Choosing a Country
The geography of holiday programs is vast. They are most popular in schools in Europe and the USA. Fans of Shakespeare's language have the widest choice: it is most prestigious to study English in schools in the UK, for American English they go to the USA and Canada, and those not afraid of distances even travel to New Zealand and Australia. Language holiday programs are offered by linguistic centers in Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, Sweden, and many other countries. The choice is great - from schools located in world capitals (London, Paris) to language centers at seaside resorts, where you can combine learning and relaxation on the coast (Brighton, Valletta).
However, for educational purposes you can go to almost any corner of the globe: many agencies are ready to work with individual orders. More and more knowledge seekers are also going to schools in China and the Persian Gulf countries, as the demand for Eastern languages increases.
Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn...
Holiday programs are tied to the school and student schedule, i.e., to summer, winter, autumn, and spring breaks. Duration is from 2 to 12 weeks, and the intensity of foreign language classes can range from 18 to 40 hours per week. However, you can choose the number of hours and the learning mode depending on your goals.
Usually, in one or two weeks, studying 10-15 hours per week, a child whose foreign language was passive manages to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and starts communicating freely. For those planning to learn a language from scratch, it is better to choose longer programs. If serious gaps need to be filled, pay attention to an intensive course (30-40 hours per week). Moreover, teachers can additionally work with the group after the main lessons.
Up to 16 and Older
All holiday programs are designed for the following age groups: children from 5 to 12 years old, teenagers from 14 to 19 years old, students, adults.
In the younger groups, the workload is lighter, more attention is paid to leisure, and classes are conducted mainly in a playful form. Usually, holiday educational tours are offered to schoolchildren from 8 years old, but with effort, you can find programs with homestay for preschoolers as well. In the older groups, study is more serious, there is more free time, and adult courses assume that the second half of the day is entirely at the students' disposal.
Also note that holiday tours can be group or individual. The latter option is recommended for schoolchildren over 10 years old. However, it all depends on language knowledge, sociability, and independence.
Preparing for Tests
If the main goal of the trip is to learn a foreign language, a traditional program with at least 20 hours of classes per week will suit you. Teaching is conducted using a communicative method, work with textbooks and notebooks alternates with various creative tasks, role-playing games, and quizzes. The afternoon is free, and students can use it at their own discretion.
Studying at a linguistic center is recommended primarily for high school students: such courses are good preparation for entrance exams in a foreign language for both domestic and foreign universities. During the holidays, you can also prepare for an international language test. For example, at the British school Abbey College, during the holidays you can prepare and pass any English language exams (KET, PET, FCE, IELTS, iBT TOEFL, IGCSE, AS/A-Level). If you want to study abroad in the future, during the holiday program you will have an excellent opportunity to look at the overseas education system and understand how suitable it is for you. For instance, going on summer holidays to Australia, you can devote two to three weeks to studying English, and spend the remaining time in a regular Australian school.
From Diving to the Stage
If your goal is not only study but also active recreation, you can choose a program from the "Language + Recreation" series, which includes entertainment. The motto of such holiday programs is "Learn is easy when it is fun". Language learning is combined with games, sports, excursions, discos, competitions, that is, all kinds of activities, as the British say. Such programs are especially recommended for primary and secondary school students, who find it easier to absorb material in a playful form rather than sitting at a desk.
Another popular option for holiday programs is "Language + Sport". Water sports are good in Spain, Italy, and Malta. Skiers will like Switzerland, Austria, France. Football, horseback riding, tennis, and golf enthusiasts should go to the UK. For example, Malvern College, together with Chelsea Football Club, organizes the "English + Football" program, whose graduates receive both an English language certificate and a Chelsea Football Club certificate along with a medal of the same name. And students of the Manchester Academy of English in the United Kingdom train with coaches from the famous football club Manchester United.
For diving enthusiasts, Maltese schools (European Centre, Inlingua Malta and European Centre of English) offer the English and Diving program: learning English combined with a two-week scuba diving course. Upon completion, a prestigious international PADI diving certificate is issued. In France, the International Linguistic and Sports Center Troissy near Paris is well-known. Here, after language classes, professional instructors work with the children daily in horseback riding, archery, tennis, or dancing.
If you don't want to do sports, you have various electives to choose from: drawing, batik, macrame, dancing, acting, photography, vocals, etc. Similar programs for creative and active individuals are offered by Roedean School (UK), Bell Malta (Malta), and others. In such courses, 6-12 hours of training or creative activities are combined with 12-15 hours of foreign language study per week.
Business Time
Senior students, as well as adults on vacation, can be recommended to take a business foreign language course. The minimum duration of a business program is two weeks with an average workload of 30 hours per week. For more intensive study, you can add individual lessons to group classes.
Many mistakenly believe that such programs are only suitable for economists, accountants, and managers. In fact, the program is useful for a specialist in any field if their work involves constant communication with foreign colleagues. The training focuses on socio-political and business vocabulary, rules of correspondence, and the culture of business communication. During classes, students work with the business press, documentation, and watch recordings of press conferences. Vocabulary is practiced by acting out typical situations.
Some schools offer to select a program specifically for your professional field, which implies in-depth study of specialized vocabulary. In particular, you can find: foreign language for international negotiations; foreign language for young businessmen; foreign language for top managers; foreign language for specialists (tourism, law, medicine, politics, logistics, international organizations, banking, insurance, energy, human resources, training of secretaries and personal assistants to managers).
Not everyone is accepted into business foreign language courses: there are requirements for age (from 21 years old) and language proficiency level (not lower than intermediate). However, students whose knowledge does not reach the required level may be recommended to take a combined course that combines a general language program with business foreign language lessons.