Teach Art Learn English (TALE) is a pioneer project carried out through the cooperation of The Memorial Collection with the Association of English Language Teachers (ELTA) of Serbia and supported by the Foundation “Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital of Culture”. The project promotes the cultural heritage preserved in The Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection through engaging English language learning.
In 2018 and 2019, the TALE team (consisting of four teachers/English language educators and a senior curator of The Memorial Collection) and Dr. Veronica Alvarez (the USA expert consultant), devised an idea of how to introduce Pavle Beljanski’s collection to young people in the most fitting way. In-depth discussions led to assignments with precisely defined goals: to enable vocabulary learning related to fine arts and developing English communication skills through five thematic units: landscape, genre, nude, still life and portrait.
The 90-minute workshops have been divided into two segments: curatorial guidance (45 minutes) and independent student group work (45 minutes). After exploring the museum with the curator, students are divided into five groups with each group being assigned a different thematic unit. Then, they choose an artwork to discuss and, through reflective thinking, are encouraged to contemplate on the entire experience as well as on the learning outcomes.
The project dissemination segment, which is entitled TALE Fast Forward, is planned for 2020 and has been supported by the US Embassy in Serbia. The goal is to evaluate the project effects and spread them to other cities in Serbia. A publication about the TALE methodology is planned upon completion of the workshops.
