Under the motto “The future, your choices: Make ´em count!” (The future, your decisions: make them count!) The English Winter Camps 2024 is taking place, an event that aims to immerse students in the English language to improve their oral communication skills and promote well-being socio-emotional and self-esteem through dynamic and motivating activities.
From June 24 to 28, nearly 100 boys, girls and young people from 5th grade to 4th grade from municipal schools, subsidized individuals and the Local Public Education Service (SLEP) of the region are participating in the two venues. enabled: at the Liceo Bicentenario de Viña del Mar for students from I to IV middle school and at the Instituto Bicentenario Javiera Carrera Verdugo de San Antonio for boys and girls from 5th to 8th grade.
“Today we are at the Liceo Bicentenario de Viña del Mar accompanying students from different communes in the region who have decided, during these winter holidays, to be able to update their knowledge of English and strengthen their skills in this second language. There are many students who, by their own decision, participate in this different, innovative educational instance, because they are outside the classroom and in a more recreational context,” commented the Seremi(s) of Education, María Alejandra Torres, during a tour of the Viñamarino establishment.
Margarita Contreras, instructor of the English Winter Camps in Viña del Mar, adds that “the students have been very motivated despite the cold, they have developed extremely well, they have done the activities with great enthusiasm, and little by little they have been occupying more of the English, they have been communicating with each other and especially with the facilitators who help them. I have been participating since 2016 as a facilitator, and this year as a monitor, and I really find that this initiative is very good, especially because of the number of students who register and who come on vacation to these camps to practice the language now. meet other people from all over the region.”
Constanza Valdivia, a third-year student at the Nuestra Señora de la Paz High School in Viña del Mar, and who is participating for the second time in this camp, said that it has been “a very nice, very pleasant experience, I have been able to meet many people and that It motivated me to return; I love that they do these meetings, especially in English, because that way we can practice more for our future, that’s what I like the most. I think the camps are very useful, because clearly we talk more, here we can express ourselves in other ways, talk about other things in English and that makes us be a little freer than usual.”
Amanda Belmar, a second-year student at the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes School in Quilpué, agrees, and comments that “it is a wonderful experience, I absolutely love it, and this is the first time I have come; I wanted to improve my English skills, but in a more playful way, not like a boring class. This experience is very satisfying, I met many very nice people, all with the same desire to learn and also practice English in a much more immersive environment. If I could I would always come back.”
The English Winter Camps, a free activity for participants – 1,485 nationwide – also consider food (breakfast, lunch and snack) during the 5 days of the camp and school accident insurance coverage for that period.
