GENERAL

1. How long has your Institute been organising overseas summer camps?

We have been organising overseas summer camps since 1992.



2. How is Hong Kong Institute of Languages different from the other summer camps providers?

The first and most significant difference is that we are a professional language institute. Therefore our aim and primary motivation is: to offer the ultimate language study programmes.

We see our summer camps as an extension of the language services that we offer in Hong Kong. We aim to help both parents and children discover that learning a language is more than getting a good grade at school, it is about being able to communicate with others, and therefore a very unique tool to be mastered for the difference that it could make to one’s life.

We also aspire to transform each child’s attitude towards language learning, helping him/her to understand that learning a language can be enjoyable, even in a situation when you are exposed to it throughout the day. The wonder of it all is that it really works.



3. Nowadays, there seem to be so many camps available on the market. What are the main differences between your camps and those offered by other providers?

Our camps offer the widest possible choice of sports and activities, each taught by a qualified instructor . Depending on your chosen location, your child will be able to enjoy:

tennis, badminton, table-tennis, archery, fencing, golf, football, volleyball, baseball, basketball, handball, hockey, cricket, lacrosse, rounders, swimming, punting, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, water-skiing, sailing, scuba diving, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, horse-riding, rollerblading, ice-skating, martial arts, modern dance, music, drama, arts and crafts, Chinese ink painting, engraving, and more.

Our summer camps group fees are fully inclusive , and include:

• Accommodation and meals
• Language tuition and learning materials
• Sports coaching
• Recreational and cultural activities
• Excursions (including entrance fees)
• Airfares (including transfers and taxes)
• Travel insurance
• 24-hour supervision by the school staff
• Accompaniment by a HKIL member of staff

All your child will need to bring is a little pocket money to buy a souvenir!

The only fees we cannot include, are those for visas, which vary considerably from one nationality to another (please refer to our detailed information to find out whether or not your child will require a visa).



13. Who are the teachers?

The teachers are all fully qualified native speakers, trained to teach foreign students. The sports and activities are led by professional, accredited instructors.



14. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day programme of your camps in general?

Each weekday morning, your child will have a minimum of 3 hours language tuition . All children are given an assessment on their first day to ensure that they are placed in the most appropriate class.

Afternoons and evenings are devoted to sports and recreational activities, while weekends are usually spent exploring the region and famous tourist sites.



15. Could you give me a sample schedule?

Typically the children get up at around 7:00 / 7:30am. They take a shower, get ready for the day and go to breakfast. After breakfast they go to class for about 3 hours, with a short mid-morning. Most schools go to lunch between 12:00 / 12:30pm and 1:30pm (Most schools recommend you call your child during this period if necessary). From 1:45pm till about 4:30 / 5:00pm the children take part in sports and other activities. They usually take part in two different activities each day, invariably followed by snack time.

After sports and activities the children have a period of supervised free time. After free time the children have their dinner, followed by evening activities. Children usually go to bed at around 9:00pm (later for the older children), with lights off usually about half an hour later.

This is only a sample schedule; there will be some variation from school to school and from day to day. Some schools also have extra language lessons or practice in the afternoons and/or evenings.

16. How can you be sure that my child will communicate in the target language at all times ?

We are the exclusive agent for most of the camps that we offer, and are therefore in a position to fully monitor and control the number of children taking part in them at any time.

We know how many children each camp will accept in total, as well as the maximum number of children per nationality at any time. At all our camps, we guarantee the use of the target language at all times, in a truly multinational environment.

We simply limit the number of children from any given nationality taking part in our camps at one time to create an international environment.



17. A lot of people speak English nowadays, how is it possible to ensure that my child and his/her friends will speak French ?

It may seem like everyone in the world speaks English but this is far from the truth. Many children attending our French summer camps come from places where English is not so widespread. When these children spend time with children from Hong Kong , their common language is more likely to be the language that they have all come to learn and practise, i.e. French.

18. How do you ensure that children will not group together in their own ethno-linguistic groups ?

Firstly, in order to encourage the children to make use of the target language, we ensure that children of different nationalities are grouped together in one , so as to favour the use of the common language, namely that which they have come to learn, even at night.
During the daytime, children from the same linguistic group have very little opportunity to group together: in the mornings , children are grouped by age and level of ability in the language that they came to learn, i n the afternoons, they are grouped according to their age again and the sport or activity that they have chosen - tennis for example - and their level of ability in this particular field .

Teachers and activity leaders have strict instructions to speak only in the target language (unless of course if it is obvious that a child is experiencing a particular problem and the situation requires them to do otherwise). So, in reality, where your child comes from and the language that he/she speaks at home have very little bearing on his/her daily life at camp. Everything is done to favour the practice of the target language.

