TALK is Zodiak workshop method, invented for teaching languages. The workshops are thought by a dance artist together with the language teacher. The workshops offer functional, movement based ways of learning languages. 

TALK workshops are suitable for all levels of education and age groups, and also for example for immigrant's Finnish lessons. We offer workshops in seven different languages: English, Swedish, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Finnish as a second language. Zodiak offers TALK-workshops for children and teacher training for schools. 

Video Guide

We have produced a video guide about the exercises for children. The videos are available below. The exercises can be used and modified freely. However, if they are used in training or in a publication, the origin of the exercises should be named.

 

Video 1: start of the lesson

00:18 Beginning: greetings, introductions and numbers

05:14 Interview with dance artist Anniina Tuhkunen

07:25 Forming of a group

09:48 Numbers

11:12 Greetings at the beginning of a class

12:05 Interview with French and English teacher Katja Nieminen

 

Video 2: Learning new and revising old

00:18 Colours

01:43 Interview with dance and language teacher Liisa Taimen

02:17 Verb exercise

07:51 Interview with dance artist Anniina Tuhkunen

08:38 Body parts

10:35 Body parts: a statue

12:38 Adjectives exercise 1

15:03 Adjectives exercise 2

15:38 Interview with dance artist Jenna Rignell

 

Video 3: Learning new and revising old

 

00:18 Prepostitions football

02:42 Interview with dance artist Jenna Rignell

04:06 Time attributes 1

05:27 Time attributes 2 

06:53 Interview with dance artist Jenni Koistinen and teacher of preparatory class Eeva Suhonen

08:13 Weekdays

12:46 Cyrillic alphabet

16:33 Auxiliary verbs: sein ori haben?

18:24 Interview with dance and language teacher Liisa Taimen

 

Video 4: Learning new and revising old

00:18 Furniture

02:51 Are you? game

04:06 Interview with German and English teacher Rita Virta

04:49 Inversion in a sentence

10:10 Adjectivs and adverbs 1 The ball goes round in the circle

12:16 Interview with Mafalda (student)

12:30 Adverbs 2 Moving + how

13:47 Interview with Nuutti (student)

14:08 Advebs and directions

17:40 Interview with Pinja (student)

18:04 Interview with dance and language teacher Liisa Taimen

 

Video 5: Learning new and revising old

00:18 Exercise about vocabulary and writing

01:15 Exercise for producing vocabulary and speech over - under...

02:09 Interview with dance artist Jenni Koistinen and teacher of preparatory class Eeva Suhonen

03:10 Numbers and creating own movement Hards and Softs

07:34 Directions and prepositions rap

12:40 Interview with dance and language teacher Liisa Taimen

 

Video 6: Creative exercises

00:18 Verbs, prepositions and adverbs dancer - choreographer

06:40 Parkour

08:08 Interview with French and English teacher Katja Nieminen

08:36 Murmurs

12:19 Ninjas

15:09 Interview with dance artist Jenna Rignell

16:21 Snow flakes dance

17:25 Interview with dance artist Jenni Koistinen and teacher of preparatory class Eeva Suhonen

 

Video 7: Ending of a class and tests

00:18 Greetings Tervehdykset

01:18 Interview with dance artists Amandine Doat

02:19 Listening stretching

03:14 Interview with dance artist Jenna Rignell

04:33 Verb test

06:03 Listening test

07:30 Interview with dance artist Jenni Koistinen and teacher of preparatory class Eeva Suhonen

09:54 Test: movement, describing and interpretation

11:00 Interview with Englsih adn Spanish teacher Andrea Aalto

 

TALK by Zodiak in publications and thesis

  1. Thesis: Marika Laurén: TALK-kielityöpajan tuotteistaminen
  1. Article: Eeva Anttila, University of the Arts Helsinki: Migrating Pedagogies: Encoutering Immigrant Pupils through Movement and Dance, 2019 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRITICAL PEDAGOGY)
  1. Katja Kirsi: TALK – Taidetta ja liikettä kieltenopetukseen, Teatterikorkeakoulun julkaisusarja 2019
     
  2. Viivi Niiniketo, Pro Gradu: Körperlichkeit im frühen Dancing Fremdsprachenunterricht : Eine Aktionsforschung zum Embodiment, Helsingin yliopisto, humanistinen tiedekunta 2019
     
  3. Nikkanen, Kirsi, Anttila: Artistic Process as a Frame for Collaborative, Embodied Pedagogies – Combining dance with language learning, teoksessa Across Borders – Perspectives on Dance, Young People and Change, 2020