A summer camp to get up to speed

Speak only English for a week to advance exponentially, this is Clos Michel’s race to offer immersion camps in Normandy. For 6 months, middle and high school students have taken on the challenge of these few days without French … without a mobile phone.

The French absorb the English. This cliché goes back generations. However, even if we are not the best at understanding or expressing ourselves in Shakespeare’s language, we still present a “mean level.” EF Academic First Year English Proficiency Ranking. France ranks 34th out of a total of 111 countries where English is not an official language, according to tests carried out by the Language Training and Holidays organisation.

However, the French are the worst students in Europe, ranking 26th out of 35 countries. “What holds us back as French is that we think we have to pronounce words correctly. Here, we destroy these clichés, we have to start and denigrate learning. To have a daily conversation level,“. Here it is in the sunken colonies of Clos Michel. After years of traveling the world, this English teacher started in September at various institutions in the region. “rejoice”Camps during holidays There, for one week, French is banned in favor of 100% spoken English.

There are 3 hours of lessons in the morning. We start with commands or more standard things, and then little by little, listening or discussion exercises are put in place. We always review the grammar rules and basic points to make more simple sentences. Afternoons are more playful: board games, orienteering or molki… but always in English. Although it is difficult at first, after two or three days, the brain “switches” and it switches completely to English.

Chloe Simon is the creator of Enjoy English Immersion Camps

The concept enchanted 15-year-old Lilo, who decided to spend the first week of the Easter holidays with Chloe Michel in the Pays d’Auge. “Since I don’t have the best level of English, I wanted to try the experience. We’re in a small group, so it’s easier to ask questions, and we’re more verbal here than at school.”. After a day and a half sheWhen I am asked questions, I understand better when I do the exercises, then my vocabulary has grown.“.

Digital detox for rapid improvement

Participants are generally happy with these intensive learning stays, as progress is often rapid and unique. “This is very good because we can improve our language skills. Sometimes in school, practicing English is very complicated because we don’t have much class time and there are many people in the class. Naël, a student at Le Robillard Agricultural High School in Saint-Pierre-en-Auge, explains. Wanting to work as a maid or in commerce, she wants to fully express herself in English and participates in the course for the third time. Suffering from a language virus, he also wants to learn Spanish.

If they progress quickly, this is because they are disconnected from their mobile phones for the duration of their stay. “We create a deep bubble that no French people can fit into. On the laptop, by definition everything is in French, we speak, we discuss, we read in French. Clicking to speak and understand English won’t happen if young people have access to their personal smartphones. Chloé Michel says. However, the young trainees are not cut off from their families, they can call their parents every day through their teacher’s work phone.

At the end of the week, he says, the sense of satisfaction for both the students and the coach is immense. Although drowning is serious, young people are not “Still stutters when speaking English“. But after returning from this bracket, how to maintain the purchased volume?”The remedy is to create an atmosphere of listening and speaking. Today, there are many ways to listen, whether by ear sounds, pronunciations, sequences, or recordings through apps.” Speakers can find ways to communicate in English like this Hellotalk Or Tandem.

As for the submerged colonies, they will continue this summer from July 16 to August 4 and will be conducted within this year. Le Robillard High School in Saint-Pierre-en-Auge. On the wallet side, it costs 680 euros a week. Chloé Michel has submitted a request for “Learning Colony” approval, which would entitle families to financial assistance based on a family account.