WRITTEN MEDIATION
In a written mediation activity, the student will be presented with some
kind of information (input) that s/he will have to interpret, and
produce some kind of text with it. This input can be given in various forms
such as a written text, a chart, a graph, an infographic, images, etc.
In the same way, the outcome
of the mediation may be presented in different ways; for instance, an email, an
article, a comment,.... The student
should respect the structure and peculiarities of the type of writing
s/he has been asked to do.
All kinds of mediation have some features in common. Any mediation
activity needs a context. The
scenario describes a situation (in which we have to intervene), the people involved, the purpose of the mediation and the final product. Read it thoroughly and consider:
1. What
is the situation? Circumstances
in which you have to mediate.
2. What are you requested to do? Transmit
information, explain data, express your opinion...
3. What
is the purpose of it? What is your
goal? Help someone with a problem, give your opinion in a blog...
4. Who are the participants? Who is your
writing aimed at? To whom? An
institution, your friend, a blog...
5. What
is the final product you’ve been asked? A
comment, an article, an email...
After having the questions above clear, focus on the input
given. These are basic questions you need to answer before starting writing,
but keep in mind that the answer doesn’t always have to be ‘yes’.
a) What
information should Iselect for my goal?You do not need to use all the information.
b) Should
I use my previous knowledge
and relate it to it?
c) Should
I give examples to facilitate a better understanding?
d) Should
I add any extra information
that may be important or may help in the mediation?
e) Should
I deconstruct complicated information? i.e.use bullet points.
f) What
style, tone and register should I adopt?Type of writing and who it is
aimed at (formal vs informal)
g) How
am I going to organize my writing in order to make it coherent? Think
of the number of paragraphs and what type of linking expressions you may need.
h) What
type of vocabulary and grammar structures should I use?
i) Am
I respecting the length required?
A COMMENT
A comment is a remark expressing an opinion, a reaction or an explanation. In general, comments comply with the style of an opinion essay.
Structure of a comment
1. Title: find an appropriate title.
2. Introduction: use the introduction to get the reader's attention and interest in the
topic. Present the topic you are going to discuss and provide a short overview
on what you think and why. If it is a literary comment, present the story
briefly (put the topic into context) and go straight to the question.
3. Body: give
reasons for your opinion. Concentrate on one main point per paragraph.
What to write exactly, depends on the task:
a) Comment: state your opinion and give examples and arguments
that support your opinion. statement – reason – example
b) Compare:
find common and distinct features. Draw conclusions.
c) Criticize:
find advantages and disadvantages. Comment on somebody's opinion.
d) Discuss:
analyse all aspects of a problem (What is …? / Is it okay to …?)
e) Evaluate:
analyse a problem.Show advantages and disadvantages.
f) Justify:
support an opinion. Show advantages.
4. Conclusion: Summarize the most important arguments that best support your opinion.
Tips for writing a good comment
1. Think about the topic first. What's your opinion? What arguments can you use to support your ideas?
2. Plan the paragraphs you are going to write.
3. Select the information you are going to write about. Summarize or paraphrase what you find important. DO NOT JUST COPY
4. Decide whether you need to resort to previous knowledge, include examples or add extra information in order to develop your arguments.
5. Use a relatively formal register and an objective tone. Don’t be too emotional. It is more effective to write in an informative, convincing and professional way that enables to get your message across.
6. Use phrases and linking expressions common in an opinion essay.
7. If you do not have solid evidence for your ideas, use modal verbs such as might, may or could.
8. Try to use challenging and relevant vocabulary. Use natural-sounding collocations.
9. Avoid repetition by using synonyms or words with similar meanings.
TASK
At the beginning of the year you joined the school’s online Reading Group for C2. Your assignment this week was to read the micro-story “With One Wheel Gone Wrong”. Your host has posted the following questions:
How would you describe the main character, in terms of lifestyle and personality?
What do you think the magazine means for her?
Write your comment on the group’s blog.
