Mediation : Teachers' Attitudes and Perceptions of Needs at European Universities in the Context of EU Language Policy

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Sylwia Kossakowska-Pisarek et al., published by Sciendo.Mediation is a novel concept in language teaching and learning, and the needs and attitudes of language teachers towards it are largely unexplored. This article provides a brief overview of European language policy and discusses the action-oriented approach in the context of this paradigm shift in language learning and teaching. Finally, an exploratory study is presented that examined the needs and attitudes of language teachers from four European universities regarding mediation, as it has been formulated in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) (Council of Europe, 2001) and redefined in the CEFR Companion Volume with New Descriptors (Council of Europe, 2018). The participating teachers were from the language centres of Charles University in the Czech Republic, Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, the University of Helsinki in Finland, and the University of Warsaw in Poland. The study survey measured the strength of (dis)agreement of the teachers with 12 statements concerning various aspects of mediation in the context of their teaching practice. These related to understanding what mediation is and its importance, mediating a text, mediating concepts, mediating communication, and mediation strategies. In addition, two open questions concerned the practice of promoting multilingual and intercultural education and the needs of teachers in the area of mediation. Although the vast majority of the 79 participating teachers (91%) agreed that mediation is vital in language learning and teaching, only a third of them claimed that they understood the concept. Furthermore, the findings indicate that some aspects of mediation are more challenging for the teachers to embrace than others and that some fundamental aspects of mediation do not seem to be part of the current teaching practice of all teachers. Overall, the present study confirmed some of the challenges with the implementation of the CEFR into teaching practice at the higher education level.Peer reviewe

Developing English language support for the lingua franca learning environments at the master’s level

This paper focuses on the changing landscape of international higher education and the role language plays in the current trend towards internationalization through English-medium Master’s Degree Programmes at the University of Helsinki. We provide an overview of the changing situation, with the increasing number of new English-medium programmes, and discuss the development of language support designed to meet the needs of the students in these programmes. This paper is based on a pilot project for developing language support for these programmes at the University of Helsink

Modelling the relationship between 231Pa/230Th distribution in North Atlantic sediment and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Down-core variations in North Atlantic 231Paxs/230Thxs have been interpreted as changes in the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). This modeling study confirms that hypothetical changes in the AMOC would indeed be recorded as changes in the distribution of sedimentary 231Paxs/230Thxs. At different sites in the North Atlantic the changes in sedimentary 231Pa/230Th that we simulate are diverse and do not reflect a simple tendency for 231Paxs/230Thxs to increase toward the production ratio (0.093) when the AMOC strength reduces but instead are moderated by the particle flux. In its collapsed or reduced state the AMOC does not remove 231Pa from the North Atlantic: Instead, 231Pa is scavenged to the North Atlantic sediment in areas of high particle flux. In this way the North Atlantic 231Paxs/230Thxs during AMOC shutdown follows the same pattern as 231Paxs/230Thxs in modern ocean basins with reduced rates of meridional overturning (i.e., Pacific or Indian oceans). We suggest that mapping the spatial distribution of 231Paxs/230Thxs across several key points in the North Atlantic is an achievable and practical qualitative indicator of the AMOC strength in the short term. Our results indicate that additional North Atlantic sites where down-core observations of 231Paxs/230Thxs would be useful coincide with locations which were maxima in the vertical particle flux during these periods. Reliable estimates of the North Atlantic mean 231Paxs/230Thxs should remain a goal in the longer term. Our results hint at a possible ‘‘seesaw-like’’ behavior in 231Pa/230Th in the South Atlantic

Persistent export of 231Pa from the deep central Arctic Ocean over the past 35,000 years

