MEDIATION THEORYS FEATURES 1

Mediation Theorys Features in the Sixth Grade in English class at Sofia Camargo de Lleras
Karen T. Escorcia
Sandra M. Bentez
Universidad Del Atlntico







MEDIATION THEORYS FEATURES 2


Mediation Theorys Features in the Sixth Grade in English class at Sofia Camargo de Lleras
During the process of observation, we did to Sixth grade English teacher at colegio Sofia
Camargo de Lleras, we found the teacher is an instructor in an 80%, because she teaches the
students a specific topic, to get good or bad results and she does not promote activities to reach
students to the next level. Also she is limited to instructing students and gives them the
vocabulary for memorizing it. She never asks the students if they understood. For example: one
class the students were working in their books, she told everyone what point, what page and
what exercise they had to do. Few minutes later, she started to check the answers, although many
students had not finished the activity yet.
On the other hand, the teacher is a mediator in a 20%, because sometimes, when it is time to
teach vocabulary, she has taken up some features of mediation to make more successful students
learning. She gets their attention and motivates them to learn the vocabulary. For example: when
she taught the topic: my house, students had to do a role play and draw a cartoon in which they
put into practice the vocabulary. The teacher helped them during the process. Also she thinks
that transmission of culture is something important, thus she talks to the students about American
and British culture.
The features are:
Sharing: The students work in groups when the teacher asks them to do it. This kind of
activity teaches them that co-operation is something really important to solving some tasks
the teacher gives them. For example: one class the teacher gave some cities for an oral
presentation, there were not too many and they made groups of 5 and chose one city. They
did a really good job.
MEDIATION THEORYS FEATURES 3


A sense of competence: When the teacher asks the students in English and they answer in
Spanish. She says to them that they can speak in English because they are really good at it. If
they make mistakes the teacher corrects them.
Control of behavior: The teacher conveys instructions to learners to control their own
behavior. For example: when students participate in class, they have to raise their hands and
say: Teacher me. Or when the teacher enters to the classroom, they have to say: Good
Morning Teacher.
Challenge: The teacher motivates the learning process and gives challenging tasks to
students. For example: for the next class, students have a role play about the different English
speaking countries. They have to make a musical or present the News to know the important
information about the country that corresponds to them.