Lycée · 1ʳᵉ · Anglais (LVA)
La médiation linguistique
Reformuler, transmettre et adapter en anglais : les stratégies de médiation (programme de 1ère LVA)
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Choisis ton niveau. Questions et réponses mélangées à chaque partie. Bonne chance !
Les 36 questions du QCM en version texte
Pour réviser sans écran ou imprimer : chaque question avec ses propositions ; la bonne réponse et son explication se déplient.
Niveau facile — 12 questions
What is linguistic mediation?
- A. Translating word for word from one language to another
- B. Reformulating a message to make it accessible to a target audience
- C. Writing a creative text based on a source document
- D. Reading a text aloud in another language
Réponse
B. Reformulating a message to make it accessible to a target audience — La médiation consiste à reformuler / adapter un message pour un destinataire, pas à traduire mot à mot.
A summary should be approximately how long compared to the original text?
- A. The same length as the original
- B. Twice as long
- C. About one third of the original
- D. One tenth of the original
Réponse
C. About one third of the original — Un résumé représente environ un tiers du texte source.
Which of the following is a 'reporting verb'?
- A. Run
- B. Argue
- C. Decide
- D. Enjoy
Réponse
B. Argue — 'Argue' est un verbe rapporteur qui permet d'attribuer une idée à son auteur.
What does paraphrase mean?
- A. Shortening a text to its key ideas
- B. Translating a text into French
- C. Rewriting a text in different words without changing its length
- D. Adding personal opinions to a text
Réponse
C. Rewriting a text in different words without changing its length — La paraphrase reformule avec d'autres mots en conservant la même longueur.
Which sentence is in a formal register?
- A. We'd like to ask about this.
- B. Could you give us a ring?
- C. We wish to enquire about the aforementioned matter.
- D. Drop us a line when you can!
Réponse
C. We wish to enquire about the aforementioned matter. — 'Enquire' et 'aforementioned' sont des termes formels caractéristiques du registre soutenu.
What is the informal equivalent of 'obtain'?
- A. acquire
- B. get
- C. retrieve
- D. procure
Réponse
B. get — 'Get' est le terme informel/courant équivalent au formel 'obtain'.
In mediation, should you add your own opinion?
- A. Yes, always
- B. Yes, if it is interesting
- C. No, never
- D. Only in written mediation
Réponse
C. No, never — La médiation transmet fidèlement le message de l'auteur ; l'opinion personnelle n'a pas sa place.
Which connector is used to sum up?
- A. Furthermore
- B. However
- C. To sum up
- D. Despite
Réponse
C. To sum up — 'To sum up' (ou 'In short', 'All in all') est utilisé pour conclure ou résumer.
What does 'exemplification' mean in the context of mediation?
- A. Giving a concrete example to illustrate an abstract idea
- B. Copying an example from the source text
- C. Finding synonyms for difficult words
- D. Translating examples from French
Réponse
A. Giving a concrete example to illustrate an abstract idea — L'exemplification consiste à illustrer une idée abstraite par un exemple concret.
Which of the following is NOT a form of mediation?
- A. Summarising an article
- B. Paraphrasing a complex text
- C. Memorising a poem
- D. Explaining a concept to a non-expert
Réponse
C. Memorising a poem — Mémoriser un poème n'est pas de la médiation. La médiation implique toujours une transmission/reformulation.
What is the CECRL?
- A. A British exam for language learners
- B. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
- C. A French education programme
- D. A Cambridge English certificate
Réponse
B. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages — CECRL = Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues, cadre de référence pour l'enseignement des langues en Europe.
A good summary should be readable…
- A. Only if you have read the original first
- B. Independently, without needing the original text
- C. Together with the original text at all times
- D. Only by the author of the original
Réponse
B. Independently, without needing the original text — Un bon résumé est autonome : on le comprend sans avoir lu le texte source.
Niveau moyen — 12 questions
Which reporting verb best expresses that an author acknowledges a counterargument while still disagreeing?
- A. argues
- B. acknowledges
- C. refutes
- D. states
Réponse
B. acknowledges — 'Acknowledges' = reconnaître quelque chose (ici un argument adverse) tout en maintenant sa position.
What is the key difference between a summary and a paraphrase?
- A. A summary uses formal language; a paraphrase uses informal language
- B. A summary is shorter than the original; a paraphrase keeps the same length
- C. A paraphrase is more difficult than a summary
- D. A summary uses the author's own words; a paraphrase uses your own words
Réponse
B. A summary is shorter than the original; a paraphrase keeps the same length — Le résumé condense (~1/3) ; la paraphrase conserve la même longueur tout en reformulant.
To adapt a formal text for a teenage audience, which of these strategies is MOST appropriate?
