Language camp is mandatory for all CBYX students who come to Germany through ASSE, the organization in charge of the students from the North and West parts of the US. The 50 ASSE students, from everywhere between California and North Dakota, met in Washington DC for a few days before leaving for Frankfurt. At the airport we split up, depending on where our permanent host families lived.
My language camp was in Aachen, and had around 20 students. We took classes Monday through Friday for three weeks; meeting in a youth hostile on the outskirts of town. We spent all day there, from 9:30 to 3:30. Imagine an entire school day in which you only take one class. We stayed in the same seats and learned an endless stream of lessons, stopping occasionally for three-minute breaks and for lunch at 12:15. So yes, I did find language camp mildly boring. However, we did learn a great deal. Those of us in the beginner half of camp (one class was beginner, one was advanced) got to learning the past tense by the end of three weeks, which -for perspective- might take an entire year in a high school language course. We learned conversational tools that will be imperative when we start actually communicating, and even got lists of school-based words translated. We each brought in lists of vocabulary that we thought we would need in school, then set to translating them all to German and writing them down. I now have around 10 pages of words that will be useful to me in classes like Math, Science, and even Music.
Thankfully, we didn't have the same German classes every day. We did get to visit Aachen, have a breakfast outside and meet with our area representative, and visit the zoo (as previously mentioned). Although these field trips weren't every day, they were a nice break when they did happen.
One of the main benefits of language camp, from my point of view, is the sanity it provides. You get to spend three wees with other English-speaking students who are having the same problems you are. We discovered differences in culture and language at the same time, and were able to discuss them rather than simply dealing with them on our own. We were supported socially and mentally through the most challenging part of our stay; the move from one country to another; one family to another. For that, I am hugely thankful. Language camp is over now, and we've all said goodbye and went our separate ways. We're now all in our permanent host families, preparing to go to school in different towns and villages. However, we all know how to get in touch with each other, and can at any time speak with other American students when we need support.. or just someone to talk to.
So that's language camp. It's completely different from what I suspected, but great all the same... Although I don't think I'd ever ask to do classes like that again.
German word of the day: Umweltverschmutzung. Literally: 'The dirtying up of the World' or Pollution
Monkeys. Perfect sanity preserver.
My fellow campers enjoying being outside for a change
The view from my chair. Good times in the beginner room.
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