19. Do your camps offer the chance for my child to be in contact with local students?

Yes, some of our camps also offer the opportunity for children to mix and interact with local students , sharing meals, playing sports, or exchanging conversational practice; therefore providing the occasion for them to learn more about each other's culture and to form long-lasting friendships.



20. Would you recommend that I send my child to the same camp again or to a new place each time?

There are pros and cons on each side. Some parents tend to want to send their child to a different place every year to give them the chance to experience something new. We are not so sure that this is necessarily the wisest way to go about it. Indeed, sending your child to the same place again can be a very positive experience : your child knows the surroundings, the camp routine, the staff, and he/she will almost certainly know some of the children - as many children tend to choose to return to the same place when they find a place they like. From a child's point of view this is very reassuring and can have a very positive effect on his/her confidence as he/she feels secure going back to a place, and to people he/she already knows.



21. If my child goes back to the same camp as last year, will he/she be going on the same excursions and visiting the same places ?

This is very unlikely . All the schools are accustomed to children returning several years in a row and take this into consideration when planning their programmes.



22. What type of transport will my child use to go on the excursions ?

Your child will be driven to, and from, the excursion site by private coach, in order to provide the highest level of safety and security. The children are also supervised throughout their day-trips. Some schools allow older teens, who have been given prior parental authorisation, to do some shopping on their own, while on excursion. Though it should be noted that on some camps, such as our camps in Thames Valley , or Beijing , children may sometimes take the Underground or the taxi together with their supervisors when this is more convenient.

24. How will my child be accommodated ?

Residential accommodation is on a full-board basis and includes three balanced main meals a day. Children are usually accommodated in shared rooms of 2 to 5 beds, and are housed by age and gender on separate floors, sections, or buildings. They are supervised around the clock, and most camps have a resident camp nurse 24/7 to provide immediate medical care if needed.

As far as possible, your child will be placed with other children of a similar age group but of a different nationality, thus encouraging full linguistic immersion. All rooms are clean, bright, comfortable, and spacious. Your child will be provided with his/her own single bed, desk, chair, lamp, and clothes closet . Some rooms are en-suite with heir own shower while others share showers on the same floor.

Homestay accommodation is with carefully selected French, English, Canadian, or Chinese families. Children usually share a room with a student of the same gender and age but of a different mother tongue . Breakfast and dinner are taken at home with the family; the family usually provides a packed-lunch.



25. How will my child be supervised ?

Your child will be supervised 24 hours a day . At camp children are housed in small groups, by gender and age, and cared for by the same welfare staff during the whole of their stay. The younger your child is, the smaller the group and the greater the level of supervision and help he/she will receive . The welfare staff's duties include making sure that your child goes to bed on time, is happy and healthy, takes a shower in the morning, brushes his/her teeth, knows what to wear, understands what to do with dirty clothes, taking your child to breakfast, then to class, then to lunch, making sure he/she feeds himself/herself properly, etc.

Friendly camp counsellors are also available to provide answers to questions, assist with any problems that may arise, and supervise extra-curricular activities and excursions. Student/Counsellor ratio is very low to ensure ultimate safety beyond the classroom .

26. Will HKIL staff accompany my child for the whole duration of the camp?
All our schools offer the utmost in terms of security and supervision, so having someone from HKIL on site at all times with the children is certainly not a necessity.

However, at the parents' request, we do organise some groups with a member of our staff staying with the children while at camp (Note: we need a minimum of 10 participants to form a group and send a member of our staff to stay with the group at the camp).

Though our staff will be present at the camp, our students will not remain in the same group all the time and your child will be encouraged to integrate with the rest of the camp and interact with the other children from all over the world.



27. What kind of food will my child be eating?

If you choose the residential option, your child will be provided with three balanced, nutritious main meals a day (a choice of cereals, toasts, etc. for breakfast, and a choice of starters, main dishes, and desserts at lunch and dinner).

Food will of course differ according to which country your child is going to, but you can rest assured that it will be healthy and include the type of wholesome food that you would want your child to eat: cereals, meat, fish, vegetables, rice, bread, fruits, etc., with the occasional old time favourites such as spaghetti and French fries. Each school also caters for special dietary requirements.



28. How can I be sure that my child will eat properly?

Yes your child will be able to call you and you will be able to call your child, and all the related information will be provided to you prior to your child’s departure. You should however bear in mind that we do not recommend that your child call you or that you call him/her too often. Once we have established that first contact upon arrival to reassure you that your child is safe, then we leave it to each child to call his/her family as and when he/she likes.

 From experience, we know