With One Wheel Gone Wrong
By A.M. Homes
With one wheel gone wrong, she careens into the checkout line. A perfect shopper, she prides herself on sailing the circulars, clipping coupons, buying in bulk. Her basket is overflowing with catnip and kitty litter, Pull-Ups and pomegranates—plenty of all. She takes a magazine out of the rack; there's a spot to scratch, an offer she can't resist—"Got an itch you can't identify, don't know what you want, let this be your moment." The background photo is of a beautiful house with everything just as you would want it to be—untouched by reality. She scratches; her finger is quickly coated with gold powder and under that is something a little sticky—tugging at her. It is as though she is being pulled into the magazine. A sudden burst of light, an explosion of inspiration, a fleeting illumination, and she is inside the picture and it is clear—this is her house, this is who she is, the life she is supposed to live. It is incredible—she's seeing not only the future but the pathway there—and it's a new kind of floor tile—you just put one foot in front of the other, don't stop, and watch where you're going. And then, as though in a faraway dream, she hears the scanner beeping, she hears the checker say, "Are you taking that magazine?" Drawing a deep breath, she pulls herself back into the checkout line. She takes every copy of the magazine out of the rack. "I'll take all you've got," she says. "Paper or plastic?"
Vocabulary
careen: /kəˈriːn/
(of a person or vehicle) to move forward very quickly especially in a way that is dangerous or shows a loss of control.
sail: control a ship
circular: /ˈsɜːkjələ(r)/ a letter, notice or advertisement that is sent to a large number of people at the same time. E.g. The company will dispatch a circular to its shareholders giving details of the takeover.
catnip: (also catmint /ˈkætmɪnt/) a plant that has white flowers with purple spots, leaves covered with small hairs and a smell that is attractive to cats. Sp. nébeda.
Litter: a dry substance that is put in a shallow open box for pets, especially cats, to use as a toilet when they are indoors. E.g. cat litter, kitty litter.
pull-up (also pull-ups): A disposable nappy with an elasticated waistband enabling it to be pulled up and worn like underpants, typically worn by children during potty training. E.g.‘now she only wears a pull-up at bedtime’,‘start the process gradually by swapping their nappy for a pair of pull-ups’
itch: a strong desire to do something. E.g. She has an itch to travel.
tug: to pull something hard, often several times. E.g. tug (at/on something) (Sp. tirar de) She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention.
fleeting: brief
draw breath: to pause for a moment to take a breath or breathe more slowly.
paper or plastic: cash vs. credit card.
Useful language
Introduction
The purpose of this comment is to analyse...
A.M. Homes with this story tries to describe/ examine/ show
With One Wheel Gone Wrong illustrates/shows..
It is obviously a metaphor for something bigger.
The theme of the story is...
Sequencing
Firstly/In the first place / To begin with, …To start with, I should point out that ...
Firstly/In the first place / To begin with, …To start with, I should point out that ...
Secondly/A second area to consider is …
Another point to remember is ...
Last but not least, I would like to add that...
Opinion and speculation
Personally I feel that ... Let me explain why.Last but not least, I would like to add that...
Opinion and speculation
As I see it, … The reason is ...
It seems to me that… This is because ...
She appears/seems to be ....
Her greatest love seems to be ...
What she loves most in life is likely to be ...
She might spend all her time ... -ing. I would argue that for the following reasons: She could be described as an impulsive/impetuous shopper.
I feel very strongly that ...
I am convinced that ...
I am inclined to believe that...
I am of the opinion that ...
The reasons why I believe that she is a compulsive/inveterate shopper are as follows:...
I think it is true that ...In my view, she seems totally absorbed in the magazine.
It is questionable whether …
It beggars belief how things could have got this bad for her.
She showed a lack of common sense that beggars belief.
I am sure/I doubt whether …
It beggars belief how things could have got this bad for her.
She showed a lack of common sense that beggars belief.
It is true that ... On the other hand, ...
While nobody can deny that ... , I would like to point out that …
At first sight she....,but in fact she...
At first sight she....,but in fact she...
I agree that …For all that, she...
Although it is true that , we must take into account that...
It could be argued that … However, I would like to point out that ...
Despite all the arguments, I still feel that ...
Notwithstanding the suggestion that she may have left without paying for the magazine, I would argue that this was not her intention.
It may be true that ... . However, ...
In no way would I agree that she is a shoplifter.
Surely it is completely unacceptable that she was leaving without paying for the magazine. Nevertheless, she makes up for it when she goes back to the queue and pays for all the magazines.
I am sure you will agree that…
Surely you must agree that…
I was extremely impressed by…
What is
particularly spectacular/interesting is…
I would like to stress that...
It should be noted that...
