How to choose a language camp abroad?

Today, fluency in at least several foreign languages is considered not so much a luxury as a necessity. A couple of decades ago, parents could consider their duty fulfilled simply by sending their child to school with a good English teacher. But now you have to look for other opportunities for the development of your child - courses, training programs and even special language camps.

Features:

A language camp is, first of all, a children's recreation center. It resembles those camps in which the parents themselves rested some time ago, with the difference that they look, perhaps, somewhat more modern and offer more comfortable conditions.

Besides, the language specialization of the institution assumes that the child is simply obliged to return back with a higher level of proficiency in a particular language, although, of course, the rest is not limited to this - there will be a beach, and hiking, and gatherings around the fire, and team games.

There are corresponding camps in our country - here, too, you can learn foreign languages in parallel with rest. Another thing is how the process itself is organized. It is logical to assume that all (or almost all) of our holidaymakers are local children who certainly do not speak the target language as well as their native one.

Of course, they would communicate with each other mainly in Russian, and therefore, all training would be reduced to banal sitting at a desk, which does not greatly stimulate interest in learning and does not very much resemble rest.

Camps abroad are another matter. There may not be any classroom activities (as such) at all. The fact is that children from different countries come here who do not understand each other's native languages, therefore they have to communicate in the language for the sake of which they all came here to learn.

The need for communication among children is very high, and new friends from other countries could tell a lot of interesting things, because - all conditions are created for the child to constantly speak a foreign language... This greatly contributes to the memorization of the rules and principles of the language, as a result of which, after a very short time, the baby will be able to speak without making serious mistakes.

If the camp is also located in a country where local residents speak the required language, it is more likely that the staff of the institution will be native speakers, having the opportunity to point out to the child about his mistakes.

As a rule, only adolescents are sent on such a vacation - they are already quite independent to do in another country without their parents, and their level of language is usually somewhat better than that of kids.

Children of primary school age can not be sent to any language camp - you need to be confident that this recreation center is capable of receiving, educating and entertaining a baby. You need to understand that It will be problematic for parents to come and pick up something unhappy with their child ahead of time, and the camp staff will definitely not send him home on an international flight alone.

Which country to choose?

Why it is worth leaving your home country for the sake of learning a foreign language has already been described above, however, the question of where exactly to go remains open.

Perhaps, in any country with a developed tourism infrastructure there are such establishments, however, it is especially worth highlighting those areas that are in maximum demand among our compatriots.

England. A predictable leader in the flow of children whose parents would like to teach them English. English has still not yielded to Chinese as the language of international communication, and the number of people speaking it is ten-digit. Those who come here do not have so many opportunities to lie on the beach - it is too cool here (although such an opportunity is also present), but there is something to see here in London, and in Cambridge, and in Oxford. The choice of camps in England is huge: there are proposals for every wallet.
Germany. Learning German in our country is also quite popular, because Germany, which is also close enough, is predictably in demand. Again, there is really nowhere to sunbathe here, but there are a lot of interesting sights, and you don't have to worry about the quality of the services provided - German pedantry is known throughout the world.

Switzerland. Here, of course, prices are simply exorbitant, however, the local nature and culture are so inviting to come here on vacation, and the locals, by the way, speak fluently both German and French. You can choose one of two languages or both at once, and the impressions will last a lifetime.
USA... Another country suitable for learning English. But among the locals, especially in the southern states, there are a lot of Spanish-speaking citizens, so for the sake of the Spanish language, you can also come here. Local camps are famous for the unusualness of their programs: in parallel with the language, you can study robotics and martial arts, cooking or physics. True, parents will have to spend money, because the program itself is quite expensive, and the flight will not be cheap.

Czech. This is the only country on this list where the native language of local residents is definitely not the one for which guests of language camps come here. Our fellow citizens are attracted here by the proximity and very low cost (in comparison with other Western countries). German is also taught quite well here, because the Czech Republic borders on German-speaking Germany and Austria, and many of its citizens work in these countries.
Malta... If you do not want to deprive your child of the familiar sea during the summer holidays, you should send him to a language camp in Mediterranean Malta. One of the two official languages of this island country is English, because the locals speak it flawlessly. A peculiar local feature is that children can come with their parents - the kids attend the day camp, every evening reuniting with the adults, who, in turn, independently decide the issue of settling the whole family.

What languages are popular?

The popularity of different languages as a subject for study in a summer language camp differs significantly. Therefore, when choosing a particular institution, you still need to figure out what language it specializes in. Learning foreign languages is very important and useful, however, you should choose a language wisely so that it is most likely useful. In language camps, they usually study something from the following list.

English. After World War II, it was English that was recognized as the main language of interethnic communication, because the number of those who speak it makes up almost half of the world's population. English is the state language in several dozen states on all continents, with it the child will not disappear almost anywhere.

It is, accordingly, possible to study it in many countries, however, it is best for this to go to England, the USA or Malta, where the locals speak it like a native.