- A. Keep all the original vocabulary but add more adjectives
- B. Replace complex vocabulary with simpler words and shorter sentences
- C. Add your own commentary and opinions
- D. Use only passive voice constructions
Réponse
B. Replace complex vocabulary with simpler words and shorter sentences — Pour adapter à un jeune public : simplifier le vocabulaire et raccourcir les structures syntaxiques.
The phrase 'in other words' is used to…
- A. introduce a contrasting idea
- B. reformulate a previous statement
- C. conclude a paragraph
- D. add a new example
Réponse
B. reformulate a previous statement — 'In other words' introduit une reformulation de ce qui vient d'être dit.
Which sentence correctly uses a reporting verb?
- A. The author is saying climate change is real.
- B. The author argues that climate change poses a serious threat.
- C. The author told climate change is real.
- D. The author says climate change.
Réponse
B. The author argues that climate change poses a serious threat. — Structure correcte : The author + reporting verb + 'that' + clause.
What is 'explicitation' in mediation?
- A. Making a text longer by adding details
- B. Adding implied information or context to help comprehension
- C. Explaining your personal view of a text
- D. Translating idioms literally
Réponse
B. Adding implied information or context to help comprehension — L'explicitation consiste à rendre explicite ce qui est implicite dans le texte source pour aider le destinataire.
When mediating for a non-expert audience, which phrase is most useful to define a technical term?
- A. 'As mentioned above,'
- B. 'In other words,'
- C. 'On the other hand,'
- D. 'Subsequently,'
Réponse
B. 'In other words,' — 'In other words' est idéal pour reformuler / définir un terme technique en termes simples.
Which of these is an example of 'generalisation' as a mediation strategy?
- A. Replacing 'hospitals, schools, and roads' with 'public services'
- B. Adding the phrase 'for example' before a list
- C. Translating 'Brexit' as 'UK exit'
- D. Using 'however' to introduce a contrast
Réponse
A. Replacing 'hospitals, schools, and roads' with 'public services' — La généralisation regroupe plusieurs éléments spécifiques sous une catégorie générale.
What does 'register' mean in linguistics?
- A. The tone of voice used when speaking
- B. The level of formality of language appropriate to a context
- C. The speed at which a person speaks
- D. The accent or dialect of a speaker
Réponse
B. The level of formality of language appropriate to a context — Le registre désigne le niveau de langue (formel, neutre, informel) adapté à une situation de communication.
Which is the most neutral / standard register?
- A. I'm gonna tell you something wicked.
- B. It is our intention to inform you of the following matter.
- C. Let me tell you something interesting.
- D. Yo, listen up!
Réponse
C. Let me tell you something interesting. — 'Let me tell you something interesting' est neutre : ni trop formel ni trop familier.
What should you do BEFORE writing a summary in mediation?
- A. Start writing immediately to save time
- B. Read the text twice and identify key ideas
- C. Count the words in the original text only
- D. Look up all the unknown words in a dictionary
Réponse
B. Read the text twice and identify key ideas — Il faut lire le texte au moins deux fois et identifier les idées principales avant de rédiger.
What is the function of 'hedging' in a mediation text?
- A. To express certainty about an idea
- B. To directly quote the source text
- C. To soften a claim and show it reflects the author's view, not a fact
- D. To introduce a definition
Réponse
C. To soften a claim and show it reflects the author's view, not a fact — Le hedging (ex : 'suggests', 'may', 'seems to') permet d'atténuer une affirmation et de marquer qu'il s'agit d'une opinion, pas d'un fait.
Niveau difficile — 12 questions
A student writes: 'The author says that pollution is bad and we should all do something.' What is the main weakness of this mediation sentence?
- A. It uses 'says' which is too formal
- B. It adds a personal/prescriptive element ('we should all do something') not present in the source
- C. It is too short for a mediation sentence
- D. It does not include a reporting verb
Réponse
B. It adds a personal/prescriptive element ('we should all do something') not present in the source — 'We should all do something' est une opinion normative qui dépasse le rôle du médiateur : il faut s'en tenir au message de l'auteur.
Which sentence best demonstrates 'cultural mediation' rather than mere linguistic mediation?
- A. 'The author argues that Brexit was controversial.'
- B. 'Brexit, which refers to the UK's 2016 decision to leave the European Union after a close referendum, has remained a divisive issue.'
- C. 'Brexit is talked about in the text.'
- D. 'The author says Brexit happened in 2016.'
Réponse
B. 'Brexit, which refers to the UK's 2016 decision to leave the European Union after a close referendum, has remained a divisive issue.' — La médiation culturelle fournit le contexte (référendum, 2016, controverse) nécessaire pour qu'un non-anglophone comprenne la référence.
What does the verb 'contend' most closely mean in the context of reporting verbs?
