Camp d'été en français at UTM
It may look like fun and games, but for students in U of T Mississauga’s Language Studies program, summer camp is a serious step towards the future. In a few short weeks, UTM will host its third batch of campers enrolled in UTM’s French Summer Camp, which offers a learning experience for campers and counsellors alike.
Now in its third summer, the Camp U of T program has grown to four week-long camp sessions, offering an immersive French language experience to campers between eight and 13 years of age. The 160 campers enrolled in the program display a wide range of French abilities, from children with limited exposure to the language to French immersion students and born francophones.
They come together to learn about French language and culture in a summer camp environment, so it’s no surprise that learning through play is a big part of the camp’s program. A typical day might find campers playing the popular French card game, “Les Loups-Garous” (“Werewolves”) or “Le Cadavre Exquis,” a collaborative art game popularized by French surrealist artists like Marcel Duchamp. A different day, the group might explore French contributions to astronomy while making a space alien from craft supplies and listening to Belgian pop music.
“It looks like play, but there is a structure,” says camp director Rosa Hong, assistant professor with UTM’s Language Studies department. “It’s so natural for the children to have fun in French that they forget they are learning.”
As one of UTM's Experiential Education outreach programs, the French summer camp is a learning experience for the counsellors, too. The camp is staffed by students enrolled in UTM’s Language Studies department and who plan to become teachers. The counsellors participate in two weeks of extensive training before campers arrive to learn about leadership, public speaking and how to handle everyday situations with young campers. Regular group and individual feedback sessions continue throughout the camp season.
“I learn so much from my peers, who are in the same program,” she adds. “We all come together to create lesson plans. When we put the plans into play, we can see how they work and how we might adapt for new groups of campers. It’s very relevant, and just like being in a classroom.”
“Our counsellors are very proficient with the language, but camp offers a new context for them,” Hong says. “How do you deal with a child who is unhappy because they didn’t get the sticker they wanted? This is the situation they will be in when they’re in the classroom. This experience teaches them how to interact with their students in every situation,” Hong says. “They sharpen their skills and language abilities, and also develop on a social level.”
Hong says it’s exciting to watch the personal growth of the program’s student leaders. “This experience helps them understand the importance of learning outcomes and goals. They get to implement what they learn in the classroom and put it into practice every day,” she says. “They will use this experience in their future careers. It’s the best learning opportunity I can imagine.”