German. This language is not as popular in the world as English, but it is still studied in many schools in our country. It is not surprising, because it is the state language of several developed and at the same time not very remote states (for example, Germany, Austria and Switzerland). It is to these countries that it is worth going to improve the language level.
French. In our country, this language has already decently lost its popularity, although two hundred years ago the nobles of the Russian Empire spoke to each other almost exclusively in French in everyday life. Although French is no longer the dominant language in the world, it still remains one of the six working languages of the UN and is the native language of hundreds of millions of people, including the French, partly Swiss, Canadians and Belgians. Since the phenomenon of language camps is not very common in France, our children are sent to camps in Switzerland or Belgium.

Spanish... This language is one of the three most widespread in the world, however, the countries speaking it are located far away and are not yet included in the main tops of developed countries, and therefore, learning this language is not so popular in our country. Nevertheless, the Spanish language will prove to be the best medium for communicating not only with the Spaniards themselves, but also with Mexicans or Argentines, as well as representatives of many other peoples.

Since in the United States every year the percentage of Hispanics is only growing, and in some states Spanish has even received official status, it is recommended to go to California, Texas or Florida to a language camp to study Spanish.

Chinese... Apart from the diaspora around the world, this language is spoken in only two countries, but what kind of countries they are - China and Taiwan. The first one has enormous economic potential and in the coming decades can become the main world economy, and Taiwan is already one of the world's main centers for the development of advanced technologies.

The joke that soon everyone will have to learn Chinese instead of English seems like a joke every day, so that many American camps already offer teaching this language.

Popular camps

Obviously, children's summer camps can differ significantly in the quality of the services provided, so a good choice of a country does not mean that the institution will be ideal either. For this reason, it is worth additionally considering the best camps based on the results of reviews left by Russian-speaking visitors.

IELS school in Malta. On the one hand, this place is not even called a camp, and the name “school” could scare off a child who wants a simple vacation on vacation, however, this place will completely change all ideas about school. It offers daily beach holidays on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, excursions to medieval Maltese fortresses, visits to the water park and dolphinarium, diving courses and karting.

Oxford International in England. Contrary to the name, the school is not located in Oxford, but is located next to a picturesque national park and offers all the necessary conditions for learning. The swimming pool, gym and dance studio are located right there, and you can go on an excursion to London or Brighton (at the base of the navy).
Anglolang in England. This school is located in the resort of Scarborough, where you can even swim and sunbathe in the summer. A feature of this institution is that both children and their parents attend school together - the program, of course, is different, but the level of English rises immediately for the whole family. In their free time, the family can reunite for a joint holiday.

ILSC School in the USA. This establishment is considered one of the best in the United States, and even located in the famous and very picturesque San Francisco. After classes, there is an opportunity to walk around this unique city, whose landscapes can be seen in dozens of American films and clips, to feel the spirit of California and better understand the mixed culture of local residents living at the junction of North American and Latin American civilizations.

Development programs

Some institutions are not language camps in the literal sense of the word, but they offer unusual and interesting programs that will help you not only better learn the language, but also gain new knowledge from a wide variety of branches of science.

The choice in favor of this option will significantly expand the horizons of the child, and as an illustrative example, it is worth mentioning several of the best programs among them.

STEM in Ireland. Since Ireland has been an English colony for a long time, absolutely everyone speaks English here, however, the locals decided not to stop at a banal language camp and went much further, organizing a whole school where you can study natural and exact sciences for two weeks. Children from 13 to 17 years old are invited to study technology, mathematics and engineering, and having mastered all the necessary terminology in English, they could enter a good foreign university for a technical specialty.

Dublin, in which the school is located, is itself an interesting place to walk, so it would be worth coming even for its sake.

Bucksmore Education Language School at the University of Cambridge. Perhaps, a foreign language is much easier to learn if something is said in it that is really interesting. Young people aged 16-19 can come here for two or four weeks in order to choose just two of the twenty-six subjects in which they will attend the course. All areas of knowledge are presented to choose from, in particular: economics and business, medicine and chemistry, law and literature, and much more.

Naturally, after such training, it will be much easier to enter an English university for a related specialty, and a general idea of life and study in England will already be formed. Excursions around the country included in the program will be a pleasant bonus for such vacations.

Discover California program at the American school FLS International. This is where you won't be bored - the school is located in the middle of the famous state of California, in the city of Los Angeles, from where in just three weeks you can go on excursions to Disneyland and Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Silicon Valley, as well as many other places familiar from the films and books. It would seem that after all these travels there will be no time to learn English, however, the organizers found a rather original way out of this situation - the students settle right in the families of local residents, thanks to which they have the opportunity to practice the language throughout their free time.

Tips for choosing

It should be noted that the assessment of many of the described camps may seem subjectively overestimated to someone, because even the best institution may simply not suit a particular child. To find a good place for your baby, you need to take into account his personal characteristics.

Primarily, in no case should you ignore the interests of the baby himself. For example, a small football player may find a camp very boring, in which the entire entertainment program revolves around visiting historical sites.

Modern camps offer a lot of interesting things: from teaching golf and polo to the basics of makeup, so ask your child what he would like to do during the holidays - then learning the language will be much easier.

The presence of native speakers is very important for learning a language. In a camp where only Russian-speaking children rest, it will not be possible to effectively teach English, even if it is located in the heart of England. The composition of the guests should be multicultural or assume a large majority of native speakers.

Finally, those who want to save money should pay attention to large camps with hundreds of campers, but if the child is small and wants attention to himself, it is better to choose small recreation centers.