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 for spoken and written intercultural language mediation across a range of professional scenarios, with particular attention to the business, healthcare/social-service and legal domains.

The module takes a strongly hands-on, workshop-based approach grounded in the principles of dialogue interpreting and intercultural language mediation, integrating theoretical reflection with practical exercises.

Over the course of the module, students will work on:

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

Approximately 6–8 selected readings (journal articles, book chapters and excerpts from academic publications) will be assigned during the course, focusing on dialogue interpreting, intercultural language mediation, and specialised communication in business, healthcare/social-service and legal settings. These readings will help students become familiar with the academic language of the discipline and develop the ability to critically analyse linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical issues, applying theoretical concepts to professional scenarios. All readings will be made available on the Virtuale platform.

Active participation in simulations, discussions and practical activities is an integral part of the learning process and classroom activities, but it does not directly count toward the final grade, which is based exclusively on the two examinations described below. Irregular participation, however, makes it considerably harder to reach the learning outcomes the examinations are built on.

The module is taught 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 oral interventions and written texts appropriate to language mediation situations in a range of professional contexts
• apply linguistic and cultural mediation strategies and sight translation, adapting their language to interlocutors and communicative purposes
• use active listening, note-taking and reformulation techniques in oral mediation
• interact effectively with interlocutors from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, managing turn-taking, requests for clarification and potential misunderstandings
• recognise and use the registers, specialised terminology and discourse conventions of the main professional domains
• critically analyse linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical issues in mediation processes, applying the principles and research discussed in class
• critically reflect on the use of English as a lingua franca and on the intercultural implications of 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

Course materials will be made available on the Virtuale platform (virtuale.unibo.it). During the course, students will be provided with specialised glossaries, authentic dialogues and interaction excerpts to analyse and use in practical exercises, as well as selected readings drawn from research on dialogue interpreting, aimed at deepening the linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and ethical aspects of mediation.

Selected readings form an integral part of the learning process and will be used in class to explore linguistic, pragmatic, intercultural and professional issues arising in dialogue mediation. They are intended to support students in connecting research with the analysis and practice of professional mediation.

Attending students, non-attending students and international students all refer to the same course materials and reading list.

Teaching methods

• Interactive lectures introducing the core concepts of dialogue interpreting and language mediation
  
• Role-plays and simulations based on authentic scenarios in business, healthcare/social-service and legal contexts
• Practical activities in language mediation, active listening, note-taking and sight translation
  
• Guided analysis of authentic dialogues and reflection on mediation strategies, linguistic difficulties, and intercultural and ethical aspects
• Critical discussion of selected readings from dialogue interpreting research, applying theoretical concepts to professional cases and scenarios
• Individual and collective formative feedback on classroom activities

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 exam date, students will receive an email indicating their assigned specialised domain (business, healthcare/social-service, or legal), chosen at random, so that they can carry out targeted revision of the relevant terminology and key concepts covered in the course.

During the exam, students will listen to a dialogue performed by the instructor and Dr. James, built from authentic professional scenarios similar to those explored in class. The dialogue and exam tasks refer to the same specialised domain, allowing students to demonstrate their ability to apply mediation skills and professional knowledge in context.

Oral Exam Tracks

The oral exam offers two tracks, each lasting approximately 15–20 minutes, designed to assess comparable learning outcomes while adapting the tasks to each student's linguistic repertoire.

Track (a) directly assesses bilingual IT↔EN dialogue mediation and sight translation.

Track (b), reserved for students without functional knowledge of Italian, assesses specialised communication, listening and reformulation skills, together with the ability to analyse and respond to interactional and professional issues in mediation.

The two tracks are equivalent in rigour and weight on the final grade, though the specific linguistic tasks differ.

a. Students with functional knowledge of Italian (including international students with adequate Italian proficiency)

• Dialogue mediation (IT ↔ EN): students listen to a dialogue performed by the instructor and Dr. James and orally mediate between the two interlocutors, from Italian into English and from English into Italian, demonstrating the ability to convey meaning accurately and appropriately while managing the interaction.
• Sight translation (EN → IT): students sight-translate a short specialised text related to the assigned professional domain, demonstrating accurate transfer of meaning and appropriate use of terminology and register.
  

b. Students without functional knowledge of Italian (entirely in English)

• Note-taking & Report-back: students listen to a dialogue in English interpreted by the instructor and Dr. James, take notes, and produce an accurate, well-organised oral report-back
• Professional mediation scenario: based on the same dialogue, students identify and discuss a relevant interactional and/or professional issue and propose an appropriate, justified response. Scenarios may involve, for example, turn management, clarification, misunderstandings, role boundaries, mediation strategies or professional responsibilities.

Oral Exam Assessment Criteria

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

• accuracy and completeness of dialogue mediation (Track a) or report-back (Track b)
• appropriate use of specialised terminology, syntax and register
• fluency, coherence and effective delivery/interaction management
• effective use of mediation strategies, where relevant to the task
• accuracy and appropriateness of sight translation (Track a)
• ability to identify and respond appropriately to interactional and professional issues in mediation scenarios (Track b)

Detailed assessment rubrics, including performance descriptors and the points assigned to each criterion, will be made available on the Virtuale platform at the start 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