Testimonies
testimonies from participants to workshop (or facilitators): where you develop skills on digital + social + linguistic
linguistic skills
Even though I`m 10 years in Greece there were many words related to food and cooking that I didn`t know. By attending this workshop I learned many new words through practice.
KLONILDA
I have learned new words about food and cooking and had the opportunity to speak in Greek with the other participants.
MARIAM
Some of the foreign participants even though they speak quite well Greek they didn`t have the chance before to attend a language course. With Healthnic Diet workshop they wrote and spoke in Greek and learned vocabulary about culinary terminology.
EUGENIAFACILITATOR
I had great time listening to Ukrainian language and learn some words. I always thought that it is similar to Polish, but it is not! We had a lot of fun exchanging different expressions with our two participants from Ukraine.
KATARZYNA
I study in Poland for 5 years now but I learned new words related to cooking, that I didn’t know before. Also comparing the two languages was a nice experience.
TETIANA
It was fun to listen to Polish-Ukrainian conversations but also when participants learned new words related to ingredients. I myself learned one or two.
ŁUKASZFACILITATOR
During the workshop I learned a lot with my African and Italian friends together and during this week I really enjoyed talking about food, learning new words and meanings, and then trying to cook it together.
MAMADOU
I have definitely convinced myself that food is itself a language, and this has helped us work together, and understand each other, despite the many linguistic difficulties and cultural differences.
GIORGIO SALZAFACILITATOR
Witnessing the learners co-operate with each other and share some of their own cultures with one another.
ALEXFACILITATOR
The language exchange for cooking terms was fascinating as participants recognised similarities and identified differences. New words and terms were added to our glossary charts – Food Preparation; Cooking Methods; Food; Nutrition.
MARGARET
Using samples, illustrations, pictures and simulation ensured the understanding and participation of everyone.
MARGARET
It is good to write down my story, this helps me remember and learn new words.
GAMAR
The more technical vocabulary around healthy eating was about more than just the vocabulary, it increased English as second language speakers’ vocabulary but importantly built confidence as language was explored in a safe and supported environment which is paramount to building cohesion. For this reason only the major language issues were corrected in the digital output as the focus was not on grammar and spelling but on developing social skills.
EWAN
Both the digital stories and the cooking workshops enabled the students to develop their linguistic skills and to also understand the differences in culture amongst the participants
VALERIE
social skills
I met new people with a lot of things in common, first of all our passion in cooking. Together with some other participants we had the chance to speak about the project on a big audience and to cook for them.
DANIELLA
We had the chance to practice what we learned by creating the menu and cooking for a group of young French people who were trainees in another European programme. It gave me great pleasure to present our work and answer their questions.
ELENI
I live with my parents. I had never cooked before the workshop. Now I can prepare simple meals for my family.
STAMATOULA
It was a pleasure watching the participants organizing and preparing a healthy meal for a French group that wanted to take information about the project and taste their dishes. It was an excellent closing of the cooking workshop. Everything that they learned was put into practice.
MARIAFACILITATOR
I had a great time to cook with the group. Cooking together was an experience that I never had before, especially that I am not very good cook myself. I enjoyed it a lot and fell like my interest in preparing food is now much bigger.
DARIUSZ
Cooking together was great but equally important was the possibility to meet and to talk. Conversations went beyond the cooking, we also talked about our lives and gave each other advice.
KLAUDIA
It was a great experience to lead this workshop and watch people not only work together but spend time together. All had great time, especially during tasting of prepared dishes.
MARGARETFACILITATOR
During this week I tested what I had learned about Italian cuisine. I had already cooked in a residence for the elderly but I did different dishes. I told an Italian friend the new dishes I learned to cook, and I promised her that I will make a dinner for her!
DOUMBIA
I must say that this experience has changed my relationship with food, and also with other people! I had never cooked! Here I discovered, working in équipe, the pleasure of choosing the ingredients, touching them with my hands and deciding how to use them to get the set dish. It is a new language for me.
ANICETO
I think the digital stories were a big success. But, there were many little moments which I think were successful such as learners sharing stories about culture and family. There was lots of smiling throughout our project.
ALEXFACILITATOR
Very glad that we went ahead with the workshops and the cooking and eating together approach can be transferred into many other contexts. Amazing to see the commitment of the participants despite their heavy workload in their jobs and their family responsibilities.
KRISTIN
The workshop brought people from different cultures together. We enjoyed getting to know each other and learning to cook healthily and have fun together at John Archer Hall.
ALI
Cooking together helped everyone to be open minded and creative and to try things we were unsure of.
JULIAN
I have learnt that although we ll come from different countries we all cook very similar dishes.
SHARON
I was so proud to be able to share my culture and traditional dishes from Botswana with everyone.
BELLA
The group operated in an easy going and comfortable manner, their varied backgrounds and cultures encouraged the development of a friendly cohesive group.
EWAN
Right from the start the participants were engaged and interested in learning about and listening to each other’s stories and histories. They clearly enjoyed the Healthnic workshop and on the final day they were keen to know when the next course was to be held, even today they continue to ask when a new workshop will begin.
ROSIEFACILITATOR
Whenever you are with people of other nationalities ask them about their traditional cuisine.
FREYA
The digital stories session enabled students to share their love about their local dishes. During the cooking sessions students shared the cooking process and helped each other prepare the ingredients.
VALERIE
digital skills
Great experience. I have learned to create videos with photos and narration through a software with big potential.
JOANNA
I had the chance to use Word software in order to write the storyboard and I learned how to save personal photos in a computer file. Even though the audio and image editor were quite complex for me I would like to practice more on this.
LURA
The participants were enthusiastic with the digital storytelling method and by working in groups the one helped the other on the things each of them was confident (writing in word document, recording their voice, scanning and saving photos, editing images and voice on the editing software).
EUGENIAFACILITATOR
Even if I am good in digital skills (I am studying computer science), I never had experience with Digital Story Telling before. It was something new to me and very amusing.
TETIANA
I loved the outcome of my story! And I did it on my own. I never thought that I would be able to do such complicated technical task. I felt like film producer!
AGNIESZKA
The participants were excited about creating own videos out of own stories. Digital skills of most of them were definitely a challenge but they appreciated the fact that they could do everything on their own, from typing the idea on computers, preparing pictures, recording their voices and putting everything together.
CHRISFACILITATOR
I found it very fun and interesting to be able to use the video tool to tell our story. I’m very interested in communication tools and technology, and I didn’t think it could be used in this case, talking about food.
BI DJE
Yes, the learners loved doing it and I think it was really good for their vocational skills as well as for their confidence etc.
ALEXFACILITATOR
Participants were at varying levels of competency using digital media. Familiarity with mobiles and mobile cameras was common. Central to the digital story was creating a short narrative, voice recording to be combined with still images to produce a short online video, a reflection of their life, explored through the Healthnic workshop.
EWANFACILITATOR
Now participants can go away and reproduce their own stories using modern mobile phone apps. The concept of the story telling, editing and combining the images and sound was the main goal of the learning.
EWANFACILITATOR
With the support of the facilitator and “Recipe for Digital Stories”, participants were enthusiastic and totally engaged in getting on with producing their digital stories. Working with individuals and one group of four, the two assistants helped transfer pictures and voice recording to the digital story. The result was amazing and diverse digital stories produced by the participants.
MARGARET
The digital story telling session encouraged creativity and enabled us to tell the story of what we have learnt and created together.
ANNE
I enjoyed being able to share my funny trifle story and making everyone laugh!
JAN
Students enjoyed the session, they enjoyed telling us about their favourite local dishes and how they were made.
VALERIE
