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.

Fire in the House of Three Witches

FAIRY TALE

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: Slovenian

Date of origin: 21st century

Author: Tinka Bačič

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

The story is a modern Slovenian Fairy Tale. Recently an interesting national project Lahkonočnice (“Fairy Tales to Say Good Night”) has taken place. The most popular modern fairy tales were recorded by different older people in institutional care and published on YouTube as well as broadcasted on the national radio.

It happened on a summer day. There was no cloud, no wind and the sun was shining. The three witches were playing with matches in their courtyard and set fire to their house made of honey and chocolate. “Fire shouldn’t be unattended,” said a black bird sitting on a tree branch to himself and he called for the fire brigade. In the meantime, fire was growing and it became really big. There was the good smell of chocolate and warm honey everywhere around. “Gosh!” the witches were crying, desperately and frantically running around in the courtyard. “Help! House on fire! Chocolate melting away!” the witches were crying. It was lucky that the black bird had called the fire brigade. Soon the fire was stopped and everybody was served hot chocolate.

Požar pri treh čarovnicah

PRAVLJICA

Element: Ogenj

Jezik izvirnika: slovenščina

Datum nastanka: 21. stoletje

Avtor: Tinka Bačič

Več o legendi lahko preberete tej povezavi.

Zgodilo se je poletnega dne. Na nebu ni bilo oblaka, ni bilo vetra in sonce je sijalo. Tega lepega poletnega dne so se tri čarovnice na dvorišču igrale z vžigalicami in zanetile ogenj. »Puščati ogenj brez nadzora – to je zelo lahkomiselno!« je razmišljala črna ptica v bližini in odhitela iskat gasilce. Medtem se je razplamtel že pravi požar. Vsenaokoli se je širil vonj vroče čokolade, toplega medu in pečenih sladkih penic. »Gorje!« so vpile čarovnice in brezglavo tekale po dvorišču. »Na pomoč! Gori! Čokolada se topi!« so glasno klicale in tekale po dvorišču. Še dobro, da je krokar poklical gasilce! Kmalu so ogenj pogasili, čarovnice pa so vse postregle s toplo čokolado.

Lahkonočnice | Zvočne pravljice, ki bodo vaše malčke zazibale v svet sanj. (2017). Požar pri treh čarovnicah | Lahkonočnice, zvočne pravljice.