The benefits of sending your child to summer school

Have you considered sending your child to summer school? Enabling your children to learn or improve their English skills by studying abroad is one of the easiest ways to boost both your children’s future career prospects and their wider personal development.

Learning English is a great advantage in itself, but the cultural experiences of visiting England and making new friends are just as important reasons for choosing a summer school. The positive effects of learning another language are well-documented, but the benefit to your child is hugely increased by them studying in England. If you’re in any doubt about sending your children to summer school, just have a look at some of the great reasons why you should below.

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Help your child stand out when applying for higher education

Language skills are always highly-regarded by admissions tutors in all subjects. So, whether your child would like to become a doctor, teacher or astronaut, learning English at summer school will add another string to their bow.

With competition for places at the best universities increasing by the year, choosing to learn a language in your spare time shows:

• real commitment

• an ability to apply yourself

 These two attributes could really help your child to stand out from the crowd.

The increased confidence your child will build by learning a new language will also help them to sail through any admission interviews, and help them to combat any nerves so they can really shine.

Let your child experience life in another country

The best way for your child to learn a language is to immerse him or herself totally in the country. When you’re interacting with English people on a daily basis, reading signs, ordering food and having other conversations with locals, you cannot avoid picking up the language. This also means that your child will be able to speak English like a native, and not just the more rigid language taught from a text book in school.

You may not have time to provide this opportunity to your children yourself, which is where an organised summer school comes in. You can give your child all the benefits of a structured programme of study, together with the wider experience to be gained from learning a language in its home country. This immersion in the country and culture, combined with a formal course of learning, is the most effective way for your children to pick up a new language.

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SKOLA English Summer Schools offer a range of courses for all ages and abilities. Everything can be organised for your child, from accommodation to door-to-door minibus pick-ups and airport transfers. There really is an option to suit everyone. Most of the courses also include cultural days out to museums, art galleries and other sites of historical interest, which means that your child will learn far more than just English.

Boost your child’s employability

We live in a global economy where business is truly international. Candidates with language skills are increasingly sought-after and English is widely considered to be the language of business. If there are two applicants with similar academic backgrounds applying for a job, additional language skills could make the difference between your child getting the job and missing out.

The resultant increase in confidence that comes from travelling and learning another language will help at the interview stage. Your child is more likely to stand out as a well-rounded, engaging individual as they will be able to chat about their travel experiences and any challenges that they overcame.

The language and wider life skills that your child can pick up at summer school will also increase their promotion prospects as they progress in their chosen career. They could also work abroad, should they choose to do so. Language skills really do open many doors in the world of employment.

Improve your child’s own native language skills

Research has proven that learning another language actually increases your understanding of your own native tongue and improves your general reading skills. Students:

• develop better vocabularies

• attain a higher level of literacy by learning a foreign language

• have an increased understanding of the structure of a language

• enjoy a greater knowledge of the basic building blocks, like sentence structure and use of different tenses

• Develop your child’s life skills

Learning a new language can provide the following amazing benefits to your son or daughter:

Markedly improved communication skills

Communication skills are of paramount importance for your child’s personal and professional life. Learning and conversing in a new language naturally increases your child’s confidence. Attending summer school in another country is also a massive confidence-booster and will give your child lots of practice at communicating with different people in a second language.

The experience gained at summer school will also help your child to stand out in interviews for higher education and work. It will be obvious to an employer that your child is comfortable in communicating with a wide range of people. This is quite a rare attribute for young people to possess, so it will really help your child to stand out from the crowd.

Increased ability to adapt and deal with new situations

This is a skill which is greatly appreciated by employers. A period of studying abroad will give your child the opportunity to develop this skill, which will be of benefit to them throughout their entire life. Experiencing new cultures and learning to cope with unknown situations is character-building, and also a great confidence-booster for your child.

Improved reasoning and problem-solving skills

These are two more important attributes that can really help your child to stand out from the crowd. Learning another language and travelling abroad will challenge your child and enable them to develop their ability to solve problems.

Increased cognitive development

Learning a new language has been shown to increase cognitive development, it’s like exercise for your brain. This means that the benefits of attending summer school are more far-reaching than just picking up a new language, and can help your child’s educational achievements as a whole.

Increased creativity

This is yet another benefit to be gained from learning another language. Your child’s brain becomes more agile and creative.

Encourage your child to appreciate culture on a global scale

The best way to enjoy literature, films and music is in the native tongue of the original author or artist. A translation or dubbing is simply not the same. And there are many elements of language that simply cannot be translated literally. Sending your child to summer school will help them to discover and appreciate new cultures all over the world. As well as learning a new language, this will enrich their whole lives.

Learning about a culture different from your own also enables you to look at your own culture with a different perspective. This will help your child to develop critical thought processes and question things that they’d assumed were universal. This critical thinking is much sought-after by employers and also admissions tutors as it shows maturity and depth.

See your child become a seasoned traveller

We all know that it’s possible to travel anywhere these days without speaking the native tongue. However, this can be frustrating and, at worst, dangerous and intimidating. If your child speaks the native language, their experience will be more rewarding as they’ll be able to:

• order food and drink

• understand directions

• seek help if necessary

• use public transport

• interact with locals

• enjoy some bartering so they can bring home souvenirs

A chance for your child to make life-long friends

Studying a foreign language abroad means that your child will meet a variety of new people, and can build a global network of friends. This will invariably lead to lots of new opportunities for holidays, and even jobs. SKOLA summer schools are attended by children from as many as 40 different countries, so there’s ample opportunity for your child to make friends from all over the world.

Widen your child’s understanding

Studying a language in its native country will really allow your child to fully appreciate the language’s culture and context. This in turn will increase your child’s empathy and means that cultural misunderstandings can be avoided. This is a skill that will be appreciated by future employers and friends alike and helps your child to develop into a well-rounded individual.

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Also check out our other posts: English this summer and tips for improving English.