NEW Junior language courses after school – starting Jan 2015

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Let’s inspire the next generation of language learners!

In response to demand, Cactus is excited to launch new language courses for children in January 2015.

Available in 3 prime locations across London – Clapham, Fulham and Islington – these courses give students aged 7-15 the chance to develop their language skills after school in small, interactive groups.

Languages: French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese
Level: Beginner and elementary
Start date: w/c 12th January 2015
Duration: 10 weeks, excluding half term

Why should your child learn a second language?

The reasons are plentiful!

  • Children soak up languages quickly and easily, developing a natural pronunciation and understanding sentence structure early on
  • Languages provide a fun means to discover other countries and cultures
  • At this age they can enjoy learning through games, songs and other age-appropriate activities
  • Introducing a second or third language while they are young will give them valuable skills for life
  • Language skills are increasingly valued in today’s competitive job market
  • Children who speak more than one language are proven to have enhanced cognitive abilities, better problem-solving and decision-making abilities, and improved results in maths and English
  • The ability to speak another language gives confidence and feels good

Our teachers

With our 15 years of experience teaching languages, Cactus knows that a good teacher can make all the difference, and it’s especially important with children to engage them from the start. This is why we have carefully chosen teachers who have experience teaching languages to children for our junior courses in London – teachers with warm personalities who know how to relate to children and who we know will make classes fun, friendly and inspiring.

Please visit our website for full details and booking of our Junior after-school classes.

* BOOK BY 21ST DECEMBER AND YOU WILL RECEIVE 15% OFF COURSE FEES *

 

Junior programs in New York: NEW activities for 2014

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Summer junior courses in 2013 at Brooklyn School of Languages were a huge success and 2014 sees the arrival of an even more exciting range of activities for our young students.

Taking place in the vibrant neighbourhood of Brooklyn, just a stone’s throw from Manhattan, these courses are aimed at students aged 14 to 17 wishing to improve their English with others of the same age during the summer vacation. Taking the form of a summer camp, this is an immersion program that includes general English lessons, ‘creative arts’ workshops, full board accommodation in host families and a full program of activities and excursions – all within a safe and supervised environment.

The new activities for 2014 take place as 3-hour workshops on two afternoons a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a great chance for students to practice an activity they love or try their hand at something new. The perfect complement to the morning language classes, they are also an opportunity to mix with other students and practice English in a relaxed atmosphere, encouraging spontaneous conversation and new friendships.

Our choice of activities for 2014:

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• Art: bead-making (image 1, above), mosaics, glass-blowing, collage exploration, printmaking, drawing and watercolor painting (image 2, below). These and the majority of art skills are taught by two Brooklyn-based art centers, ‘Private Picassos’ and ‘Urban Glass’, specialists in teaching to both young and adult students.

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• Dance: zumba, salsa, jazz and hip hop (image 3, below), contemporary, Afro-Haitian and Brazilian-Samba fusion. For students who love music and dance, this elective is perfect. Dance is a great way to improve fitness and body awareness in a fun and modern environment, and students are lucky to be able to practice all variations under the expert guidance of one of the world’s leading dance companies, the Brooklyn-based Mark Morris Dance Group.

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• Acting: as a way to improve the language, there are few activities better than acting. Theater games, improvisation, monologues and plays – all of these strengthen the young actor emotionally and linguistically, by enhancing collaboration, communication skills, ingenuity, listening, focus, compassion, self-reliance and above all, confidence.

• Digital Photography: this workshop teaches students the wonderful art of visual story-telling. They will learn how to make the most of their camera’s manual functions and record their trip to New York with photos they had only dreamed of. The tutor is award-winning freelance journalist Johnathon Henninger.

For more information on these activities as well as all other aspects of the junior program, including prices, a photo gallery and general FAQs, please visit the Brooklyn School of Languages website.

For further advice and information feel free to contact us on info@brooklynschooloflanguages.com or telephone +1 347 763 6905.

We look forward to making 2014 a fun, educational and memorable summer vacation for young students from across the globe.

The Brooklyn School of Languages runs year-round adult English courses, a junior summer school and evening and part-time foreign language courses.

Junior sports camps in the UK

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A language and sports camp is a unique and ingenious concept to encourage children to combine their love of sport with learning English. As far as ‘educational’ holidays go, this one’s a winner if you have a sports-mad teen in your house and long summer holidays ahead.

In the UK the specialist sport is football, which is entirely appropriate given that it is a national sport and passion here. The UK boasts one of the most popular and wealthy sports leagues in the world – its football Premier League – as well as some of the world’s most famous football clubs. It is in conjunction with two of these, Manchester City and Liverpool FC, that Cactus offers specialist summer sports camps, where students aged 12-17 years receive English language classes in the morning and football training in the afternoon, in addition to a range of fun social and cultural activities. All of this takes place in a fully supervised and secure environment, to ensure the health and wellbeing of students while they are away from home.

The great thing is that these programmes attract students from all over the world, so there is a true mix of nationalities and abilities, with teens often making life-long friends on these camps. It is a sure-fire recipe for success both in the classroom and on the football field!

