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Donostia-San Sebastian.  HABE, The Basque Institute for adult Literacy, met this month with several European Basque center to renew its agreements for teaching Euskera.  The Euskara Munduan program manager, Kinku Zinkunegi, went to Pau on November 14^th, to London on the 22^nd, to Brussels on the 23^rd and to Paris on the 24^th.  Besides renewing agreements at those meetings, he also delivered teaching materials to the centers and held workshops and gave talks aimed to help teachers with their teaching. 

This is the first agreement signed by Pau’s Basque club Lagunt eta Maita.  The club, who just opened its new headquarters, already has about 40 students.  The club has found four professors, three from Iparralde and one from Portugalete.  Three of them are not experienced in teaching Basque and so Zinkunegi brought along teaching materials, developed by HAB E, in Basque/French and also shared some basic knowledge with them on how to use it. 

Third Group in London

On November 23rd Zinkunegi visited the London Basque Society – Euskal Elkartea and met with its president Pello Astigarraga as well as members of the board of directors.  The center renewed its agreement of collaboration with HABE and its officers explained that at this time there are two groups of Basque, and from January forward, they could even create a third.  In addition, they are going forward with the idea of creating an intensive course over a weekend, bringing groups together to practice conversation. 

The center also showed interest in reviving teaching Basque via the internet, now that there are several people interested in that method.  Last year the independent learning program, Boga, was installed but the course was cancelled after losing the instructor.  During the meeting, Kinku reinstalled Boga, and showed the new teacher how to use it, as well as provided materials that will facilitate teaching the face to face classes. 

Back in Brussels

On November 24th Zinkunegi met with the Basque community in Brussels.  “After many years without classes in the city, this year the president of the group wants to revive them,” Zinkunegi explained to EuskalKultura.com.  “They now have six students, for which they are not asking for financial aid, but they are asking for advice.”

Basque teacher Ana Etxaburu from Mutriku, received the teaching materials from Euskara Munduan and explained that they are expecting two more students as of January.  Looking towards the New Year, the group is hoping to have two groups.

Teacher workshop in Paris

Finally, last Thursday there was a meeting between HABE and Paris’s Basque club to renew its agreement of collaboration.  Attending the meeting were President Sebastien Daguerre, the current head of “Sustraiak” (Phillippe) as well as the former head Iñigo Leturia as well as the current Basque teacher from the Sorbonne, Argitxu Camus-Etxekopar originally from Xiberua. 

The Paris centered has taught Basque for many years and currently has six teachers.  During the meeting Kinku held a workshop aimed at familiarizing the teachers with the Euskara Munduan materials as well as how to get the most out of them.