euskalkultura.eus

Chascomus, Argentina.  Continuing with the four-year plan 2013-2016, the 2014 Winter Barnetegi for Basque students/teachers in South America as part of the Euskara Munduan program, began last Saturday and will conclude on the 26th at noon.  In this fourth get-together, and as in prior sessions, the participants represent Basque clubs from four countries, namely: 

-Argentina (with representatives from Arrecifes, Azul, Buenos Aires, Chascomús, Córdoba, José C. Paz, Mar del Plata, San Nicolás, Santa Rosa, Tandil and Tres Arroyos)
-Brazil (Sao Pablo)
-Chile (Santiago and Valparaíso)
-Uruguay (Montevideo and Salto)

 [Even if students work together on-line, at the Barnetegi, to take maximum advantage of the face-to-face classes, they were divided into two groups]

[Oral practice is the focus of the face-to-face classes working with themes that have been seen online] 

Classes take place in the morning from 9-11am and then from 11:30-1pm and in the afternoon from 6-7pm (individual work), and from 7:30-9:00pm.  Classes are taught in the Sarmiento Library in Chascomus while meals take place at the Pelota Club.  The teaching team consists of director of the program, Kinku Zinkunegi; online tutor, Dani Oiarbide; and Argentinean teachers Gabriela Mendia and Sabrina Otegui. 

  [FEVA officers also came to the library to greet the students]

In conjunction with the barnetegi, the monthly FEVA meeting also took place Saturday morning in Chascomus.  Afterwards, FEVA President, Hugo Andiazabal, welcomed the teachers in training and thanked them for the effort that they are putting forth to learn Basque. 

Once the Barnetegi concludes, Saturday at noon, there will be a second meeting for Basque teachers aimed at those who have spent time teaching the language.  The goal of the session that will take place on Saturday and Sunday is to maintain contact between the teachers and talk about methodology.  This will also be the opportunity for them to share what is going well and not so well in their classrooms in hopes of taking advantage of others experience to find solutions.