CEFR Mediation Strategies and Activities 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which CEFR competence is demonstrated when a participant 'encourages shy members to contribute during a group project'?
- Managing interaction (Correct answer)
- Translating informally
- Processing multimodal texts
- Bridging language barriers
Correct answer: Managing interaction
Managing interaction includes creating inclusive conditions where all group members can participate, such as drawing out quieter voices.
Question 2: At which CEFR level can a user typically 'act as an intermediary in informal situations, conveying simple information'?
- A1
- A2 (Correct answer)
- B1
- C2
Correct answer: A2
A2 descriptors include informal bridging tasks such as relaying basic information between people with different languages.
Question 3: When a mediator 'restructures the way an idea is presented without changing its meaning', which strategy is used?
- Literal translation
- Code-switching
- Reformulation (Correct answer)
- Inferencing
Correct answer: Reformulation
Reformulation means recasting an idea in a different structure or wording while preserving the original meaning.
Question 4: In CEFR mediation, 'expanding' a message refers to:
- Repeating the original statement multiple times
- Adding context, examples, or background to make meaning clearer (Correct answer)
- Increasing the volume of speech for hard-of-hearing participants
- Lengthening sentences by adding unnecessary adjectives
Correct answer: Adding context, examples, or background to make meaning clearer
Expanding involves enriching a message with additional context or examples so the audience can better grasp the intended meaning.
Question 5: Which descriptor characterises C2-level mediation of a written text?
- Can relay key points from a simple factual text
- Can summarise specialised texts for a non-specialist audience with precision and fluency (Correct answer)
- Can translate short informal messages between two languages
- Can identify main ideas in a listening passage and write them down
Correct answer: Can summarise specialised texts for a non-specialist audience with precision and fluency
C2-level text mediation includes accurately and fluently summarising highly specialised content for audiences without that expertise.
Question 6: A tour guide adjusts a historical explanation for a group of children versus a group of academics. This illustrates which CEFR mediation strategy?
- Code-switching between languages
- Tailoring language and content to the audience's needs (Correct answer)
- Inferring unstated cultural assumptions
- Translating idioms literally
Correct answer: Tailoring language and content to the audience's needs
Tailoring language and content to audience needs is a core mediation strategy, adjusting register and complexity to match listeners' backgrounds.
Question 7: Which CEFR scale addresses a mediator's ability to 'help prevent misunderstandings and intervene to restore communication when it breaks down'?
- Facilitating collaborative interaction (Correct answer)
- Processing text
- Translating written texts
- Interpreting for social purposes
Correct answer: Facilitating collaborative interaction
Facilitating collaborative interaction includes repair strategies such as intervening to clarify or restore communication when breakdowns occur.
CEFR Mediation Strategies and Activities 4
Which CEFR competence is demonstrated when a participant 'encourages shy members to contribute during a group project'?