario: based on the same dialogue, students discuss ethical issues, the interpreter's professional responsibilities, and appropriate strategies for managing the situation.
• Discussion of the assigned readings: students answer a question based on the assigned readings, applying the theoretical concepts to the professional scenario presented.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment follows the detailed rubrics published on Virtuale and takes into account:

• accuracy and completeness of the mediation (or, for Pathway (b), the report-back);
• appropriate use of specialised terminology, syntax and register;
• fluency, coherence and organisation of the interaction;
• effective application of mediation strategies, including note-taking, turn management, clarification requests, reformulation and summarising;
• accuracy of the sight translation (Pathway (a) only);
• the ability to critically apply the theoretical concepts discussed in the assigned readings to the analysis of professional scenarios, with particular reference to the linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical dimensions of dialogue interpreting.

Detailed assessment rubrics, including performance descriptors and marking criteria for each assessment criterion, will be made available on the Virtuale platform at the beginning of the course.

 

Exam Sessions

• January 2027

• February 2027

• June 2027

• September 2027

 

 

Teaching tools

The course adopts an inclusive approach that recognises and values students' linguistic, cultural and educational diversity. Different accents, linguistic backgrounds and communicative styles are welcomed and respected, fostering a collaborative, inclusive and participatory learning environment.

Teaching is supported by accessible digital learning materials—including lecture slides, texts, authentic dialogues, videos and academic readings—made available through the University's Virtuale platform. Learning is further enhanced through practical and collaborative activities such as role plays, simulations, guided discussions and group work, designed to promote active engagement, critical reflection and the development of language mediation skills.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD/DSA) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact both the University's Disability and Specific Learning Disorders Service (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ) and the lecturer as early as possible in order to discuss the most appropriate arrangements for attending classes and/or completing the assessment.

Requests for reasonable adjustments to the examination should be submitted at least 15 days before the examination date by emailing the lecturer and copying either disabilita@unibo.it (for students with disabilities) or dsa@unibo.it (for students with Specific Learning Disorders).

Office hours

See the website of Mariangela Picciuolo