- A. to admit or confess
- B. to maintain or argue a position firmly
- C. to recommend an action
- D. to describe a situation neutrally
Réponse
B. to maintain or argue a position firmly — 'To contend' = soutenir fermement une position, proche de 'argues' mais avec une nuance de résistance ou de défense.
A mediator writes: 'The author refutes the claim that renewable energy is costly.' What does this imply about the author's position?
- A. The author agrees that renewable energy is expensive
- B. The author neither agrees nor disagrees
- C. The author strongly disagrees with the claim and provides counter-evidence
- D. The author is uncertain about the cost of renewable energy
Réponse
C. The author strongly disagrees with the claim and provides counter-evidence — 'Refutes' implique que l'auteur contredit activement cette affirmation avec des preuves ou des arguments.
When should you use 'implies' rather than 'argues'?
- A. When the author expresses an idea directly and explicitly
- B. When the author's point is stated indirectly or can be inferred from the text
- C. When the author contradicts another source
- D. When the author changes their opinion mid-text
Réponse
B. When the author's point is stated indirectly or can be inferred from the text — 'Implies' s'utilise pour une idée suggérée indirectement, non formulée explicitement par l'auteur.
In an exam mediation task, a student copies three full sentences from the source text. This is a problem because…
- A. English texts cannot be reproduced in exams
- B. It shows poor vocabulary skills only
- C. It is not mediation — mediation requires reformulation, not reproduction
- D. The sentences must always be shorter in mediation
Réponse
C. It is not mediation — mediation requires reformulation, not reproduction — La médiation exige reformulation. Reproduire le texte source ne constitue pas un acte de médiation.
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'target audience awareness' in mediation?
- A. Using very complex vocabulary when writing for children
- B. Choosing the same register regardless of who reads the text
- C. Adapting vocabulary, structure and level of detail to match the reader's needs and background
- D. Always using formal English to appear professional
Réponse
C. Adapting vocabulary, structure and level of detail to match the reader's needs and background — La prise en compte du destinataire (public cible) est au cœur de la médiation : vocabulaire, registre et niveau de détail s'adaptent en fonction du lecteur.
The term 'hedging' is best illustrated by which sentence?
- A. 'The data proves that inequality is rising.'
- B. 'Inequality is rising.'
- C. 'The author suggests that inequality may be on the rise.'
- D. 'The author is wrong about inequality.'
Réponse
C. 'The author suggests that inequality may be on the rise.' — Le hedging = atténuer une affirmation avec des modaux (may, might) ou des verbes modalisateurs (suggests, seems to indicate).
What is the risk of 'over-simplification' in mediation?
- A. Making the text too long
- B. Losing important nuances, accuracy or complexity from the source
- C. Using too many reporting verbs
- D. Making the register too formal
Réponse
B. Losing important nuances, accuracy or complexity from the source — Trop simplifier peut appauvrir le message et en altérer le sens : la médiation doit simplifier SANS trahir.
A mediator says: 'The author warns that economic inequality, if left unchecked, could destabilise democratic institutions.' Which feature of effective mediation does this sentence demonstrate?
- A. Adding personal opinion
- B. Using a neutral reporting verb with no emotional stance
- C. Using the appropriate reporting verb 'warns' to convey the author's tone of caution
- D. Summarising by removing all specifics
Réponse
C. Using the appropriate reporting verb 'warns' to convey the author's tone of caution — 'Warns' est ici le verbe rapporteur le plus précis : il traduit le ton alarmiste de l'auteur, ce qui est une marque de médiation réussie.
Which strategy is used when a mediator writes: 'The UN, the main international organisation for global cooperation, released a report…'?
- A. Generalisation
- B. Paraphrase
- C. Explicitation (adding contextual information)
- D. Formal register adaptation
Réponse
C. Explicitation (adding contextual information) — L'explicitation = ajouter une précision (définition de l'ONU) implicitement connue de l'auteur mais pas forcément du destinataire.
Which sentence would be inappropriate in a mediation task for an academic audience?
- A. 'The study highlights a significant correlation between poverty and educational attainment.'
- B. 'The findings suggest that socioeconomic factors play a crucial role in academic success.'
- C. 'Basically the research says poor kids do worse at school lol.'
- D. 'The author acknowledges the limitations of the dataset used.'
Réponse
C. 'Basically the research says poor kids do worse at school lol.' — Le registre familier ('basically', 'lol') est totalement inadapté à un contexte académique. La médiation doit respecter le registre attendu du destinataire.
Cours particuliers de anglais (lva) à Marseille, en présentiel ou à distance — un prof qui s'adapte à ton rythme et reprend ce qui coince.
Prof d'anglais à Marseille · Cours particuliers au lycée · Aide aux devoirs