Day: March 30, 2022

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English classes in primary school

Children pick up a foreign language easily. It is therefore advantageous to introduce them to English at an early age. There are some 1,200 elementary school in the Netherlands that offer their students English lessons from group 1. This obviously ensures a better connection to secondary education as well. Moreover, young children are not afraid to speak another language and do not mind making mistakes. This certainly contributes to a child learning a foreign language faster and also facilitates the learning process.

What is mandatory in elementary school?

In primary education, a few subjects are mandatory, such as language and math. PE and English are also subjects that every elementary school must teach. Elementary school have the freedom to fill in the lessons themselves and decide which teaching materials to use for that purpose. Currently, when they start teaching English varies from school to school. Some schools start as early as grade 1, but there are also schools that start in grade 3. However, the law requires that English be offered at least from grade 7 throughout primary education.

Why English in elementary school?

In our country, English is an important subject in primary education. In fact, a good command of the English language determines to a considerable extent how successful you will be later on the job market. For many employers, it is attractive to choose someone who speaks the language perfectly. This is a great advantage, for example, when leading an international team or project within the company.

 

In addition, children also benefit during their subsequent education. In fact, later in life, a significant proportion of students choose to go to a country where English is widely spoken because of their studies.

How do children benefit from English in elementary school?

If you start looking at the pluses of introducing children to English at an early age, you will find plenty of them. First of all, learning a foreign language stimulates creative ability. Also, a foreign language increases a child's self-confidence if the child dares to speak out in English.

 

Furthermore, it is an additional stimulus to the development of thinking skills and also teaches a child to think in a nuanced way. After all, it learns to use different words in the right context. Providing English lessons early contributes to the child's overall language development, and it has even been shown that overall language skills improve when children learn English at an early age.

 

Learning another language also adds value when filtering information. You learn to separate relevant from less important information. Furthermore, skills such as decision-making also benefit. It has been shown, for example, that people who master several languages are better able to make rational decisions. You can benefit from this in various situations.

What are the learning objectives for English in elementary school?

If you start looking at where in Dutch elementary school the focus is on learning English, you will see that the emphasis is on communication skills. Here you can think of reading, listening and speaking skills. Writing English comes next. Thus, in junior high, children learn listening and speaking primarily. In the upper grades, reading and writing come next.

English in kindergarten classes

You see these days that more and more elementary schools are choosing to start English in kindergarten classes. This helps students gain a better command of the language. Teachers often introduce their young students to English through play. Among other things, they sing songs in English and do various games. Through repetition, students get a chance to already practice the language well and are better able to remember what they are taught. They also achieve a higher language level as a result. Finally, the child develops better pronunciation by being introduced to a foreign language at an early age.

 

Summercamp understands that elementary schools are not enough to make children fluent in English. That's why we offer in our summer children's camps a unique opportunity for children to take their language skills to the next level. Our experienced instructors use fun and practical methods to bring English to life, with an emphasis on speaking and communication.

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The four most famous universities in the UK!

When people think of the United Kingdom, they think of English tea, pubs, English breakfast, red double-deckers and... fancy universities! In this country you will find some of the oldest, most expensive and most prestigious institutions. There are too many to mention. Therefore, we have compiled a top four list of the UK's most famous (and expensive) universities.

Regent's University London

Regent's University London is the youngest university in the list. Founded in 1985, although it was then a college (Regent's College), the university can be found in Regent's Park, in the South Villa Estate campus of another London university. It wasn't until 2013 that the college became a university.

 

What makes it so unique is that it is a private university. The UK has only five of those. At the same time, it is the most expensive university in the UK. In tuition fees, students pay as much as £16,400. It is a relatively small institution, accommodating only 4,000 students, making it reserved for the wealthy elite.

Oxford University

At Oxford, English students have to pay "only" 9,250 pounds of tuition. This makes studying at Oxford a lot cheaper than studying at Regent's University London. Oxford enjoys unprecedented prestige. However, tuition is lower because it is a public institution. This does not mean it is easy to get into Oxford. The university has an admission rate of 17.5%.

 

Oxford and Cambridge are the UK's most famous universities. Oxford is slightly older than Cambridge and was founded in the 11th century. This makes it the second oldest university in the world.

 

Oxford's unprecedented educational quality is very consistent, The school is therefore always found in the top five best universities in the world. Not surprisingly, the admission requirements are very strict. Those who are admitted have the privilege of studying at a university where as many as 72 Nobel Prize winners have gone before them. Many prime ministers, presidents, scientists, actors and nobles have also studied here.

 

Another interesting fact about Oxford: it houses the world's largest university publishing house. You'll also find the UK's oldest botanical garden and the world's oldest university museum.

London School of Economics and Political Science

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), like the aforementioned university, can be found in London. The LSE was founded in 1895 by four members of the Fabian Society.

 

LSE is highly regarded not only within the UK but also internationally, taking second place in the QS World University Rankings for no less than five consecutive years. This placed this university just below Harvard. Interestingly, it is very difficult to get into this university, although less well known than Oxford. LSE had an admission rate of only 5.7% in 2018!

 

There are approximately 7,000 full-time students at LSE. In addition, there are about 750 students studying here part-time. Those who want to win a Nobel Prize in economics have come to the right place at LSE. In fact, 17% of these Nobel laureates have studied at this university. A sizable savings is needed, though. Tuition is £9,250.

Cambridge University

At Cambridge University, students pay £9,250 in tuition. For international students, it is as much as £21,732.

 

Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and is often mentioned in the same breath as Oxford (Oxbridge). The school was founded in 1209, making it the fourth oldest university in the world. Cambridge was founded by students who were studying at Oxford, but did not get along well with the locals. They therefore decided to move.

 

Cambridge University consists of 31 colleges. Each college was founded by a monarch or benefactor. Uniquely, one college (Newnham College) admits only women. Two colleges accommodate only postgraduate students. Cambridge has many famous alumni, including Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Emma Thompson. As many as 121 Nobel laureates have graduated from Cambridge University. It is also the richest University in Europe.

Would you also like to attend mini-university, but just in the Netherlands?

Our English day camp offers you the outstanding opportunity to explore the English language while being inspired by England's best universities. Among other things, during the camp you will experience the academic richness of these centuries-old universities through engaging language classes and cultural activities.