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 company of rivers

LEGEND

Main element: Water

Language of the original: Italian

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

The River Po is the most important river in Italy. It is the longest river and it passes through all the Northern Italian regions.
Turin, in particular, is really proud to be the capital city of the region where the Po is born, but is also aware that Po is so big because of the contribution of many other streams.

Thousands and thousands of years ago, when humans were still living in the trees, there was a group called “the Company of the Rivers”, formed by all the Piedmont’s rivers.

The company assembled once a month to discuss the water situation, time, waterfalls…well, about the rivers’ business, but also to celebrate. They got on well together because they all belonged to the same rank and were of the same importance.

After a long time one of them began to be more powerful than the others because over the years it was growing very long and really big: it was the Po river.

During a meeting this problem was discussed: the Po pointed out that he had become the most powerful among them, and he threatened to unleash pandemonium, unless he was elected king. The meeting ended with the Po as king and other rivers as vassals.

The “vassal” rivers decided to reach an agreement and implement a plan: they would not send any water to the Po river, making it shallow. So this was what they did: without streams the “king” of the rivers would shrink and become just a tiny stream.

At the next reunion, the Po was battered and wasn’t arrogant any more. He apologised for his behaviour. Never again, would he break up the union of equals. After swearing an oath, the company celebrated and water returned to the Po river.

La compagnia dei fiumi

LEGGENDA

Elemento: Acqua

Lingua originale: Italiano

Per avere ulteriori informazioni sulla leggenda, accedi alla piattaforma 4elements da qui.

Millenni e millenni fa, quando ancora gli uomini stavano sugli alberi, c’era un bel gruppo chiamato "La compagnia dei fiumi", formato da tutti i fiumi del Piemonte.

La compagnia si riuniva una volta al mese per parlare della condizione dell’acqua, del tempo, delle piogge…insomma, degli affari dei fiumi, ma anche per fare festa. Stavano bene insieme utti l grado e la stessa importanza.

Passò molto tempo e successe che uno di questi fiumi cominciò a fare il prepotente perché nel tempo era diventato lunghissimo e molto molto grosso: si trattava del fiume Po.

Durante una riunione venne discusso questo problema: il Po fece notare di essere diventato il più potente di tutti e per questo doveva essere eletto re, minacciando di scatenare il finimondo. La riunione si concluse con il Po come re e gli altri fiumi sudditi.

I fiumi "sudditi" decisero di mettersi d’accordo e attuare un piano: non portare più l’acqua al Po, andare in secca. Così fu fatto: senza affluenti il "re" dei fiumi era ridotto a un ruscelletto.

Alla riunione successiva, il Po era veramente malconcio, non era più arrogante come prima e chiese scusa per il suo comportamento e promise di non rompere più quell’unione tra pari. Dopo il giuramento, la compagnia tornò a fare festa e anche l’acqua tornò al Po.

Dutto A. (curated by) (2002), ieranavolta, storie, leggende, favole della tradizione piemontese, ArabaFenice editore, Boves.