New Book By Axel Scheffler Launched at Ada Lovelace School
Gruffalo illustrator creates German learning book with Goethe-Institut
Staff and students of Ada Lovelace with the new book along with Rupa Huq MP and Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell
November 20, 2024
A new children’s book by renowned illustrator Axel Scheffler, known for his work on The Gruffalo, has been launched at the Ada Lovelace CofE High School in Ealing.
Commissioned by the Goethe-Institut, Wuschel auf der Erde: A New Adventure in Learning German is aimed at primary-aged pupils who are beginners in the German language.
The launch event took place on Friday (15 November) with Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell and Ealing Central and Acton MP, Rupa Huq present.
Wuschel auf der Erde aims to be an invitation for children to explore a new language and culture through the eyes of a charming character.
Axel Scheffler said, “The Goethe-Institut asked me to illustrate some stories to support the teaching of German in primary schools – hoping that the fact that many children are familiar with my pictures will inspire them to learn German. From my own experience I can say that learning a second language is enriching one’s life enormously. I hope that the story of Wuschel, an alien who has come all the way from a different planet to learn German will encourage more children to learn ‘my’ first language.”
Scheffler’s unique style brings the story of Wuschel, a curious and friendly alien, to life. Wuschel arrives on Earth in a UFO from a distant planet with a mission to learn German.
Through his journey, children are introduced to their first German words and phrases in an interactive way, engaging not just them but also their families and teachers in the learning process.
Axel Scheffler
To support teachers, the Goethe-Institut London is providing comprehensive teaching materials to integrate Wuschel auf der Erde into the language learning classroom, enhancing the overall learning experience. Additionally, the Goethe-Institut UK will offer language courses for children with Wuschel.
Andrea Pfeil, Director Language Department at the Goethe-Institut, said, “We are incredibly excited about this project. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations bring a magical quality to the story of Wuschel, making the learning process both enjoyable and memorable for children. We hope this book will inspire a new generation of German learners and foster a love for the language and culture.”
Miguel Berger, German Ambassador to the United Kingdom, added, “Language learning can, and should, be fun. Axel Scheffler’s iconic and world-renowned illustrations offer an inspiring way for children and young people to explore German. Wuschel brings the beauty and creativity of language learning to life. I am immensely impressed by this project by the Goethe-Institut in the UK.”
Ada Lovelace C of E High School hosts the Thames West Language hub as part of the NCLE language hub programme and works with primary and secondary partner schools to support language teaching.
Keir Smith, Headteacher at Ada Lovelace School, said, “We are unique in teaching German as a main language for all learners from year 7 and are therefore particularly excited to be part of the launch for new primary German teaching resources.”
This initiative is part of a broader effort to address the challenges facing language learning, particularly German, in English schools. The Goethe-Institut UK is actively working to reverse the trend of declining GCSE entries and boost the number of German learners across England. As part of the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE), established in 2023, the Goethe-Institut has been delivering unprecedented support for German language education.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |