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 Krawaten of Lille

LEGEND

Main element: Earth

Language of the original: Dutch

Date of origin: 17th century

Origin of the legend: One hundred Croatian horse riders were staying in the village of Lille during the Eighty Years' War.

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

The Krawaten of Lille: the nickname of the people of Lille (near Turnhout).

In the 17th century a Croatian prince asked for directions in the small village of Lille, near Turnhout. The villagers sent the prince and his entourage straight into a swamp. They were mugged. Everyone, except one man, was killed. The survivor returned to Croatia and told the king what had happened. The king wanted to avenge his son and tried to kill and burn the entire village but he changed his mind after a priest pleaded with him. Instead he gave an enormous fine to the village which took the villagers many years to repay.

De Krawaten van Lille

MYTHE

Element: Lucht

Originele taal: Nederlands

Datum van ontstaan: 17e eeuw

Oorsprong van de legende: One hundred Croatian horse riders were staying in the village of Lille during the Eighty Years' War.

Om meer informatie te vinden over de legende, ga langs deze weg naar het 4elements platform.

In de 17e eeuw vroeg een Kroatische prins de weg in een klein dorpje, Lille, bij Turnhout. De dorpelingen stuurden de prins en zijn gevolg door het moeras. Daar werden ze overvallen en slechts één man overleefde de aanval. De man keerde terug naar Kroatië en vertelde de koning wat er gebeurd was. De koning wilde wraak voor zijn zoon en wilde het hele dorp plat branden en iedereen doden. Hij veranderde echter van idee door de smeekbede van een priester. Hij legde Lille en zijn bewoners wel een monsterboete op waardoor de dorpelingen vele jaren hun schuld moesten afbetalen aan de koning.

Maarten Rombouts, Tri decenije beogradske nederlandistike: kulturne veze između prostora jugoistočne Evrope i Nizozemlja (2018) Article 15 (p. 180-195)