Developing university students’ mediation skills in english for specific purposes instruction

Abstract

The increasing complexity of academic and professional communication requires university graduates to possess not only foreign language knowledge but also the ability to interpret, transform, and negotiate meaning in various communicative contexts. In this regard, mediation has become an important component of contemporary foreign language education, particularly within English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction. The study addresses the problem of insufficient integration of mediation-oriented activities into university ESP courses despite their significant potential for developing students’ professional communicative competence. The aim of the research is to theoretically substantiate the importance of developing university students’ mediation skills in ESP instruction and to identify effective pedagogical strategies for their formation. The study is based on theoretical analysis of scientific literature, examination of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its Companion Volume, comparative analysis of contemporary ESP approaches, and generalization of pedagogical experience. The results demonstrate that mediation activities contribute to students’ ability to process professional information, explain complex concepts, adapt messages to different audiences, and facilitate communication. Role-playing professional situations, project-based learning, collaborative tasks, and information transformation activities are identified as effective strategies. These approaches create authentic communication contexts and support the development of linguistic, cognitive, professional, and intercultural competences. The study concludes that mediation should be regarded as an integral component of ESP instruction rather than an additional teaching element. Its systematic implementation enhances students’ professional language competence and prepares them for effective participation in multilingual academic and professional environments. Further research should focus on developing discipline-specific mediation tasks and assessment tools and on empirically evaluating their effectiveness in higher education.