Teacher mediation strategies in CLIL-based Korean presentation classes: Fostering learner agency and intercultural competence
This study investigates teacher mediation strategies in CLIL-based Korean presentation classes, with particular attention to how teachers support learner agency and intercultural competence. Using a multi-cycle action research design, classroom interactions were closely examined to identify the instructional moves through which teachers facilitated communication, scaffolded learner output, and integrated cultural perspectives into language practice. Analysis revealed four principal categories of strategies: interaction facilitation, spontaneous output promotion, cultural understanding and communication, and critical reflection. These categories frequently co-occurred within the same instructional episode, reflecting the dynamic and layered nature of CLIL pedagogy. Early stages of the course emphasized stabilizing interaction and reducing learners’ performance anxiety, while later stages increasingly foregrounded intercultural reflection and the negotiation of cultural meanings. The findings demonstrate that teachers act as strategic mediators who coordinate linguistic, cognitive, and cultural processes in real classroom situations. This study highlights how CLIL-based presentation classes can operationalize integrated learning goals and offers pedagogical insights for designing Korean-language courses that cultivate both communicative competence and intercultural awareness.