HandyCrafts
Fun, Curious and Creative Crafts
Range of language rich, learning-driven products and projects designed by educators.
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What is Handy-Crafts?
Handy-Crafts consists of a wide variety of engaging, hands on activities such as cooking, card making, kites, paper airplanes, etc. in the target language which will stimulate children and provide the tools for parents and teachers to conduct the activity, (make the recipe, etc. in the target language. Handy-Crafts are culturally relevant plurilingual activities written in clear or simple language and presented in PDF format. Each activity is written entirely in the target language on one page and entirely in English on a separate page.
Who is Handy-Crafts for?
Individuals who have access to languages other than the most common or public language where they are living and studying or working. In many cases, the common or public language is different to their home language. People who move to another country/culture will likely lose their previous home language skills within one or two generations, if the language is for example, not English.
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Millions of people annually move from one country to another. In many cases, the common or public language is different from their home language(s). People who move to another country/culture will likely lose their previous home language skills within one generation, if the language is different. We know that foreign or modern language programs are not terribly successful at keeping home languages alive. In the English speaking countries we know there are many challenges to keeping the home language alive, one of which is that language when it is taught as a goal in and of itself, rather than a means to a goal. Currently, the target languages are Arabic, Basa, Chinese, Irish, Korean, Polish and Spanish.
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Handy-Crafts is an entrepreneurial business venture supported by QUB and consists of fun activities and other web-based resources. Handy-Crafts help children to make or craft something personally meaningful with instructions and the overall experience being conducted in a handy language. A handy language is the language that a learner has a connection with such as heritage language, immersion school language, or a language spoken by neighbours and community members etc.
About HandyCrafts
What do HandyCrafts do?
HandyCrafts uses fun, curious and creative crafts to enhance and enrich children’s general development. HandyCrafts provides a channel for individuals to celebrate their cultural and linguistic diversity.
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Range of multi-lingual, learning-driven products designed by educators and written using research based language acquisition strategies such as: -
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• Greetings cards;
• Recipe cards;
• Celebration quilts;
• Themed collaborative quilts;
• Magnetic building boxes;
• Bags;
• A wide range of children’s activities based on the Treasured Mailbox.
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These activities are accessible to learners who are just beginning to learn the target language.
