Learning language through culture

In all our language classrooms a lot of learning happens through culture. Here are two examples that have recently taken place in the German and French classrooms respectively.

This year at the beginning of February Fastnacht (Karneval or Fasching) takes place in Germany and it is a chance to dress up and eat well before the forty days of fasting begin according to Christian tradition. We had our own Fasching celebration and dressed up. Thanks to Mika and his baking talents we also got treated to Berliners – not the people but a type of doughnut. Just like in Germany most were filled with jam and only one with mustard – if you are the lucky finder of the mustard doughnut you have to eat it without giving it away – and then you are lucky during the coming year.

Slightly delayed we also celebrated the famous Galette des rois in our French classroom – this is a cake made out of pastry and filled with an almond cream – a frangipane. It is celebrated in France on the 6th of January and has origins in the Christian and Roman traditions – but in short a small figurine (une feve) is hidden in the cake and the lucky finder becomes a royal for the day to be served. To find the feve the youngest class member has to sit under the table and call out the names of the recipient for each piece – to avoid cheating!! A huge merci to Jula-May who prepared a delicious Gallete des rois for us!

Guten Appetit and bon appetit!