Innovative Language Learning Initiative for Haiti
Guest post by Sheri Colas-Gervais, Vice-President of the Le Flambeau Foundation
The launch of two new sets of language learning CD-ROMs has many excited. The new products are the result of a unique relationship between Le Flambeau Foundation – a U.S. non-profit organization providing educational programming and scholarships to youth in Haiti, and London-based EuroTalk. The new language learning CD offerings include the American English language learning set, which features special Haitian Creole help, and the Haitian Creole language learning set. Each set has five CD-ROMs. These are part of an innovative fundraising initiative designed to assist young people in Haiti to earn sustainable educational assets that will prepare them for the effective rebuilding of Haiti.
These CD sets are unique in a number of ways. The special feature of having the help guides for the English language learning CDs spoken in Haitian Creole offers a significant advantage to the many youth in Haiti who speak Creole but are not fluent in French. By reducing the number of steps, students are able to accelerate their English learning… and have fun doing it via the highly entertaining and engaging EuroTalk format. For young people in Haiti looking for jobs and for those aiming to attend higher learning institutions in the U.S., this advantage is invaluable. It opens the door to a whole new world. The Haitian Creole learning CDs offer similar advantages to a U.S. audience (and other countries) aiming to become fluent before visiting Haiti and making sustainable contributions. We are pleased to be working with the EuroTalk team on this initiative and applaud the commitment. Sending the next student to school on scholarship, resulting from the funds being raised via this initiative, is already within reach. The future is bright!
The Le Flambeau Foundation assists Haiti via Intellectual Infrastructure Development – the provision of a solid education foundation for the brightest youth and future leaders of Haiti. The Foundation serves as a portal providing the youth of Haiti with educational opportunities, such as college scholarships and preparatory programming, that will prepare them to rebuild and lead the country’s transition from poverty to prosperity, with dignity. Le Flambeau Foundation scholars have a track record of graduating in the top tier of their class, including a scholar who is now attending graduate school at Harvard University. The Torch is lit. We carry it forward and pass it on!
The special CD sets are available to youth groups in Haiti and in the U.S. and serve as vehicles for meeting educational and funding needs. For more information on getting involved or on purchasing these special CD sets, please contact Le Flambeau Foundation Inc. (www.leflambeau-foundation.org) at scg@le-flambeau-foundation.org, or call (001) 305.596.2819. EuroTalk is making a donation to the Le Flambeau Foundation for every CD purchased from this special collection. This is innovation in its best form, as the wheels are in motion for making a significant sustainable difference for the people of Haiti. Rebuilding moves forward.
Example of a successful language exchange partnership which resulted in a student in Haiti receiving a scholarship. Both students remain involved and are excited about the new CDs, as these will increase access and accelerate the learning benefits.
You look the same – you talk the same?
There is a never-ending stream of book-to-film adaptations. Those that quickly come to mind include The Shawshank Redemption, the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series.
One film that struck a chord is the 2005 film Memoirs of a Geisha. Based on the book of the same name by Arthur Golden, it depicts the tale of a young girl who grows up to be one of the most prominent geisha in Kyoto.
As a big fan of the book, I was curious as to how it was going to be made. However, I ended up being disappointed. I was confronted by a feature with three distinguished Chinese actresses in the lead roles, speaking English. The only Japanese native speakers had secondary roles, yet they were also speaking English.
From the initial news on its production, I envisioned the film to be a celebration of Japan – from its language to its culture. There was an opportunity to use undiscovered talent speaking Japanese, taking pride in a film about one of the most culturally significant aspects of their country.
The use of English may have increased the appeal and accessibility of the film but the fact that they used Chinese actresses to represent Japanese characters with English dialogue lacks originality. It is like a McDonalds film – it appeals to the masses with very little taste.
For this reason, I enjoyed Lost in Translation. You learn about different aspects of Japan – the culture, the country, the people – and most importantly, Japanese actors speak Japanese. So what if you do get lost in translation? That’s all part of the fun 🙂
So everyone, how do you feel about films with clashing cultures? Do culturally relevant films need English? Thoughts on a postcard (or in the comments!) please…
Katie
Lost in Translation – literally
A few weeks ago I wrote about my plan to get back into speaking Spanish regularly. First off, a confession – I haven’t actually spoken Spanish to anyone yet, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy!
I’ve always been pretty fluent at reading Spanish. One of my proudest achievements is reading Lord of the Rings in translation – although I think I might be prouder of getting through the books (especially the end of the third volume, which, in my opinion, was hard work) than of understanding the Spanish. To be honest, a lot of the made-up words are the same or very similar – an orc is un orco, a hobbit is un hobbit… You get the idea. My point is, I still try and read books in Spanish quite often, and generally find I can read at much the same speed as I do in English. (My book club were impressed with me recently when I read our chosen novel for that month, Eva Luna by Isabel Allende, in the original Spanish – and was even able to have a semi-intelligent conversation about it.)
