Area of Interest: Intergenerational communication and Traditional knowledge
Skills: Listening, Speaking, and Writing
Competences: Social competence
Age Bracket: 6 – 10
Time Commitment: Over 60 minutes
Affordability: €€
Materials:
Notebooks,
Audio recording device (optional – see “Data Collection 3” for more information),
Art supplies (paper, colored pencils, crayons),
Simple musical instruments if available (drums, shakers, etc.)
Expert recommendations:
This activity connects children with elder native speakers of the minority language through the collection and learning of traditional lullabies. Lullabies are often preserved across generations and contain important cultural elements, making them valuable tools for language transmission. The activity strengthens both linguistic and cultural ties between generations.
For younger students (ages 6-7), focus more on the singing and drawing aspects. Older students (ages 8-10) can engage more with writing down lyrics and learning about the meaning of traditional words and phrases. The presence of elder native speakers provides authentic language models and creates meaningful connections between generations.
Available Languages:
No translations available for this item.
Step 1: Preparation (a few weeks before)
- Contacts local elders who are native speakers of the minority language and invite them to share traditional lullabies. Ideally they would visit the school in person, but you can also adapt the activity for them to join via video call.
- Ask your students to talk with their grandparents or older relatives about lullabies they remember from their childhood. These lullabies do not necessarily have to be from your regional context. This is an opportunity for the students to connect with their families and share anecdotes with the rest of the class, so lullabies from other regions and countries are welcome too.
- As an additional option, students can ask their parents for help to record their relatives singing these lullabies.
Step 2: Day 1 – Classroom Visit (60 minutes)
- Invite 2-3 elder native speakers to the classroom
- Each elder shares 1-2 lullabies they remember from their childhood
- As they share each lullaby, they explain when they learned it, who sang it to them, what the words mean and any special memories associated with the songs. As the teacher, you can encourage the students to ask questions and repeat any new words that come up during the visit. Having the elders there might be a good opportunity to practice pronunciation and prosody.
- Students make a “creative response” to the lullabies depending on their language competency. For example, if they are only starting to learn the minority language, they can make a drawing inspired by their favourite lullaby. If they are more advanced, you can ask them to write their own orginal verse with a simple rhyme.
Step 3: Homework – Family Connection
- Students share their creative response with their families and explain what they learnt during the classroom visit. They ask parents or grandparents if the lullaby brings back any memories, or if there are any words they didn’t know.
- Once again depending on the students’ competency level, choose how you would like them to document these memories and stories. Beginner-level students can write in the national language and keep a list of the new words they have learnt. More advanced students can write directly in the minority language, or they can expand on their creative response inspired by the stories of their own family.
Step 4: Day 2 – Follow-up class (30 minutes)
- Students take turns to share their creative responses and stories with the rest of the class.
- Wrap up the project by highlighting the new words and phrases that the class have learnt and encourage the students to use some of these words in a sentence.
- Collect the drawings, word lists, compositions and any other work from your students. If you have time, collate them in a book or a poster to share with the elder and decorate the classroom.