At Wilvaken, we alternate between using English and French every two days. This means that no matter what, you’ll get the chance to hear and practice both languages while you stay with us at camp. Take this time to practice your language skills! Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone is learning together in our family community. If you listen closely, chances are you may pick up on some Spanish while you’re at camp!
Interested in practicing your English or French language skills? Want to be able to communicate with others in your cabin who may not speak the same language? Sign up for our extra language lessons. We’re not sitting you down in a classroom, or making you write notes; you get to spend one hour daily chatting, playing games, and participating in activities that will help you learn in a fun environment!
Activities may include:
I think what you do so well at Wilvaken is have a friendly, relaxed atmosphere within a setting of structured activities. I like the way the camp is mixed gender and not too big. It is true that it's a camp where everyone knows your name. The French / English mix is a plus.
Sara, parent of campers and staffPersonnellement, j'ai choisi Wilvaken justement car c'était un camp bilingue et que la première année Cyriac ne savait pas du tout parler anglais. Enfin, pour moi c'est avant tout un camp de vacances, ils y vont pour s'épanouir et parce qu'ils adorent ce camp, pour se faire plein d'amis et non pas pour faire des cours d'anglais. et sur ces critères c'est une totale réussite!
Elisabeth, parentJe rajouterais que le fait qu'elle ait pu rencontrer des gens de nationalités différentes a été une très belle expérience. Elle maitrise maintenant très bien l'anglais, et je sais que c'est en grande partie grâce à ses séjours chez Wilvaken.
Isabelle, parentYou can join in the language lessons even if you already have a good base for the language. Help others around you develop their conversation skills so that you can all get to know one another better! Learn the technical terms for our activities in a second language and impress your friends. Or sit down and teach someone else what you already know.
Our staff are not all perfectly bilingual, as they are also working on a second (or third!) language. Wilvaken is an environment where you can learn from others, and learn from your mistakes. We encourage our campers and staff who are already bilingual to support the others while they take language risks. Walking along Wilvaken paths, it’s quite common to hear campers speaking in a language other than their mother tongue. A French camper will struggle through his/her English to an English camper who responds in French. Wilvaken campers from around the world return year after year to rekindle friendships and continue their second language learning. But don’t just take our word for it!