A Captivating English Language Learning Opportunity

It was with great excitement that we launched our first ever ELL Camp at Kells Academy last week. International students arrived from various parts of the world including France, China, Iran, and Korea. The enthusiasm of the students was palpable as they embarked on a fun and engaging language learning experience.

Mornings have been dedicated to functional language by exploring useful vocabulary, speaking with expression, and learning to give ones opinion. The lower level group focused on perfecting the paragraph while the higher level objective was to perfect the essay. In the afternoons, students learned English through Art, Sport, Photography, and Music & Song.

In music class, after students were introduced to popular musical vocabulary such as melody, harmony, pitch, and tempo, they compared songs of their choice. As a finale, they used a program called Google Doodle to create their own songs and eagerly shared them with the class. In allowing students to take ownership for their learning, their experiences were more meaningful.

In lieu of the World Cup, students delved into soccer vocabulary in English through Sport followed by an exciting game putting their new soccer lingo into practice. Students were tasked with a scavenger hunt in Photography class where they went on a mission in Trenholme Park to find an array of items such as squirrels and particularly old trees.

On Friday, students ventured to one of our city's treasures, Old Montreal. This presented an opportunity to learn about the local culture while further developing their English skills. They visited the four permanent exhibits at the Science Center with hands-on activities and then plunged into an Oceanic Adventure with a 3D IMAX movie on the fascinating underwater habitat.

Pierre Raspaud, one of our students from France, delightfully shared his feedback about ELL camp: "It has been very interesting for learning English. It's a great place to make friends...best experience ever".

After such a remarkable first week, students can't wait to see what's in store for them. With the many engaging learning opportunities that the ELL camp offers, it promises to be a beneficial and memorable experience.

By Emily Marosi