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.

Jami Dragon in the Postojna Cave

LEGEND

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: Slovenian

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

Being forceful, the dragon is believed to be a symbol of vitality, constructive and mostly destructive forces. But a dragon can also be a giver like the Jami dragon. In most Slovenian legends dragons appear as mythical ancestors or guardians of treasure. Dragons were believed to cause landslides, avalanches, earthquakes, and all sorts of natural catastrophes.

Fire-breathing dragons used to dwell in the Postojna Cave. One of these was Jami who was a ‘good’ dragon: peaceful, friendly and a lover of nature. Because he was living alone, he soon became depressed. A beetle came to his rescue and introduced him to the other small inhabitants of the cave. Jami’s circle of friends quickly grew. Jami gladly agreed to protect his new friends’ treasure of pearls hidden in the cave.

The ill-willed goblin was afraid of Jami; therefore he promised that he would fulfil his every wish. Jami asked to be turned into a human being. The wish was granted. Jami felt himself grow smaller. He became a human fish for ever, destined to play with his cave-dwelling friends and guard the treasure of cave pearls.

Zmaj Jami v Postojnski jami

LEGENDA

Element: Ogenj

Jezik izvirnika: slovenščina

Več o legendi lahko preberete tej povezavi.

Ogenj bruhajoči zmaji so nekoč živeli v Postojnski jami, med njimi Jami, ki je bil dober zmaj, miroljuben, prijateljski in ljubitelj narave. Ker je živel sam, je postal otožen. Hrošč mu je prišel na pomoč in ga predstavil drugim majhnim prebivalcem jame. Jamijev krog prijateljev se je hitro širil. Jami je z veseljem pristal, da bo varoval zaklad biserov, skrit na dnu jame.

Neka zlonamerna žival se je bala Jamija in mu je obljubila, da bo izpolnila vsako njegovo željo. Jami je zaprosil, da bi postal človeško bitje. Čutil je, kako majhen postaja. In tako je Jami za zmeraj postal človeška ribica, ki se igra s svojimi jamskimi prijatelji in varuje jamske bisere.

O’Hanlon, P. (2013). Slovenian Legends: The Legend of The Little Dragon Jami in Postojna Cave. [Blog] Learn Slovenian Online.