What do you want from a language school for your child?

There are many possible answers. You might say lots of target language production. You might say a fun experience for your child. You might say a home from home experience. Or you might say you want your child to meet other children of the same age from different countries. However some of you might consider a safe and secure environment the first box you want to tick on a long list. At Harristown language school we can provide for all of the above and more.  Having worked in other language schools and experienced other camp models we created our unique package that takes care of the concerns of the most discerning parent.  As that discerning parent there is a lot to think about when you are looking for the environment that will best suit your child. We want to help you to do that by giving you some pointers. There are two main models that are readily and widely available:

1.   The school campus summer camp.

Pros:

·      This provides accommodation for groups of children.

·      Lots of children to choose from for your child to be friends with.  

·      Lots of fun activities.

Cons:

·      Teachers employed on seasonal basis so there can be a lack of consistency and also uncertainty.

·      Less supervision of the target language being spoken outside the class.

·      Possibility of only befriending another child of the same nationality.

2.   The morning school / host family accommodation.

Pros:

·      Provides the possibility of learning more about the culture through life with the host family.

·      The language school might have professional experienced permanent teaching staff.

·      The independence of traveling to and from the school and maybe spending some free time in the local town or city.

Cons:

·      Life with the family maybe isolating and intense as there is usually not more than one or two students staying in the house.

·      There is minimal or no supervision of target language production outside the morning class.

·      There is little chance of meeting other children and experiencing new interactions.

As a teacher with many years of experience in Italy, France and Ireland I am privileged to have an abundance of insight into what does and doesn’t work in TEFL and language learning holidays. There is a big difference between what is successful in terms of these trips for young adults or adults and younger children. The younger second language learner has usually been introduced, however briefly to that language before a holiday has been thought about. They will have some basics and some insight into the working of the language but the language production will be minimal.  Sending your child to a foreign country to experience full immersion is a wonderful opportunity.  But what is the point in going to all that trouble and expense if all your concerns and your child’s needs are not being met.

         What are your concerns?

You want your child to be safe we have that top of our list too.  In today’s world there are more people on the move, roads and airports are busy and travel can be tiring and stressful. We collect your child from Dublin airport on a Sunday and deliver him/her back on the Sunday they are due to leave. Harristown is only a short 45mins drive from the airport.  Your child will be supervised at all times   by our professional and sympathetic team both on and off the property.

         What are your child’s accommodation needs?

Your child will come live in our wonderful heritage house home and be welcomed as part of the family. The food is all home cooked fresh produce (some fresh vegetables come from our organic vegetable beds). The bedrooms are all well appointed and sleep two or three depending on numbers. Each bedroom has a private bathroom with fresh towels provided each week. Essential laundry is offered on a weekly basis.  

         What are your child’s learning needs?

Teaching is our passion. Introducing children to a second language at this age is so important as the earlier they start the better the outcome will be. We all learnt our mother tongue through listening and mimicking those around us. This is the best way to learn any language. Interaction with a second language in your native country generally happens under contrived circumstances. Traditional classroom settings in mainstream schools can devote little or no time to second language exposure. Full immersion in a country that speaks that language and tuition from a native speaker will produce the best results. At Harristown we maximise the opportunity to immerse our students at all times. TEFL draws inspiration from language exposure in many of its teaching tasks. Teaching EFL in our classroom focuses mainly on flashcards for vocabulary and building blocks for grammar usage. Role-play and task-based learning are implemented to give our students the opportunity to feel comfortable and take control thus allowing them to gain confidence through their personal interaction with the language. Games, music and crafts are all part of the curriculum as no two children are the same we want to offer an all inclusive and comprehensive programme.

         Keeping your child motivated and stimulated.

This is a holiday. We want your children to have fun and enjoy other experiences too. It is important that they get an authentic Irish cultural insight. We will expose them to this through living with us, meeting other Irish children, trying some Irish cooking, Irish dancing and through well thought out weekly full day trips to places of special interest. Our other varied activities will include, tennis, yoga, pony trekking, water skiing, bowling, quizzes, theatre and much more. We have an experienced and enthusiastic team who are always on hand and will encourage your child to jump in and embrace both the language and the activities.

       Harristown language school summer camp!

Pros:

·      Full immersion in the Irish countryside

·      Live as part of the family

·      15 hours per week of quality, progression driven English tuition

.      A varied afternoon timetable of cultural/outdoor activities

·      Fun organised evening activities

·      English will be the common language at all times

·      Children will meet other children of similar ages from all over the world

·      Accommodation and meals provided

·      Weekly full day excursion plus other afternoon adventure excursions

 Con:

·      Your child may want to stay longer!