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.

The Horse of the Vacares Lagoon

LEGEND

Main element: Air

Language of the original: Spanish

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

Sierra Nevada is a mountain range with many high mountains and many glacier lagoons on its mountains. The location and shape of these lagoons are round and, usually, hidden in the mountains.

Legend says that in one of the highest mountains of Sierra Nevada, there was a lagoon where witches and wizards used to meet. One night, a shepherd who was looking for one of his lost sheep, found the lagoon. All of a sudden, he heard some voices and he hid to see what was happening. He saw two men wearing strange clothes. One of them was holding a book in his hands and they both had a special, golden glowing around them. One of the man said “Throw the net” and the other throwing the net caught a black horse coming out from the lagoon. The horse was not the one they wanted and they put it back to the lagoon. Finally, they caught a beautiful and white horse: “This is the one we want, we can continue our journey!” The men went closer to the horse and whispered some words in its ears. Then the two men rode it and the horse started to fly in the sky, jumping and riding happily through the air until they disappeared into the night. The shepherd, amazed, left his hiding place and after that night, he and many people from the towns nearby went to the lagoon every night, but never a horse or the men were seen again.

El caballo de la laguna de Vacares

LEYENDA

Elemento: Aire

Idioma original: Español

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

La leyenda cuenta que, en una de las montañas más altas de Sierra Nevada, existía una laguna, donde las brujas y los magos solían encontrarse. Una noche, un pastor que estaba buscando una de sus ovejas perdidas, encontró la laguna. De repente, escuchó algunas voces y se escondió para ver qué estaba pasando. Pudo ver a dos hombres vestidos con ropa extraña. Uno de ellos sostenía un libro en sus manos y ambos tenían un brillo dorado especial alrededor de ellos. Uno de los hombres dijo "Lanza la red" y el otro arrojó la red a la laguna, y pudo atrapar con ella un caballo negro que salía de la laguna. Pero el caballo no era el que ellos querían y lo devolvieron a la laguna. Finalmente, capturaron un hermoso caballo blanco: "¡Este es el que queremos!" Los hombres se acercaron al caballo y susurraron algunas palabras en sus oídos. Luego, los dos hombres lo montaron y el caballo comenzó a volar en el cielo alegremente, saltando y galopando en el aire hasta que desaparecieron en la noche. El pastor, sorprendido, abandonó su escondite y después de esa noche, subió a la laguna todas las noches, pero nunca jamás fueron vistos ni el caballo ni los dos hombres.

Marín Gutierrez, L. (2015). La leyenda de la laguna mágica de Sierra Nevada. Madrid: Susaeta Ediciones.