Advantages and disadvantages of camps in English for children

Camps in English for children, have become the most chosen option to enhance the learning of English in children. It is true that they are giving very good results in learning another language from 7 years of age . Although obviously they are not perfect. We are going to look at some of the most com

Camps in English for children, have become the most chosen option to enhance the learning of English in children. It is true that they are giving very good results in learning another language from 7 years of age. Although obviously they are not perfect.

We are going to look at some of the most common advantages and disadvantages that we encounter when we send children to an English immersion camp.

The good and the bad of the language camps

The immersion: It is one of the most complicated points to get in the camps in English for children. One of the premises of this type of camp, is to get the child since he gets on the bus, is immersed in an environment in English and natural. To do this, the camps have native monitors who are ordered to speak in English for as long as possible. Something they usually do to perfection.

The biggest problem is found in the children who go to the camp. Children from 7 years of age who do not have enough level in English to be able to have a conversation. What makes it so much that the monitors try it most of the time the children will communicate with each other in Spanish. It is one of the points that has not yet been solved and equal to the experience in a family abroad as an exchange.

To solve this problem, the ideal is that the children are in groups of very few children, and each group should have a native monitor in English, who will spend most of the camp with the children. Another important point is that children are separated according to the different levels in the language. This will prevent a child from being frustrated by his level and becoming blocked during the learning of English.

Time: Learning English takes a long time. Although the low age, accelerates the process and facilitates it. We must spend a lot of time. In general, summer camps in English last between 15 days and 1 month. Enough time for the child to hear and speak fluently in English. Although if when the child returns from the camp we forget and leave. The child will lose everything he has achieved. Learning a language is a long-distance career in which perseverance is essential. And the camp is a complement that will give the child another kind of qualities compared to English that he learns on a daily basis at school.

Despite these drawbacks. Summer camps in English for children are a good choice for vacations. Since for the child it is a playful activity and if we choose the camp well, you can achieve great advances in your level of English.

Celia Garabaya
Higher Technician in Infant Education
Infant massage instructor by IAIM (Educator in infant massage)
Pedagogical Director in British Bubbles
Collaborator of GuiaInfantil.com