“Language is Home – Art is Language”
08.12.2023 - Students in the “Art-Pedagogy-Therapy” program at Alanus University are collaborating with Bonn’s Känguru program for early childhood language development.
Students in the “Art-Pedagogy-Therapy” program at Alanus University are collaborating with Bonn’s Känguru program for early childhood language development.
How can artistic activity support children in language acquisition? This is the question explored by the art students from the class of Prof. Béatrice Cron and Fabienne Margue during the 2023 autumn semester as part of a collaboration with Känguru gGmbH. Under the motto “Language is Home,” the Bonn-based organization runs German language courses for children up to the age of three with a migration background. Starting early is intended to make use of the phase of intuitive learning.
In their artistic-pedagogical work with families from a wide variety of backgrounds, the students experienced how they can help open this door to language. “It is an enriching experience to see people of different ages and from different cultural backgrounds come together and speak the same language through painting,” says student Lucia Karrer enthusiastically. Her fellow student Jakob Ruetz adds: “I was moved to see that distinctions based on origin are foreign to the children, and that the two families were able to move from a strained relationship to one of mutual appreciation through their children.”
For Barbara Kracht from Känguru, supporting the children and their parents on the not always easy path of integration in Germany is a matter close to her heart. She was immediately enthusiastic about the collaboration with the students of Alanus University. “Looking back, I am very touched by the great openness with which everyone embraced this adventure. In this way, a space was created that enabled the children to have entirely new experiences,” explains the project coordinator.
A continuation of the collaboration is planned for 2024.
Contact for press inquiries:
+49 (0)2222 9321-1944
presse@alanus.edu
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