The Catalan Language Tutor Raquel Navas and the Basque Language and Culture Instructor Xabier Paya took part in the 1st LCAHM Sharing Best Practice in Teaching and Learning Symposium held in May. Raquel and Xabier talked about the usage of new technologies in language teaching and learning.
Xabier's presentation dealt with BOGA, a a Basque language program (based on Moodle) to help students learn the language through the internet on their own. BOGA is one of the tools created by the Basque Government for the learning of Euskara.
Raquel prepared an interactive explanation of a new software called Turning Point which is based on a voting system that makes engaging your group "a piece of cake". Students get some clickers that they use to ask multiple-choice questions. The instant results show everyone how the group thinks.
If you want to know more about their presentations, you can read them here!
The Catalan film “Elisa K”, the Basque “80 egunean” and the Galician “Crebinsky” were introduced by their respective directors and projected in the Midlands Arts Centre during May.
Birmingham, UK June 14, 2011 -- The renowned Midlands Arts Centre hosted more than 100 people that attended the first Catalan, Basque and Galician Cinema Season organized by the University of Birmingham. Three award-winning films were introduced by their directors. After the showings, debates took place in which the spectators had the opportunity to ask the directors about their works.
The season started with the showing of the acclaimed Catalan film Elisa K, co-directed by Judith Colell and Jordi Cadena. The film deals with the traumatic consequences of childhood sexual abuse, which are examined in the film. This Catalan-language production, itself adapted from Lolita Bosch’s book Elisa Kiseljak, relates how a 10-year-old schoolgirl, Elisa, was raped by a friend of her father's, and how she buries the fatal incident within her subconscious. The film director Jordi Cadena enjoyed the question and answer session that revolved around the relationship between plot and cinematic devices.
Basque cinema was represented by 80 egunean (For 80 days), a critically acclaimed film directed by Jose Mari Goenaga and Jon Garaño. 80 egunean is a sincere and humorous Basque-language drama charting the flourishing relationship between two women in their seventies who meet again by accident after fifty years. The director Jon Garaño was happy to talk about this charming story that deals with such topics as lesbianism between elderly people.
Finally, the Galician film Crebinsky was a fine ending for the cinema season. The Crebinsky brothers and their cow grew up at the foot of a lighthouse. They survive collecting things that the sea brings: the “crebas”, completely isolated from the military events that took place in Europe during the 1940s. Crebinsky’s peculiar universe full of imaginative realism gave rise to many questions that the director Enrique Otero answered in detail after the showing.
The three films were shown in their original version with English subtitles. All screenings were free of charge thanks to the generous support of the Etxepare Basque Institute, Institut Ramon Llull, Xunta de Galicia and the University of Birmingham.
About the Catalan, Basque and Galician studies in the University of Birmingham:
The University of Birmingham is the sole academic institution in the United Kingdom that offers Basque, Catalan and Galician studies to its students as an integral part of their degree. Thanks to successful agreements with the Institut Ramon Llull, the Etxepare Basque Institute and the Xunta de Galicia, a considerable number of students enjoy language and culture modules in Basque, Catalan and Galician.
You could get a collaboration grant within the Catalan Summer University of Prada de Conflent!
The UCE (Universitat Catalana d’Estiu) has courses for all levels and is coordinated by the Secretary of Linguistics Policy of the Generalitat de Catalunya. You would be able to assist to Catalan language courses, History , Journalism, Astronomy, Cinema, Architecture, Economics, Environment, Catalan Literature, Sociolinguistics, Anthropology, Music History, Art History, etc.
There is also the possibility of participating in some workshops about cuisine, hiking, popular dances, speleology, ceramics, ornithology, popular songs, experimental sciences and night shows and cinema.
This grant will allow you to have free accommodation and registering fees in exchange for part-time work helping with the events’ organization.
Those courses will run from 16th to 24th August in Liceu Renovier of Prada de Conflent (North Catalonia) that is situated near Perpinyà and Puigcerdà.
They are offering us two places for our students, and we will give them in a first come, first served basis. So, please let us know as soon as possible if you are interested.
This short film by Enrique Otero was inspired by the imagery of the "crebas" and by a famous story about a milk shipment that reached Arou in the seventies. Do you want to watch it? Just click on it, and do not forget to let your comments afterwards! They will be more than welcome!
