14 best winter courses in London

• International students, including Russians and citizens of the CIS countries, get the opportunity to celebrate the New Year, Christmas days and Christmas Eve together with European comrades - such holidays are sure to be a bright experience that will be remembered for a long time. Well, the new friendship will certainly turn out to be strong and will stand the test of time and distance.
• Winter holidays in London are a great opportunity to explore the sights of the world capital of business, fashion and science at an unusual time outside the high tourist season.
• Winter is the perfect time to enjoy sports such as skiing, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating and tobogganing, all of which offer amazing adventures and will appeal to those who enjoy the outdoors.
• Learning a foreign language at a winter camp and school is a great opportunity for students who have plans to enroll in one of the British international schools. Many camps operate on the basis of prestigious English boarding houses, others cooperate with them. Studying in this format is also an opportunity to adapt to a new environment, a kind of "inoculation of independence", a check of readiness for a long trip.

As a rule, winter training centers are "sharpened" for a specific age, corresponding to the age group with which the school usually works. Usually these are children from 6 to 18 years old, but there are exceptions - centers where they work with high school students or, vice versa, specialize in working with younger - up to 11-12 years old - classes. Each age group is offered a separate course, which is adapted to the basic level of the student.

When choosing a program, it is important to focus not only on the age and knowledge of the child, his academic abilities, but also on interests, hobbies, character. Remember, the rating of the center or ranking in the prestigious Top 50 or Top 100 lists is not so important! No, of course, they also matter, but it is much more important whether the child will like his vacation, what impressions he wants to get.

On the first day, children take special tests designed to determine the level of knowledge of the chosen foreign language (the choice here is also quite wide and is not limited to English). Based on the results obtained, the admissions committee distributes in such a way that students with more or less the same level of knowledge are in the same group.

In winter, as well as at any other time of the year, professional teachers with significant teaching experience work with children and teenagers, constantly improving their skills and competencies (and often also taking part in the development of new authoritative and popular educational programs). The academic process uses both proven traditional methods and tools, as well as technical innovations, interactive teaching aids, a game method and an individual approach to each child.

The intensity of a regular course is 16-20 hours of academic classes weekly, 3-5 hours a day (there are both more intensive courses addressed to those who intend to achieve maximum success in a short time, and vice versa). Classes are held from Monday to Friday, while weekends are freed up for excursions or recreational activities, both on and off campus or school.

In addition to excursions, outdoor sports and entertainment, the camps offer a varied program of electives: it can be, for example, dancing or theater, a cooking class (what could be better than spending an evening watching a movie, eating your own sculpted and fried pizza!), singing, playing a variety of musical instruments, photography or shooting your own film - there are a lot of options.

In total, dozens of program options are offered, the most common are the courses "Language + Tourism", "Language + Leisure", "Language + Sports" or "Studying in the Teacher's Family".

• Language + tourism, language + leisure

The traditional format of learning a foreign language abroad, complemented by walks, excursions, entertainment in free time.

• Language + sports

In the academic part, it is similar to the previous point, but in their free time, students are invited to devote themselves to winter sports instead of walks and clubs. Classes can be held both outdoors and indoors, serving as an additional tool for language practice in an informal environment.

• Studying in the family of a teacher

This is the most popular and sought-after format, because students are always in contact with their teacher, and along the way they study the life and cultural features of the British capital. In some cases, parents can come to London with their child.

Minor students usually live either in a residence owned by the course provider school or with a professional host family. Both options provide a high level of comfort, the difference is in the details and personal preferences.

• In case of family living, the child or teenager will be under the supervision of a responsible adult (other children, both foreigners and family members, can live in the family), and contacts with classmates will be during the educational process, excursions and other entertainment activities. Such a scenario is suitable for shy, insecure teenagers or the youngest - those who are not yet independent enough and need increased attention from adults.
• Living in a residence, students find friends faster, better adapt to the conditions of an English boarding school. Active schoolchildren usually study more efficiently this way, including through healthy competition.

In the first case, children eat the same as their "guardians", in the second, students are offered a varied and integral menu that fully takes into account the needs of the growing body in vitamins and nutrients. If necessary, it is possible to agree on a dietary or special menu, taking into account, for example, allergies or religious restrictions.