Here’s a sneak peek at our upcoming play support materials. Make sure you look at the free ebook, “Getting Started with Language Hunting”, so you are up to date on where the craft of language hunting is going.

Here you can see scenes from our last Irish language event this past April. This summer’s Irish Camp will look very similar, and we’ll be rolling out and implementing at least 4 new innovations to the language hunting system –

Below you can see a 3 minute video summarizing our 9 week Irish language program at Corbett Middle School in Corbett, OR.

We learned so much from this program that we’ll be applying to our coming language programs. We’ve been able to layer in new kinds of games, music, and cultural activities into the core language hunt game. Check it out!

Yesterday was the finale of our 8 week (or 9, depending on how you count) program of Irish language hunting games at Corbett Middle School, here in the Portland, OR area.

We celebrated it by having an Irish-immersion Scavenger Hunt!

Below you can see selected photos from the last day of the program. We’re really proud of the kids (and ourselves) for all we’ve accomplished. It was a lot of hard work with some amazing results. We’re working on a video to showcase highlights from the program – stay tuned!

Image CC BY SA, papalars

Willem Larsen will be working in Europe during the month of May, 2012. This is an extremely rare in-person opportunity to set up workshops, talks, or one-on-one mentoring.

Here’s his approximate itinerary –

• May 7-13, Germany
• May 14-20, Finland
• May 21-26, Sweden/Denmark

These are approximate dates – contact us at info@languagehunters.org for more details and to schedule an event.

There are about 50 Corbett Middle School students hunting Irish in this picture, believe or not!

As of April 2nd, we’ve just begun a 9 week program in partnership with Corbett Middle School in Corbett, OR, where 100 Corbett Middle School students will language hunt Irish for an hour a day, 4 days a week.

We’re really excited about this project. Our goal is to bring the students to basic conversational fluency in Irish by the end of the program, along with training them to apply their new language hunting skills to any language. This pilot program could lead to bigger things in the Fall!

Corbett Middle School Students singing traditional irish song, Gréasaí Brog.

We’re including a music element, teaching the students traditional Irish music along with the Gaeilge language.

There are many more images at our Facebook group.

We’re currently fundraising for this program; if you’d like to support this ground-breaking effort, contact us at info@languagehunters.org.

An intense discussion during a session of tea in an Irish church. (Image CC BA SA NC Alvaro/dirac3000)

Come join our new google group: http://groups.google.com/group/language-hunters?hl=en

There you can get feedback on game play, ask questions, and tell stories of your amazing language hunts!

A new chick just beginning to emerge from its shell. (Image CC NC BA SY Travis Pritchard)

Rules Are Eggshells

-Language Hunting is a system of rules – but the rules are based on context, they are not cure-alls. Most of the rules direct attention to the beginning of learning, to the initial conditions necessary for fostering new learning; these rules are like eggshells.

-Eggshells protect what’s inside untill it is ready for the big world outside.

-Shells contain early growth, vulnerable beginnings, seeds of possibility.

Eggshells Are Made to Be Broken…When the Time Is Right

-Vulnerable beginnings, once mature, will suffocate if not released.

-Release them by breaking the egg, breaking the rule, opening up.

It’s All About Timing

Where in your life do you feel overexposed and vulnerable, where could you use more safety, more nurturing, more NARROWED SCOPE? Make a shell for it, a safe space for play and learning.

Where in your life do you feel stuck and stagnant, where could you use more risk, more excitement, more randomness, more ALIVENESS? Break the old shell you’ve made around yourself.

Read more about the Rules of Accelerated Learning

Want to know more about fostering and accelerating learning? Check out the Language Hunter’s Kit, a guide to accelerating learning, developed primarily for supporting the revitalization of endangered languages around the world. Learn the top 47 rules for creating the most vitalized, effective learning environments.