Summer in Germany

Like many summer vacation programme providers, Klocke highlights that the location of the course in Germany is important in appealing to juniors and enhancing free-time actvities. "Radolfzell is one of the most attractive small towns on Lake Constance," she says, pointing out that the lake and its surroundings are ideal for activities such as sailing, surfing, swimming and cycling.

Most summer courses in Germany provide a wide variety of sports, sightseeing excursions and social activities such as discos or barbecues, and it is not only countryside locations that appeal to younger clients. Andrew Geddes at the Eurasia Institute in Berlin says that clients choose the school's summer vacation programme because it is in the capital. "Our summer programmes make the most of what the city has to offer while offering high-quality education with a unique focus on different aspects of German life and culture," he relates.

Nevertheless, many of the programmes on offer are in an environment guaranteed to appeal to students and their parents. Jana Gottermeyer, Customer Relations Manager at IP International Projects in Oberwesel, explains that their programme "is in the beautiful and safe location of the famous Rhine Valley, a closed campus with accommodation in a castle and daily activities".

Other interesting accommodation options include a tepee (Native American tent), offered to students enrolling on the English Adventure Camp also offered by CDC but available to students of German who can participate on the same leisure programme. Such a set-up enables students to mix with local German students too. Gottermeyer at IP adds that their castle accommodation is open to German students on the same campus; "they join together for the activities in the afternoons and the evenings, have fun and learn from each other".

All programmes try to incorporate fun and mixing with others at the core of their criteria and many schools also teach local students. Michael Rönitz at Sprachcaffe Düsseldorf underlines that all participants attend a welcome party in the first days of their arrival. "Our school is an international school," he adds, "and about 400 Germans are enrolled to learn English, Spanish and Italian. [They] love to exchange and communicate with foreigners."

At BWS Germanlingua in Berlin and Munich, Florian Meierhofer underlines, "One major aspect for students in summer programmes is having fun. This means having fun in the courses and during the rest of the time." He points out that BWS Germanlingua has refined its teaching method to achieve this aim. "Our teachers are trained in a way that their teaching is effective and at the same time, the students don't stop laughing, or at least smiling, in their lessons," he says. Lennart Güthling at Humboldt Institute, which runs summer programmes at centres throughout Germany, testifies that a good combination of teaching and activities can guarantee repeat business. "We are extremely proud that more than 50 per cent of our students come to us through word-of-mouth recommendation," he says. "Many of our students come back year after year to try out new centres with different activities and in different places in Germany."

He notes that there has been keen interest "in our special programmes like sailing and rowing and horse riding", although he adds that excursions to German attractions are always popular too. "Extra-curricular activities are very important for the success of the course."