The Arctic Ocean has an important role in Earth’s climate, both through surface processes such as sea-ice formation and transport, and through the production and export of waters at depth that contribute to the global thermohaline circulation. Deciphering the deep Arctic Ocean’s palaeo-oceanographic history is a crucial part of understanding its role in climatic change. Here we show that sedimentary ratios of the radionuclides thorium-230 (230Th) and protactinium-231 (231Pa), which are produced in sea water and removed by particle scavenging on timescales of decades to centuries, respectively, record consistent evidence for the export of 231Pa from the deep Arctic and may indicate continuous deep-water exchange between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans throughout the past 35,000 years. Seven well-dated box-core records provide a comprehensive overview of 231Pa and 230Th burial in Arctic sediments during glacial, deglacial and interglacial conditions. Sedimentary 231Pa/230Th ratios decrease nearly linearly with increasing water depth above the core sites, indicating efficient particle scavenging in the upper water column and greater influence of removal by lateral transport at depth. Although the measured 230Th burial is in balance with its production in Arctic sea water, integrated depth profiles for all time intervals reveal a deficit in 231Pa burial that can be balanced only by lateral export in the water column. Because no enhanced sink for 231Pa has yet been found in the Arctic, our records suggest that deep-water exchange through the Fram strait may export 231Pa. Such export may have continued for the past 35,000 years, suggesting a century-scale replacement time for deep waters in the Arctic Ocean since the most recent glaciation and a persistent contribution of Arctic waters to the global ocean circulation

Campanian-Maastrichtian ocean circulation in the tropical Pacific

The Pacific Ocean is the largest water body on Earth, and circulation in the Pacific contributed significantly to climate evolution in the latest Cretaceous, the culmination of a period of long-term cooling. Here, we present new high-resolution late Campanian to Maastrichtian benthic and planktic foraminiferal stable isotope data and a neodymium (Nd) isotope record obtained from sedimentary ferromanganese oxide coatings of Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1210B from the tropical Pacific Ocean (Shatsky Rise). These new records resolve 13 million years in the latest Cretaceous, providing insights into changes in surface and bottom water temperatures and source regions of deep to intermediate waters covering the carbon isotope excursions of the Campanian-Maastrichtian Boundary Event (CMBE) and the Mid-Maastrichtian event (MME). Our new benthic foraminiferal δ18O and Nd isotope records together with published Nd isotope data show markedly parallel trends across the studied interval over a broad range of bathyal to abyssal water depths interpreted to reflect changes in the intensity of deep-ocean circulation in the tropical Pacific. In particular, we observe a three-million-year-long period of cooler conditions in the early Maastrichtian (72.5 to 69.5 Ma) when a concomitant change toward less radiogenic seawater Nd isotope signatures probably marks a period of enhanced admixture and northward flow of deep waters with Southern Ocean provenance. We suggest this change to have been triggered by intensified formation and convection of deep waters in the high southern latitudes, a process that weakened during the MME (69.5 to 68.5 Ma). The early Maastrichtian cold interval is closely related to the negative and positive carbon isotope trends of the CMBE and MME. The millions-of-years long duration of these carbon cycle perturbations suggests a tectonic forcing of climatic cooling, possibly related to changes in ocean basin geometry and bathymetry

Denudation of the continental shelf between Britain and France at the glacial-interglacial timescale

The erosional morphology preserved at the sea bed in the eastern English Channel dominantly records denudation of the continental shelf by fluvial processes over multiple glacial-interglacial sea-level cycles rather than by catastrophic flooding through the Straits of Dover during the mid-Quaternary. Here, through the integration of multibeam bathymetry and shallow sub-bottom 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated with vibrocore records, the first stratigraphic model of erosion and deposition on the eastern English Channel continental shelf is presented. Published Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and C ages were used to chronometrically constrain the stratigraphy and allow correlation of the continental shelf record with major climatic/sea-level periods. Five major erosion surfaces overlain by discrete sediment packages have been identified. The continental shelf in the eastern English Channel preserves a record of processes operating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to MIS 1. Planar and channelised erosion surfaces were formed by fluvial incision during lowstands or relative sea-level fall. The depth and lateral extent of incision was partly conditioned by underlying geology (rock type and tectonic structure), climatic conditions and changes in water and sediment discharge coupled to ice sheet dynamics and the drainage configuration of major rivers in Northwest Europe. Evidence for major erosion during or prior to MIS 6 is preserved. Fluvial sediments of MIS 2 age were identified within the Northern Palaeovalley, providing insights into the scale of erosion by normal fluvial regimes. Seismic and sedimentary facies indicate that deposition predominantly occurred during transgression when accommodation was created in palaeovalleys to allow discrete sediment bodies to form. Sediment reworking over multiple sea-level cycles (Saalian-Eemian-early Weichselian) by fluvial, coastal and marine processes created a multi-lateral, multi-storey succession of palaeovalley-fills that are preserved as a strath terrace. The data presented here reveal a composite erosional and depositional record that has undergone a high degree of reworking over multiple sea-level cycles leading to the preferential preservation of sediments associated with the most recent glacial-interglacial period