Manchester

The Manchester English & Football Summer Camp is available with host family accommodation, residential accommodation, or as a day camp only. It runs from Monday 1st July to Friday 9th August and can be booked from one week upwards.

Girls and boys are both welcome on this course, as long as they are neither complete beginners nor international standard players. The FA qualified football coaching takes place on four afternoons each week at the state-of-the-art Platt Lane Complex, one of Manchester City’s training grounds and home to The Youth Academy for young Manchester City players. Students learn key football skills such as dribbling, turning, shooting, passing, teamwork and ball control, and play 5-a-side and 11-a-side games.

The programme includes:

  • 15 English language classes per week
  • 8 hours of FA qualified football coaching
  • Accommodation if chosen, in a host family or residence
  • A full excursion programme

Liverpool

The Liverpool English & Football Course is offered with accommodation in a secure, supervised hotel near to the school and Liverpool city centre. It runs from Monday 1st July until the end of August and can be booked from two weeks upwards.

Participants must have an elementary level of English but can be complete beginners in football, making it ideal for teenagers that are mad about football as well as those who just want to learn more about it. Coaching takes place for three hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and is given by coaches who have produced the like of Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. Students learning football under their guidance will learn about Liverpool FC’s spirit of fair play, their commitment to attractive football, the sporting achievements and traditions of this historical club and the pride that comes with wearing the famous red jersey.

The programme includes:

  • 15 English language classes per week
  • General English & football vocabulary, including the history & culture of Liverpool FC (to help students get the most out of their coaching sessions)
  • 9 hours of football coaching by coaches trained by Liverpool FC Academy
  • A look at the history, culture & traditions of Liverpool FC
  • Excursion to Anfield, tour of stadium, visit to museum, LFC rucksack & other goodies
  • Full board accommodation in a secure, central hotel

These junior football programmes are a perfect example of how learning a language is best done doing something you love. Surrounded by English, your child will learn as much on the football pitch as he or she does in the classroom, communicating with locals and other students of the same age in a safe and friendly environment. Most importantly, they will come back refreshed and confident in the language, energised after their sports training and armed with a long list of friends to visit around the world!

Please visit our website for full details and prices for each course: Manchester (host family), Manchester (residence), Manchester (day camp), Liverpool (hotel).

Cactus specialises in organising language courses for individuals and groups, having done so since 1999 for clients all over the globe and for diverse needs and budgets. Our expertise in the field of face-to-face tuition is second-to-none. With an extensive network of approved teachers and a strong in-house academic team, we are able to tailor a language course to suit your specific learning needs, anywhere in the world and whenever is convenient to you.

We offer language courses for Under 18s in many languages and locations across the world.

Junior Holiday Camps in the UK

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Any parent with children of school age will be familiar with the task of keeping them entertained during the school holidays, no more so than during the long summer break. To find something social, active and educational is ideal – and that is exactly what a junior language holiday, or camp, in the UK offers.

Taking place during the summer holidays, a junior language holiday gives under 18s:

• A unique opportunity to learn English where it is spoken

• The chance to mix with others of the same age in a safe, fun & international environment

• Quality English language tuition in small group classes – leading to a natural increase in fluency & confidence

• A varied & exciting activities programme – the perfect way to try new skills & make new friends

• Safe & comfortable accommodation – with local host families or in residences

• Full in-country support & on-site supervision – meaning that youngsters feel secure & parents can rest assured their children are in good hands

• Motivation on returning home to keep up the language they have learnt and achieve better grades – whether at school or applying for a British university.

UK Locations

The UK is a popular destination for a junior English holiday as it offers a fascinating variety of cultures, landscapes and traditions. With this in mind, Cactus offers a range of programmes in both England and Scotland to suit different tastes and budgets, for children aged 8 -18 years.

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London Camps

• Camden

• Kingston

• Regents Park

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Seaside Camps

• Brighton

• Southampton

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University City Camps

• Cambridge

• Oxford

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Real England Camps

• Cheltenham

• Nottingham

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Scottish Camps:

• Edinburgh

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Football Camps:

• Manchester

• Liverpool

Special English & Football Courses

Worth a special mention, Cactus’ English and Football courses in Manchester (15–18 years) and Liverpool (12-17 years) are a must for any sports-mad teen. An absolutely brilliant way for your child to combine his or her love of football with an English language holiday, these football summer camps offer young sports enthusiasts the chance to improve their English whilst receiving FA qualified football coaching in partnership with two of the country’s premier clubs – Manchester City or Liverpool FC. A sure-fire recipe for success both in the classroom and on the football field!

Safety & Welfare of Students

Most parents sending their children away will have understandable concerns about their safety and welfare. However all junior programmes are fully supervised to ensure not just the security of the youngsters but also their general wellbeing whilst they are away from home. All programmes offer excellent staff/student ratios, emergency contact numbers for students and parents, and on-site medical support. On top of this, supervisors and staff are friendly and approachable, with many years’ experience in dealing with younger students; they maintain a close eye on students at all times and provide support should a student be missing home or have any concerns. All of this ensures that students derive maximum benefit and enjoyment from their stay.

