Insights from an empirical study on communicative functions and L1 use during conceptual mediation in L2 peer interaction

Conceptual mediation is one of the competences described by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) during the acquisition of foreign languages. When practicing mediation, learners collaborate in the construction of knowledge to conduct activities that require higher-level cognitive skills, such as teamwork. This study analyzes the communicative functions and L1 use in peer interaction during a conceptual mediation activity in a group of students following Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) instruction and another receiving traditional language tuition. The sample was made up of 60 L1 Spanish, L2 German speakers enrolled in a A2.2 German course (age 18-20). For the analysis, the oral interaction of the groups was recorded through an online videoconference platform. The type of mediation used as well as the presence or absence of speakers' L1 (Spanish) were assessed. The analysis demonstrates that groups following a CLIL approach resorted to regulative discourse for work organization purposes (relational mediation) more frequently than those students following a more traditional approach. Regarding the use of the L1, non-CLIL groups used their first language to a greater degree in regulative discourse and during communicative mediation, that is, when they had to resort to translation to ensure comprehension among peers.