Methodological Framework for Designing a System of Exercises and Tasks for Teaching Mediation in Foreign Language Education (Grades 7–9)

Abstract

The dialogue of cultures and civilizations needs intercultural communication and integration, which is especially intensified in wartime due to forced emigration, accelerating the processes of adaptation of our citizens to foreign language environment. The article identifies possible options for interpreting the phenomenon of mediation as a new educational strategy for Ukraine aimed at the formation of foreign language socio-cultural competence, which is gaining popularity, since the principle of mediation plays a key role for deep immersion and understanding of a foreign language through its culture and the nuanced peculiarities of literary translation in accordance with the context. The formation of skills by means of mediation activity to solve typical communication tasks while interaction with foreigners (such as buying or exchanging tickets, ordering meals, asking for help if necessary, finding your way around a foreign country, resolving disputes, etc.) becomes necessary at all educational levels, thereby determining the need to create an appropriate system of exercises and tasks in modern foreign language textbooks to achieve this goal. The focus of this work is on the definition and scientific substantiation of methodological concepts of a system of exercises and tasks for teaching mediative skills to students of grades 7–9 of Ukrainian gymnasiums during foreign language lessons.
The need to find new approaches to teaching foreign languages in educational institutions of Ukraine and that’s why the need for methodological assistance in explaining mediation as a modern promising educational strategy is evidenced by the anonymous online survey of foreign language teachers of secondary education institutions conducted by the Department of Foreign Language
Teaching of the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine (in February – March 2024), as well as the results of an oral survey of English teachers during webinars and seminars on the topic of mediation conducted by us during 2024–2025 in various regions of Ukraine. We present here some data to outline the prospects for further practical research, indicating that certain problems are obvious for both foreign language teachers and students, especially due to the influence of wartime, which in the conditions of a blended or online format of education makes its own adjustments to the educational process and leads to serious educational losses for students, which causes additional methodological challenges for teachers.