Summer study programs offer students a way to learn English while exploring the sights and culture of the local area. Most programs last two or three weeks and include language classes in the morning with activities and excursions in the afternoon and on weekends.
One teaching approach helps students enhance classroom learning through the activities themselves. For example, if students are planning a trip to the zoo , they first study vocabulary relating to animals, play games and sing songs relating to wildlife. The day after the zoo trip , students describe what they saw and what they liked. They use the Internet to send "cyber postcards" about endangered species to their fellow classmates. An Internet game also is available to match animals to their paw prints.
Students may learn about sports through video clips, by attending games, or actually playing the sport. They can learn how to call plays, how to cheer and taunt – "hey batter, batter"! Lessons can include exercises on how to rent equipment ( how much, how many, how long ? ) .
Shopping is another favorite activity for many students. This is a perfect time to learn practical English communication. A shopper always needs to know how to express their needs and gain information about prices. Students at the American Language Institute at San Diego State University visit a local shopping center, pick their favorite store and products, then make posters in class to present their products at a simulated "trade fair", students then walk around to different displays and "shop", practicing their newly acquired vocabulary.
Video cameras will be used to record students in action, according to ESL instructor Denise Baldini, "After making a video at the beginning of a lesson, students will have a chance to improve on their performance and make another video to monitor their progress," she said.
"At the end students will create a journal that reflects the lessons and activities," noted Paul Swindells, an ESL teacher, adding "It will serve as a kind of memory book."
After a summer program like this, it’s likely students will have many fond memories to capture.