It is worth bearing in mind that...
I was rather disappointed by…
My overall impression was that …
On the whole, it appears/seems that ...
In general,…
Generally
speaking,…
Broadly speaking,
By and large, she was pretty well-behaved as she was so impervious to anything surrounding her.
Broadly speaking,
By and large, she was pretty well-behaved as she was so impervious to anything surrounding her.
Annoyingly,…
Naturally,…
Strangely,…
Surprisingly,…
Evidently,…
Indeed,…
In fact,…
In fact,…
Admittedly, she was leaving without paying for the magazine.
Admittedly: /ədˈmɪtɪdli/ used when you are accepting that something is true. Sp. cierto es que, ciertamente.
Presumably,...
Presumably: /prɪˈzjuːməbli/ used to say that you think that something is probably true. Sp. Supuestamente
Presumably: /prɪˈzjuːməbli/ used to say that you think that something is probably true. Sp. Supuestamente
While some people will love ... , others may feel less happy.
A major problem is that ...
I was less happy with ...
Her reaction/behaviour struck me as odd. She struck me as being...
Her reaction/behaviour struck me as odd. She struck me as being...
On reflection, I think the character of this story...
It is clear that the magazine shows her what she aspires to. For her it seems to be the springboard to her lifelong ambitions.
We must take into account the fact that ....
It goes without saying that ...
Needless to say,
The woman in the story seemed oblivious to what was going on around her. This means that she was engrossed with the ad on the magazine.
She imagines herself already stepping on the floor tiles of the house in the magazine. This is largely due to the fact that she might have for long reflected on what she would like her dream house to be like.
Paraphrasing
In other words, she seems to be obsessed with the magazine and the house depicted in it.
Or, to put it another way, she...
What I mean by that is that she ...
The voice of the narrator leads us to believe...
The writer explores different aspects of human nature.
The writer experiments in terms of ambitions and motivation.
The author of the story seems to believe that...
According to the author/story...
As far as the author is concerned,...
The motivation/intention of the author is to make the reader aware of...
It could be argued that this story epitomises the impact of capitalism on a woman.
epitomise: epitomize something to be a perfect example of something.
The story is a good illustration of how capitalism can exert a strong influence on our minds.
It's a story strongly reminiscent of my adolescence, when I used to be carried away by the sales and offers.
Her experiences resonate powerfully with readers, living, as many do, in a similar situation.
resonate (with somebody/something) to remind somebody of something; to be similar to what somebody thinks or believes.
reminiscent of somebody/something: reminding you of somebody/something
Engaging the reader
Have you ever wondered what life would be like without dreams and passions? ...
Doesn’t she just make all of us feel more positive about our own aspirations?
Have you ever had a secret ambition?
Have you ever wondered...?
What would your life be like if...?
What would you do if...?
Are you one of those people who tend to act on impulse?
Isn't it extraordinary how/that...?
Imagine if/ what...
Suppose that she had a difficult childhood,
Let us suppose, for example, that she suffers from...
Addition It could be argued that this story epitomises the impact of capitalism on a woman.
epitomise: epitomize something to be a perfect example of something.
The story is a good illustration of how capitalism can exert a strong influence on our minds.
It's a story strongly reminiscent of my adolescence, when I used to be carried away by the sales and offers.
Her experiences resonate powerfully with readers, living, as many do, in a similar situation.
resonate (with somebody/something) to remind somebody of something; to be similar to what somebody thinks or believes.
reminiscent of somebody/something: reminding you of somebody/something
Engaging the reader
Have you ever wondered what life would be like without dreams and passions? ...
Doesn’t she just make all of us feel more positive about our own aspirations?
Have you ever had a secret ambition?
Have you ever wondered...?
What would your life be like if...?
What would you do if...?
Are you one of those people who tend to act on impulse?
Isn't it extraordinary how/that...?
Imagine if/ what...
Suppose that she had a difficult childhood,
Let us suppose, for example, that she suffers from...
In addition...
What is more...
Besides...
Moreover...
Furthermore...
In addition to being absent-minded, she...
As well as behaving childishly, she...
Conclusion
All things considered, I believe that ...
All in all, I think that ...
On balance, it seems to me that...
To finish with, I would like to say that...
Finally, ...
To sum up, I believe that ...
In conclusion, her actions suggest that ...
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