“Roeland gave my self-confidence an enormous boost”
“The three previous years I joined an English camp in Sutton”, says Matteo Filibert (age 17). “I made friends there, I connect with the volunteers, I love the location and local culture. And the cherry on top is the fact that I gained the self-confidence to talk to people I do not know, and I have Roeland to thank for it.”
“I suffer from dysgraphia”, says Matteo with resolve. “It means I encounter difficulties when it comes to speaking or writing a language. To fortify my linguistic capabilities and to boost my self-confidence, my parents decided to sign me up for an English language camp with Roeland. I admit I was thrilled when I found out.”
“The first two English camps were right here, in Belgium. Because of covid-19 we were not allowed to travel abroad. But last summer I finally had the chance to go to Sutton. I thoroughly enjoyed the location, the culture and nature over there. I find the British accent quite funny. And I will always remember that field trip to London.”
Self-confidence and daring to speak
“As a child, speaking Dutch never came easy to me. My mom pointed timely in the direction of a confidence issue. I knew all the words and I could pour these words into sentences, but a lack of confidence hampered my ability to speak fluently. Partaking in a language camp with Roeland taught me that making mistakes is not wrong, that it is an inherent part of a learning curve. Nowadays, I even dare to converse with complete strangers in Dutch, French or English.”
“Going to Roeland camps advanced me in school as well. From my first year of secondary school, I remember being extremely nervous while waiting for my name to be called, in order to give a presentation. My hands shook incessantly while talking in front of people. Nowadays, circumstances like that cause me significantly less stress. Sometimes I even look forward to talk in front of the class, for instance about a subject that interests me.”
“Roeland does not require lots of presentations from us. But sometimes we get an assignment that requires research we have to present to the group. It is really more the one-on-one communication with the teachers and the other students that gave my self-confidence an enormous boost.”
“The English camps in Sutton are not about language workshops with classic grammar or vocabulary lessons. We learn how to become confident while speaking in a foreign language. That did not go very well at first. But now I really enjoy addressing local people to obtain more inside information.”
Camp spirit
“Last summer, a preposition we had to discuss was presented to the workshop group I was in. We were debating about world leaders and the office of power they held. We chose that particular topic because our group was interested in world politics and the prosperity of humankind.”
“Personally, the horror walk organised by the teachers this one evening was one of my greatest camp moments. I do not scare easily, but I walked the tour with two friends who freaked out when they saw the animation. I could not stop laughing. And the ball was also really fun. I am not much of a dancer, but the perfect blend of atmosphere, location and friends present turned the event into a night to remember.”
A recommended experience
“The Roeland camp experience is definitely worth the while. You learn a surprising amount of knowledge on the spot. Language is not just about grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, but it is also about a basic principle: dare to speak to and in front of other people. Practice instils confidence and boosts your skills to a higher level.”
“And primarily: at a Roeland camp you can have a wonderful time and you will make a bunch of new friends. It is an advantage Roeland has, definitely something worth emphasizing more often.”
