What is mediation?
To mediate means to stand in the middle and help two sides understand each other. In language exams and classes, a mediation task asks you to pass on information:
- from a text in one language into another language (for example English → Hindi, French → English, Polish → German);
- from a foreign-language text into the same foreign language, but simpler, for a different listener;
- from a picture, chart or video into spoken or written words.
Mediation is not translation. A translator keeps every idea in the same order. A mediator keeps only what the listener needs, in the form that helps them most.
How to mediate: four steps
- Read the task: Who is the listener? What do they want to know? Formal or informal?
- Select: underline only the facts that answer the listener's need (dates, prices, rules, reasons). Leave out examples and details they do not need.
- Change and adapt: say it in the target language with your own simple words. Use the right register: 'Hi, so basically…' for a friend; 'The school informs parents that…' for a formal email.
- Check: is everything important there? Is it short and clear? Did you add your own opinion? (You should not, unless asked.)
Useful phrases: 'The text says that…', 'The main point is…', 'In short…', 'They suggest that…', 'This means you should…'.
Mediating visual and audiovisual material
Sometimes the information is in a chart, map, timetable, photo or video. Turn it into words:
- Say what it shows: 'This bar chart shows how students travel to school.'
- Give the biggest and smallest: 'Most students walk (40%); only 5% come by car.'
- Give one trend or comparison: 'Cycling has doubled since 2020.'
- For a video, say who, where, what happens and the main message.
School and peer mediation
In school mediation, a trained, neutral student (peer mediator) or adult helps two students solve a conflict themselves. The mediator does not judge or decide.
- Ground rules: both agree to take turns, no insults, keep it private.
- Listen: each side tells their story; the mediator repeats it back in calm words.
- Find interests: what does each person really need (respect, fairness, their book back)?
- Options: both suggest solutions.
- Agreement: they choose a fair one, write it down and check later.
Good mediators use active listening, 'I' statements, calm body language and stay fair to both sides. Serious problems such as bullying, violence or abuse go to an adult, not only to peer mediation.
Common mistakes in mediation tasks
- Translating word for word and running out of time.
- Copying whole sentences from the source text.
- Missing a key fact the listener asked for (for example the date).
- Using the wrong register: too formal for a friend, too casual for a teacher.
- Adding your own opinions or new facts that are not in the source.
Key formulas and definitions
- Mediation = Select → Change language/medium → Adapt to listener → Check
- Mediation ≠ translation: meaning and key points, not every word
- Register: informal (friend) vs formal (teacher, official email)
- Chart in words: what it shows → biggest/smallest → one trend
- Peer mediation: rules → listen → interests → options → agreement
Worked examples
1. A French poster says the school trip to the museum is on 12 May, costs €15, leaves at 8 a.m., and that students must bring lunch, a notebook and a coat. Your English-speaking friend asks: 'When is it and what do I need?' Mediate.
'It's on 12 May. We leave at 8 in the morning. Bring lunch, a notebook and a coat. It costs 15 euros.' – only what the friend asked, in simple English.
2. A bar chart shows: walk 40%, bus 35%, bicycle 20%, car 5%. Mediate it in one or two sentences.
'The chart shows how students get to school. Most walk (40%), then bus (35%); only 5% come by car.'
3. Two classmates argue: Riya says Aman broke her pen; Aman says it was already broken. As a peer mediator, what do you do first and last?
First, set ground rules (take turns, no insults) and let each speak. Last, help them agree on a solution they both accept, such as sharing the cost of a new pen, and write it down.
Common mistakes
- Translating every word instead of picking key points.
- Leaving out what the listener specifically asked for.
- Using the same formal style for a friend and an official email.
- As a peer mediator, taking one side or deciding the solution yourself.