“If my parents don’t stop me, my summer holidays would be packed with Roeland camps”, says Cara Van Lijsebetten (age: 16, photo: black sweater). In 2014, at the age of 9, she experienced her first language vacation in Poix- Saint-Hubert. Now she has 24 language camps on her résumé, in Belgium, France, and England.
Cara Van Lijsebetten studies modern languages and mathematics. “My choice was partly determined by my experiences at Roeland. Next year, I want to go to law school. My teachers advised me to follow these courses in two languages: Dutch and French.”
Where did you hear about Roeland?
“My dad also attended many language camps when he was a child. And my mom graduated as a French-German interpreter, so multilingualism runs in the family. When I was 9 years old, my mom was on the lookout for a language camp organization. After hearing a lot of positive things about Roeland, she signed me up for a French language vacation.”
“Why do I have to go to a language camp, I wondered. But from the first day I felt right at home. You have fun, and after a while you forget that you are expressing yourself in a foreign language.”
You attended camps in both French and English. Was that a deliberate choice?
“When I was at a French language camp at the age of 12, my parents signed me up for an English camp the week after. I did shed a tear and I was a little panicky at first, because I never spoke a single word in English before.”
“At first, I felt somewhat ill at ease, but the teachers immediately put my mind to rest. Just join the activities, and if you do not manage to say what you want you can still communicate with gestures. And the teachers always help you out.”
“For example, I had no idea how to ask to go to the toilet. The teachers had taught us how to use signs and gestures. It sounds ridiculous and sometimes the situation became a bit hilarious, but it’s actually great fun.”
Were your school results influenced by your Roeland experience?
"For sure. At school you memorize a lot of words and definitions, and grammar is simply hammered in. Language camps focus on daring to speak a foreign language. You quickly learn that making mistakes is okay, which helped me a great deal. The teachers notice that I am doing the best I can, and that I speak French and English quite fluently.”
“You get very actively involved with your language of choice at a Roeland camp. You play games, follow workshops, go on field trips… and in the meantime, you learn a new language without even thinking about it. A Roeland camp never feels like school.”
What is your best language camp experience so far?
“Not only did I learn foreign languages ??at camp, but it also enriched me as a person. There is no prejudice: everyone wants to attain the same goal, so you can really be yourself. And I am incredibly grateful to Roeland for all of that. I met some of my best friends at a Roeland language camp.”