Tramtrack Is Genetically Upstream of Genes Controlling Tracheal Tube Size in Drosophila

The Drosophila transcription factor Tramtrack (Ttk) is involved in a wide range of developmental decisions, ranging from early embryonic patterning to differentiation processes in organogenesis. Given the wide spectrum of functions and pleiotropic effects that hinder a comprehensive characterisation, many of the tissue specific functions of this transcription factor are only poorly understood. We recently discovered multiple roles of Ttk in the development of the tracheal system on the morphogenetic level. Here, we sought to identify some of the underlying genetic components that are responsible for the tracheal phenotypes of Ttk mutants. We therefore profiled gene expression changes after Ttk loss- and gain-of-function in whole embryos and cell populations enriched for tracheal cells. The analysis of the transcriptomes revealed widespread changes in gene expression. Interestingly, one of the most prominent gene classes that showed significant opposing responses to loss- and gain-of-function was annotated with functions in chitin metabolism, along with additional genes that are linked to cellular responses, which are impaired in ttk mutants. The expression changes of these genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR and further functional analysis of these candidate genes and other genes also expected to control tracheal tube size revealed at least a partial explanation of Ttk's role in tube size regulation. The computational analysis of our tissue-specific gene expression data highlighted the sensitivity of the approach and revealed an interesting set of novel putatively tracheal genes

The use and usefulness of mediation in language learning and assessment

Kielellisen mediaation käsite ei ole uusi, mutta sen merkitys ihmisten välisessä vuorovaikutuksessa korostuu globalisaation ja verkkovälitteisen kommunikaation lisääntymisen myötä. Myös viimeisimmät muutokset kielten eurooppalaiseen viitekehykseen (CEFR) korostavat mediaatiota keskeisenä osana kielten oppimista. Tämä artikkeli keskittyy opiskelijoiden näkökulmiin mediaatiosta kolmessa eri oppimiskontekstissa. Tuula Lehtonen suunnitteli ja toteutti mediaatioon pohjautuvan verkkokurssin oikeustieteen opiskelijoille. Kurssin aikana opiskelijat raportoivat tekemänsä tehtävät kahdesti viikossa ja kurssin lopussa vastasivat kysymykseen mediaation hyödyllisyydestä kielten oppimisessa. Roy Siddall ohjasi maisteriopiskelijansa vertaisarvioimaan toistensa suullisia esityksiä eurooppalaisen viitekehyksen mediaatiokuvausten avulla. Opiskelijat arvioivat kahden kuvausasteikon helppokäyttöisyyttä sekä niiden käytön vaikutusta arviointiin: kiinnittivätkö opiskelijat huomiota erilaisiin seikkoihin, kun he tarkastelivat esityksiä mediaation näkökulmasta. Nina Wallden pyysi opiskelijoita arvioimaan, mitkä asiat edistivät tai hankaloittivat heidän osallistumistaan pienryhmäkeskusteluissa. Opiskelijat vastasivat kyselylomakkeeseen jokaisen keskustelun jälkeen. Tarkoituksena oli vastausten perusteella selvittää, millaista mediaatiota keskusteluissa esiintyi, miten hyvin mediaatio kussakin keskustelussa toteutui ja miten onnistunut mediaatio vaikutti opiskelijoiden kokemukseen keskustelusta. Lopuksi pohdimme, miten tuloksia voi hyödyntää vieraan kielen kursseilla. Kannustamme kieltenopettajia tietoisesti huomioimaan mediaation opetuksessaan ja kokeilemaan, millaisia lisäulottuvuuksia se tuo erilaisiin kurssitehtäviin, sillä uskomme, että näin voi syntyä uusia näkökulmia kielten opetukseen ja oppimiseen