Immersion Colonies
October 2009: VALERIA DEL MAR
We invite you to “dive” into a different learning experience:
o EDUCATIONAL TRIP OF IMMERSION IN THE LANGUAGE: Extra - curricular experience.
o Activities are designed in a way which encourages students to participate, activating Prior Knowledge and the language learnt in the classroom.
o SOCIAL ENGLISH: Meaningful experiences of daily routines - Practical and everyday approach to conversation, fluency with listening & speaking activities: students think, speak and participate spontaneously.
o LEARNING is meaningful and within a context.
o PROJECTS are interesting relevant fun and encourage communication.
o ENVIRONMENT is informal, warm, relaxed and safe.
o “ONLY ENGLISH”: TV Channels- Radio Channels – Music - Magazines, newspapers, books - Thematic Posters - Agenda with daily activities & Menu Posters.
o LANGUAGE is natural, comprehensible and easy to understand.
o NATIVE TEACHERS STAFF (from USA & UK): Group Leaders speak clearly, with good pronunciation and a lot of repetition. There is constant comprehension checking, lots of examples to convey meaning and visual clues help understanding without translating. They implement several ways of giving clear and simple instructions as well as lots of opportunities to practice the language in everyday situations.
o PARTICIPANTS interact and communicate at all times in English. They are encouraged to think, participate and express themselves in English, in a natural and spontaneous way. They feel free to take risks and to make mistakes.
o AIMS: to reinforce the language while having fun, to interact in groups with daily experiences, to activate Prior Knowledge, to encourage conversation, reflection and giving opinions, to practice speaking skills, to develop fluency and confidence in daily communication, to consolidate friendship.
o CONTENTS are carefully designed and planned to take into account each Institution characteristics, the social profile of the groups, the institutional aims and purposes and the participants’ needs, interests, styles, ages and levels of English.
o ACTIVITIES are carefully planned so as to take into account students’ needs and interests, to encourage co-operation, respect and responsibility and to offer the tools to establish different points of view to give personal opinions.
o ACTIVITIES ON THE BUS:
- “Meeting the Group Leaders” – True or False Guessing Game
- Adjective Bingo.
- Lateral Thinking Challenge.
- Musical Bingo.
- Charades.
- Movies.
o OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:
- Games in the park- At the beach –
- “Getting to know each other” - Community Building Games.
- “Captain’s coming” & “Human Knot” & “Blindfolded Game”
- Action & Circle Games.
- “Scavenger Hunt”.
- Relay races.
- “Shapes & Props games”
o INDOOR ACTIVITIES:
– Board games – Puzzles & Riddles.
– Card Games – Guessing Games.
– Charades.
o SPORTS:
- Football – Volleyball – American Football –
o WORKSHOPS:
- “Team ID” & Community Building.
- Music.
- Choreographies.
- Arts & Crafts.
- Drama & Movement.
- Story Time.
o AFTER DINNER ACTIVITIES:
- “Story Time “: Dramatic Play & Sketches.
- Camp Fire: Music & Dancing.
- Charades & Pictionary.
- Karaoke.
- Movies.
o “THE FULL IMMERSION CONTRACT”:
- Participants sign a symbolic contract on a poster accepting to respect the aims of the “All English Immersion Program”. They agree to “fully dive into English” to communicate with their mates, with the teachers from their Institution and native Group Leaders and bilingual Coordinators only in English.
o THE RULES:
- Participants are expected to: “Speak English at all times” – “Respect themselves, others and a clear environment” – “Do not take unnecessary risks”- “Take care of their room and belongings”- “Always stay with their group” – “Talk to their leader should any problem arise”
o TEAMWORK: Arriving at the hotel, participants will be separated into different groups (aprox 12 to 15). Each group will have a “Color Name” - A Leader for each group could be chosen by teachers and coordinators, to co-operate with the materials, to gather their group together at the ”meeting point”, etc…
“DIVE INTO ENGLISH” SCHEDULE:
DAY 1:
ü 06:30 : Departure from the Institution/School.