Unfortunately I can’t say the same for my writing, listening and speaking skills. I decided to start by tackling the listening, which has always been my main problem and is probably why I avoid conversation when I can. Spoken Spanish tends to be very fast and my poor, out-of-practice brain takes a while to catch up and process what’s been said. This generally means me standing there looking slightly baffled for a few seconds before formulating a response, which isn’t fun for anyone. To avoid that unfortunate scenario, I decided to start by watching some movies and TV shows in Spanish before I risked talking to real people. Yes, it’s a cop-out, but I felt I needed a little confidence boost before venturing out into the 3D world.
I started by watching Pedro Almodóvar’s 1988 classic, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown), featuring a fresh-faced Antonio Banderas, who always brightens my day 🙂 It’s a very funny film, but with real emotions at its heart, so if nothing else it was an enjoyable 90 minutes. Unfortunately my copy of the movie has English subtitles which can’t be turned off, meaning I had to concentrate twice as hard to understand the Spanish whilst making a conscious effort not to glance at the bottom of the screen (which wasn’t always successful). But it didn’t go too badly and I was more or less able to follow what was being said, so, feeling a little better about my abilities, I decided to try a new challenge.
I don’t know about anyone else but I found the TV series Lost really confusing, and I still don’t completely understand what happened at the end (don’t worry, I won’t reveal any secrets, in case anyone hasn’t seen it yet – but if you can explain it to me, let me know!). So maybe deciding to watch it again in a different language isn’t one of my smartest ideas, but I figured it couldn’t be any more confusing in Spanish than it is in English. I also thought it would be a good place to start – I’ve seen all the episodes before, so I know the context, but not so recently that I can remember what the characters are saying. So far I’ve watched about six episodes and it seems to be going pretty well. I’m managing to follow the majority of the dialogue and my brain isn’t hurting too much, although it’s early days; I know when I reach season 5 I’ll struggle, as I can’t get my head around the concept of time travel in any language! In between episodes I plan to watch more films that are originally in Spanish rather than dubbed (top of my list is the fantastically random Jamón Jamón). It’s definitely encouraging to know that I haven’t forgotten everything I learnt at school and university, so I think the confidence boost is working.
In my next post, I’ll be writing about … er, writing. And perhaps (just perhaps) by then I might be brave enough to actually talk to someone…
Liz
Mexican Wave
I don’t like shopping much – that’s just not me at all. But put me on the the A40 to Westfield, White City and I’m your man. Oh the joys of driving in post-riot Ealing at the end of last week! As I speed past spookily quiet streets complete with their boarded up shops and waved on by the police, I get there in record time. My one aim – to do my little bit for our economy during these dark days. I think the rest of West London has the same idea as the car park is filling quickly. But it’s the food that I’m after, for Westfield boasts a number of restaurants, and I’m in search of … well, what I’m told is the best Mexican in town.
Wahaca sounded like a bit of a godsend, if, like me, you’ve spent some time south of the Rio Grande, got to know the food, and returning home kept wondering why no one could be bothered to do it properly. That is until Thomasina Miers came along (ex-Masterchef winner, I’ll have you know) who set the joint up.
Thank you, Thomasina, for your unfussy, flavoursome delights that didn’t cost me ‘un brazo y una pierna’ (do they say that in Mexico?), for using fresh, well-sourced ingredients and keeping your food simple! I loved the Ceviche Salad – so fresh and lemony – and the Pibil Tacos, filled to the brim with tender marinated pork, weren’t bad at all. Oh, I could go on, because even if you think you don’t like Mexican food, there’s a chance you’ll change your views after eating here. Wash it all down with one of their Mojitos, or even a cerveza (you can get a Negra Modelo). Don’t go for a long, romantic dinner though – it’s too noisy and full of buzz!
Wahaca is a chain, but not on the scale of Topshop or Zara, just a few yards away; with just four premises they’re keeping it small, and I hope they don’t spoil it by opening too many more. You may not want to come all the way to Westfield – Soho and Covent Garden are central enough, if you’re visiting town.
Steve
Scandinavian Summer Kitchen
The other night, I had some friends over for a selection of Scandinavian inspired cuisine and they really enjoyed my cooking. I thought I’d share these summery recipes on the EuroTalk blog over the coming months as it is always good to have a few foodie ideas up your sleeve – you just never know when your friends might ring that doorbell and invite themselves for dinner. And as well as being tasty, these yummy dishes are full of lovely healthy ingredients and with their vivid colours of purples and greens, they’ll make your dinner table look great.
Summer salad with mackerel on warm rye bread
Serves 4
Discard any mackerel bones and break the fish into small pieces. Mix it with cucumber, onion, chives, capers, egg and salad leaves in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on warm rye bread, garnished with sliced radishes.
Enjoy with your favourite cold drink and some good company!
Hanna