Support from Cactus

Having visited and vetted all the locations and schools that we work with, parents who are unsure where best to send their children can call to discuss their wishes with one of our multi-lingual advisors, and at the same time benefit from in-house academic support. Knowing that you can always call about any aspect of your child’s trip and speak to an experienced member of staff is a valuable benefit – especially when for many this might be their first time away from home alone.

Whichever junior language holiday you choose, you can be sure that your child will do much more than just sit in a classroom learning verbs. Every summer camp offers something different, but they all have these key benefits in common: they offer your child the unique chance to improve their English in a safe and friendly environment, try their hand at fun new skills, socialise with others of their age from all over the world and, most importantly, come back refreshed and confident in the language. A summer holiday well spent, for sure.

Please refer to our website for a full list of English junior holidays, prices and further information.

Cactus specialises in organising language courses for individuals and groups, having done so since 1999 for clients all over the globe and for diverse needs and budgets. Our expertise in the field of face-to-face tuition is second-to-none. With an extensive network of approved teachers and a strong in-house academic team, we are able to tailor a language course to suit your specific learning needs, anywhere in the world and whenever is convenient to you.

We offer language courses for Under 18s in many languages and locations across the world.

Junior programs in the US

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The long summer vacation offers a wonderful opportunity for teens to do something worthwhile, and there are few who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to spend a few weeks on East or West Coast USA. Thanks to Cactus’ summer camps in the US, a fun-packed yet educational trip to the bright lights of New York or the sunshine coast of California could be just the answer.

Geared towards students aged 12-18 years, these programs have been specially designed to combine full-immersion English language tuition with a variety of creative workshops and cultural activities – all with others of the same age and in a truly international environment.

Currently available in New York (Brooklyn), Harvard, Yale and Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania / Penn), students can enjoy a secure and supervised environment in which to improve their English, take part in a range of fun activities and excursions, gain confidence inside and outside the classroom, and come back with friends for life.

Each setting, while delivering the same core benefits, offers something different for our younger learners. There is no denying the prestige and history of institutions like Yale, Harvard and Penn, all of which enjoy a global reputation for academic excellence. With ‘open town’ campuses and on-site residential accommodation, these locations are ideal for independent, mature learners. Students attending these camps also enjoy a superb choice of afternoon activities, ranging from the excellent ‘Skills for Life’ workshops and SAT Preparation sessions at Penn and Yale to an impressive list of sporting and social events at Harvard.

The set-up in Brooklyn differs in that it offers much more of a neighborhood, local feel. Classes take place in small groups in a small, private co-educational college and students are housed with safe and comfortable host families close to the school. But it’s the afternoon workshops that really encourage a community feel: all run by local Brooklyn-based providers, students here can try their hand at superb activities ranging from creative writing and drawing to tap dance and trapeze, to say nothing of numerous afternoon and evening excursions in which to practice the language in a relaxed environment and make friends. A nice touch to then round off the week is Friday assembly, in which students get together to perform and exhibit their work to each other, be this in the form of role plays, language learning games or art work.

It’s clear to see that a summer camp is way more than just sitting at a desk learning verbs; it is a unique chance for teenagers to learn, socialise and try their hand at a whole range of fun activities and useful skills – invariably returning refreshed and inspired, with a long list of new friends to visit in far flung places!

Junior Locations in the US – At a Glance

Brooklyn

• Junior summer course with host family, 14-18 years

• Also available as a day camp only

• College located in the heart of Brooklyn & all host families local

• 15 English lessons x 45 mins each week (class size 10 max)

• Homely, neighborhood feel with excellent creative workshops run by local providers

Harvard

• Junior summer residential course, 14-17 years

• Single or twin rooms with shared bathroom

• Campus 2 km from downtown Boston and walking distance to Cambridge

• 20 English lessons x 50 mins each week (class size 15 max)

• Minimum 11 activities per week, including 2 half days and 1 full-day excursion

Yale

• Junior summer residential course, 13-17 years

• Campus 10 minutes’ walk from downtown New Haven

• Single or twin rooms with shared bathroom

• 20 English lessons x 50 mins each week (class size 15 max)

• Students can choose between 5 ‘Skills for Life’ workshops or 5 SAT Preparation sessions

• Ideal for more ambitious, mature learners

Penn

• Junior summer residential course, 12-17 years

• Campus 20 minutes by trolley or bus from midtown Philadelphia

• Single or twin rooms with shared bathroom

• 20 English lessons x 50 mins each week (class size 15 max)

• Students can choose between 5 ‘Skills for Life’ workshops or 5 SAT Preparation sessions

• Ideal for more ambitious, mature learners

Cactus specialises in organising language courses for individuals and groups, having done so since 1999 for clients all over the globe and for diverse needs and budgets. Our expertise in the field of face-to-face tuition is second-to-none. With an extensive network of approved teachers and a strong in-house academic team, we are able to tailor a language course to suit your specific learning needs, anywhere in the world and whenever is convenient to you.

We offer language courses for Under 18s in many languages and locations across the world.