4 ELEMENTS

Project logo
Improve the foreign language learning and intercultural competences of adults through e-learning

The project

FOUR ELEMENTS is an initiative called to raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of culture and heritage as well as to train educators working with adult learners who want to improve their skills and competences necessary in today’s EU labour market.

The project will take advantage of the potential of the common European cultural values associated to the 4 elements earth, water, air and fire) to empower adults to improve their digital, foreign language and intercultural competences.

The partnership expects to develop and deliver innovative teaching materials presented in a culturally accessible E-book consisting of European legends and stories – giving visibility to the underlying common EU values and principles, especially adapted to learners with special needs.

To achieved such objectives, partners will develop:

An interactive map: a collection of legends and stories related to earth, water, air and fire, in different EU countries.

Digital Books with national legends and stories related to the four elements.

Methodological recommendations for adult educators.

To find more information, access the Four Elements platform here.

Digital books

The nations of Europe all have rich cultures of myth and folklore which give the different regions their particular individual flavour. Here we have grouped traditional stories from Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain according to the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire.

They are specially adapted to adult learners and can be used to develop language or ICT skills among your students while enhancing intercultural understanding.

Alongside the stories, this digital book contains interactive exercises and is in Easy Read format. All the material in it can be downloaded and printed. Teachers and trainers will find tips and suggestions for how to use it on the Recommendations section of this site.

European partnership

Four Elements is an Erasmus+ KA204 project designed to highlight the importance of culture and heritage at European Union level. It aims to train educators working with adult learners to enable them to acquire the skills and competences, including linguistic and digital skills and competences, required in the European labour market.

The project is coordinated by : CVO EduKempen (Belgium). The partnership also includes DomSpain Consulting (Spain), The Central Library of Võru County (Estonia), Les Apprimeurs (France), Istituto dei Sordi di Torino (Italy), Slovenian Third Age University (Slovenia), MyArtist (Greece).

Erasmus+ project

Erasmus logo The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Kingdom of Sobrarbe

LEGEND

Main element: Earth

Language of the original: Spanish

Date of origin: End of the 15th century

To find more information about the legend, access the Four Elements platform here.

It is said to have happened in the year 1499, when the tree and the cross appeared for the first time in the emblem of the kingdom, and when the Iberian Peninsula was occupied for Al-Andalus. The Christians established in the north of the Peninsula, where they were resisting the attacks of the Moors.

Legend says that the kingdom of Sobrarbe resisted an attack thanks to a divine presence. Having recovered Aísla -the village that became the capital of the kingdom of Sobrarbe- from the Moors, the new Christian inhabitants decided to fortify it to oppose enemies. In one of the battles, a man named García Ximénez tried to defend the town with a few arms they had, but it was not enough to resist the enemy attack. When the warriors were about to surrender because they were tired and wounded, they suddenly saw a red cross on top of a tree - an oak - and decided to continue fighting until they beat the Moors. Because of this battle and the courage fighting against the enemies, García Ximénez became the first king of the Sobrarbe kingdom.

La Cruz de Sobrarbe

LEYENDA

Elemento: Tierra

Idioma original: Español

Fecha de origen: A finales del siglo XV

Para más información sobre la leyenda, accede a la plataforma de 4element aquí.

La leyenda cuenta que el reino de Sobrarbe resistió un ataque gracias a una aparición divina. Al haber recuperado Aísla de los moriscos, la villa que se convirtió en capital del reino, los nuevos habitantes cristianos decidieron amurallarla para resistir cualquier ataque. En uno de los ataques de los moriscos, un hombre llamado García Ximénez intentó defender la villa con pocos refuerzos, que no eran suficientes para resistir la batalla. De repente, cuando estaba a punto de rendirse porque estaban cansados y heridos, él y los demás guerreros alzaron sus cabezas yvieron encima de un árbol –una encina- una cruz roja, por lo cual decidieron seguir luchando hasta ganar a los moriscos. Debido a esta batalla y la resistencia de sus tropas contra el ataque, se convirtió en el primer rey del reino de Sobrarbe.

Identidad aragonesa: El escudo de Aragón – El árbol de Sobrabe.