DRAGONS - Part 1: Language and Culture are one.

Snack time Dragon Story time!

A second tongue should never compromise the culture and stories behind one's first language.

Far too often, ESL programs around the globe cash in on the all-pennies-in-one-piggy parents, looking to secure their child's future by guaranteeing a world language. They are not to blame. This is the demand of participation in a global market. The words of Sir Ken Robinson come to mind in his viral talk: "Changing Educational Paradigms":

"People are trying to work out, how do we educate our children to take their place in the economies of the 21st century? How do we do that? Even though we can’t anticipate what the economy will look like at the end of next week."

Dragon Art.

Now, don't get me wrong, as a bilingual native language speaker of English and Spanish (and some introductory work on a few indigenous/ endangered languages), I have traveled half way around the world to immerse myself and family into a 3rd language environment. Clearly, I am an advocate of language acquisition, but, contrary to many of the approaches of educators, not at the expense of all of the other multifaceted learning and stimuli our kids need in their prime time: motor skill development, story, art, music, dialogue, discipline, a connection to nature, science, spirit, mathematics and so much more.

Today, however I will address specifically the great opportunity that is spread out before us for children to grow up with a strong sense of cultural identity using the ESL environment as a tool for recovery rather than butchery. 

Dragon Story.

It should be no surprise that our children are growing up without story. Those days of the family gathered around the fire at the end of a labor intensive day are long since gone. On a good night, we get a 10 minute sprint to a fast-food joint or take-out around the dinner table? No, more likely the couch in front of the TV. All the time interrupted by androids that beg for a 3rd hand. In the monumental exchange between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell, the idea that our youth are growing up without Myth, and therefore creating their own, is vastly discussed and feared. Since the beginning of time, story has guided our ancestors towards realization and evolution. What light guideth our storyless children? 

At Originateve we believe that STORY should be at the core of all young learner curriculum. ESL environments are a great opportunity to engage in this front for cultural recovery. Vast amounts of time are allocated to the acquisition of English as a second language. Why not at the same time empower the mother tongue’s story? 

This is precisely what unfolded this week at Caillou home where we have started yet a new project: DRAGONS. Granted one can see how easily we could've slipped into the mistake of teaching a unit on the American Buffalo or the Extinct Buffalo, but thankfully we do not work with culturally non-sensitive textbooks designed for the non-thinkative way of the busy, bogged down uninspired ESL instructor. The training Originateve Mentors receive is one that: prepares a facilitator of learning to understand the humans with whom we are working, imparts a desire to resurrect the culture in which they are growing up, and fosters use of creative imagination along side the intuition to carry it out. The Dragon being the unquestioned icon of China seemed like a most fitting Unit to embark on with the little toddlers.

Oh what a week we have had! Stay tuned as the story unfolds!!

Prep work for our 6ft Dragon-

Folding Dragons. 

Messy dragon spinal work.