ü Activities on the bus:
- “The Leader’s story” - True or false”
- “Adjective Bingo”
- Movie.
ü 12:30 : Arrival : Welcome to participants. Name game.
- Contract: Talking about Immersion in the Language and signing the contract.
- General Rules: safety, moving around, risks, etc...
- Rooming.
ü 13:30 : LUNCH
ü 14:30 : WORKSHOP:“TEAM- ID” :
- Making posters & decorating flags, putting a name to the group, making a song.
ü 15:30: GOING TO THE BEACH
ü Big group activity: “Getting to know each other”.
ü Recreational activities:
- “Sunshine”
- “Captain’s coming”
- “Giants, Wizards & Gnomes”
- “Shapes”
ü 18:00 : SNACKS.
ü 18:30 : Outdoor Activity: “SCAVENGER HUNT”
ü 20:00 : Free-time. (Taking a shower!)
ü 21:00 : DINNER.
ü 22:00 : After Dinner Activities
ü CHARADES.
ü KARAOKE.
ü 23:00: Going to sleep!!
DAY 2:
ü O8:30: Wake up!
ü 09:00 : BREAKFAST
ü 09:30 : OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES & SPORTS:
- American Football / Soccer.
- Relay Races answering questions.
ü 12:30 : LUNCH.
ü 14:00 : WORKSHOP: MUSIC & SONGS & Choreographies.
ü 15:00: Going to the beach:
ü RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES:
- “Blindfolded Game”
- “Props”
- “The Human Knot”
ü 16:30 : WORKSHOP: “The real story” (Part 1: Reading & Brainstorming)
ü 17:30: SNACKS
ü 18:00: “The real story” (Part 2: Sketch Preparation & Rehearsal)
ü 20:00: FREE TIME (Taking a shower)
ü 21:00: DINNER.
ü 22:00: CAMP FIRE:
- Action songs.
- TPR activities.
- SKETCHES: “The real story” Part 3 (Performance)
ü 23:30: Going to sleep!
DAY 3:
ü 08:30: Wake up!
ü 09:00 : BREAKFAST.
ü 09:30: Packing.
ü 10:00 : INDOOR ACTIVITIES:DRAMA WORKSHOP:
- Memory Game.
- “King & Queen of chairs”
- CHOREOGRAPHY PERFORMANCE
ü 12:00 : LUNCH.
ü 13:15: Visiting the town.
ü 14:00: Back to Buenos Aires.
ü ACTIVITIES ON THE BUS.
- “Camp Awards”.
- “Musical Bingo”
- Movie
ü 20:00/ 21:00: Arrival to the Institution/school..
FEATURES:
v YEAR- ROUND PROGRAM (from April to November)
v LOCATION: High quality facilities in a safe setting in the country side.
v OPEN & CLOSED GROUPS
v REGULAR LENGTH: 2- 3 -4 days
(tailor- made program according to needs)
v AGES: 8 to 18 years.
v LEVEL OF ENGLISH: Beginners – Intermediate - Advanced.
v ALL WORKSHOPS MATERIAL INCLUDED.
v CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.
SERVICES:
ü TRANSPORTATION: Fully equipped buses with conditioned air, toilet , video.
ü ACCOMMODATION: Shared rooms at Hotel
ü FULL BOARD: All meals included.
- Breakfast- Lunch- Snacks- Dinner
ü MEDICAL INSURANCES
ü GUEST TEACHERS of English from the school (1 per 10 participants).
OUR STAFF:
J Qualified and experienced native teachers from USA and United Kingdom.
J Bilingual Coordinator from GRUPAL Educational Trips
J General Coordination of the Program: GRACE BERTOLINI
- Before, during and after the trip.
- Previous work with Coordinators and teachers of English from the Schools:
- General aims of the Institution.
- Needs and interests of the groups.
- Selecting of appropriate activities according to their age and level of English.
- Meeting with participants before traveling.
- Meeting with parents.
