The arrival of Christmas always marks a moment of pause. A time to close the year, slow down and look at everything experienced over the last few months with a little more perspective, both on a personal and family level.
the Village News
Stay updated with the Village News: stories and insights from our international summer camp in Spain — activities, camp life, and unforgettable experiences.
During the school year, many families do everything “right” to help their children learn English: academies, extra tuition, additional activities, even intensive courses. However, when the year comes to a close, the feeling is often similar: they understand more, but still don’t speak fluently.
This doesn’t happen because the child or teenager lacks ability, nor because the method is bad. It happens because the context doesn’t help. Learning a language doesn’t just depend on what is taught, but on how and when it is experienced.
Summer introduces a profound change to that context, and that’s where it starts to make a difference.
When families start looking into English camps, they often come across programmes that are very well structured on paper. Clear schedules, appealing activities, and a set number of hours in English per day. However, one of the most important questions rarely comes to the forefront: who is actually with the children and teenagers throughout the whole day.
There is a word that appears on almost every English camp website: immersion.
It is used so often that, for many families, it has lost its meaning. Everything seems immersive at first glance, but if you scratch beneath the surface, doubts arise: is it really an experience in English or just a set of activities with some added classes?
When families compare English camps, they usually look at the programme, the activities or the number of language hours. However, there is a factor that is often overlooked and which has a direct impact on how children and teenagers learn: the environment in which they live the experience.
There is a summer when something changes. It doesn't usually announce itself and it almost never coincides with an exact age. It simply happens: the camp they used to look forward to no longer excites them in the same way. They don't openly reject it, but neither do they choose it. And as a family, a difficult doubt to put into words appears: wanting them to have a good experience without forcing them to repeat something they no longer feel is their own.
Every summer, many families look for a camp where their children can improve their English without giving up outdoor activities. The idea of combining learning and adventure is very appealing, but it is not always clear what this combination really means or how it is experienced in the daily life of the camp.
Learning doesn’t always happen within four walls. Sometimes, the best English lesson takes place on a football pitch, on a beach or on an improvised stage. That’s why camps that combine sport, art and nature don’t just teach a language: they spark children’s motivation, curiosity and confidence.
