“For me, a camp week equals seven days of fun and spontaneity”

When I studied applied linguistics at Ghent University, I became interested in NT2 and a friend told me that Roeland was still looking for activity leaders for the NT2 summer camps. I had absolutely no camp experience at all and I didn't know anyone at Roeland personally, but I signed up for the activity leader day and since then I've been teaching at one or two camps every summer.

I resolutely opt for the NT2 camps because of the specific, not always easy-going target group. There is a vast diversity and many of the children carry a lot more weight on their shoulders than you would imagine. You get to know these children well, and you also learn a thing or two about their culture.

On pins and needles

The first day, most of the children are a bit on pins and needles but on Tuesday, they’re already waiting at the gate, eager to start playing. It’s not formal teaching and they don't really notice the attention we pay to how they use the language, but you can see them blossoming while their language skills improve by the day.

I think the best part of a camp day is the play we use to introduce the activities. The teachers give it their all, the children lose themselves completely in the act and often they cannot stop laughing. Afterwards, they try to link the teachers to the characters and tell them honestly who cheated, who is in love with whom and what should happen the next day.

Language acquisition

After the play, we divide the children into groups before they join the language workshop: they play games and they participate in a variety of activities, specifically aimed at language acquisition. We select the children based on their age and/or language level, just to make them feel completely at home. Afterwards we all play a big game together, such as a relay race, a quiz, or a crafts activity.

During lunch we pass the torch to the afternoon shift. Then the children can play sports, follow circus lessons, make music… Every year they discover something different! The teachers also take the time to have a nice meal together with the children, to have a chat with them and to prepare them for the next day.

Unexpected moments

For me, a camp week equals seven days of fun and spontaneity. Every day is different, and unexpected things happen all the time. As an activity leader you learn to be creative, to think in a problem-solving way and to act independently as well as to collaborate with others, which often leads to newly kindled friendships.

I enjoy teaching NT2 camps so much that I made a career out of it. I teach Dutch to French-speaking students throughout the year, but the summer holidays are for teaching young children at a Roeland camp.

Paulien

Head of project

NT2