94
95
LIFESTYLE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Text by SARITA RAO
Photography by LALA LA PHOTO
Once upon a time...
languages . en to stories in several elling , list n ca u yo ere wh ce ren’s storyt Imagine a pla sperich champions child Il Était Une Fois.. . in Ga in a variety of mother tongues . singing and socialising
E
stablished in 2004, Il Était Une Fois... (Once Upon a Time...) was created to support the growing number of foreign children living in Luxembourg. It provides storytelling and activities for children less than seven years old in English, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French, Slovakian, German, Czech and Luxembourgish. It also houses a library that stocks a variety of children’s books in 21 languages. “We are passionate about literature, culture and education,” says Valérie Georges-van der Schoor, one of the four partners at the non-profit organisation. The team also provides multi-language activities to schools, crèches, foyers and maisons relais in Luxembourg designed to help children practise their mother tongue outside the family circle. “Our mission is to foster social identity and integration. We believe that all the different languages and cultures represented in Luxembourg have a place and we want to help integrate them in a positive manner,” she explains. The association’s founding principle is based on established linguistic research, namely that to learn to speak a foreign language well, a solid base in your mother tongue is essential. In 2010 Il Était Une Fois... opened a “story corner” in Gasperich on premises rented from Clae, another NGO, and paid for by the City of Luxembourg. The amenity provides a library, but also a room dedicated to fun activities, story times and activities.
RHYME AND RHYTHM Activities centred around books are an important part of the library. On Tuesdays, Gemma Williams conducts a song and story time for preschoolers. She uses aids such as puppets to bring to life nursery rhymes, and simple actions, colours, counting or even musical instruments to involve youngsters and help them socialise. The toddlers are enrapt. “I’ve been running the English sing-along since January 2017, and try to follow a pattern. We are currently focusing on autumn themes such as apples, but in winter we’ll cover stories about the dark. Children really notice the change in daylight hours,” says Williams. A qualified early years teacher, Williams believes nursery rhymes are really important: “They help
A
Winter 2018