Mediazione e processi di apprendimento e uso di una lingua seconda in un’attività di scrittura: l’esempio del DICTOGLOSS

Activities have been acknowledged a key role in second language acquisition as they provide the context of interaction which is deemed necessary to foster mediation processes and use. After illustrating the role of mediation in second language learning and the types of mediation activities and strategies supplied in the CEFR Companion volume, the article suggests a brief analysis of what is meant by ‘activity’ or ‘task’ and how its specific features can foster language learning processes. An example of an activity, the dictogloss, is then illustrated: this is a writing task that aims to engage L2 learners in a collaborative dialogue. Finally, two interactional episodes during a dictogloss are analysed to highlight how the characteristics of this activity led the participants to use the L2 to mediate concepts.