For Kids and Teens: Why Summer Schools are a Blast

A language immersion summer school is not just about classes — it’s about living the language. Imagine Spanish in Spain, English in England, Japanese in Tokyo or Icelandic in Rejkyavik where every café, street sign, and conversation is part of the learning. In school, lessons can feel slow and repetitive. A summer course is different: it’s active, fast-paced, and practical. You’re using the language all the time, so progress comes naturally and feels exciting.— but the real magic happens outside them. Ordering gelato, chatting with friends, or exploring a new city — that’s when words click and suddenly you’re thinking in another language.

Think of language immersion as a menu of adventures. Some programmes give you a taste of university life at Oxford, Cambridge, or Yale. Others pack your days with sports, creative workshops, and epic trips. And if you’d rather be outdoors, you can swap the classroom for mountains, rivers, and beaches — all while practising a new language every step of the way.

A few weeks might not sound like much, but when you’re practising every single day, the progress is real. You’ll surprise yourself with how quickly you can speak with confidence.The fun doesn’t stop with lessons. Sports, arts, and weekend trips are run in the language too, so you learn while laughing, creating, and exploring.
The best programmes don’t feel like lessons at all — the language is the action. You play football in Spanish, cook crêpes in French, explore cities in English. Before you know it, you’re laughing, competing, and creating in another language, picking it up as naturally as if you lived there.
And the best bit? You come home with more than new words. You come back more independent, more confident, and ready to take on the world.

What students say: I was finally allowed to attend an English language summer camp … I loved it. … I learned English incredibly quickly, I made friendships that will hopefully last … the world has just become a bit bigger for me. Windermere School

For Parents: Why Language Summer Schools Matter for Your Child

Language summer schools aren’t just about lessons — they’re about living the language. These programmes give young people the chance to study in beautiful settings, surrounded by culture, history, and new friends. The result is a learning experience that combines progress with pleasure: structured classes in the morning, real-life practice in the afternoon, and the chance to explore somewhere inspiring while building lifelong skills.

Can 2 weeks really be enough time?

Parents often wonder if a summer is long enough to make real progress. The answer is yes — because intensity matters more than duration. In a two-week immersion course, students are surrounded by the target language from the moment they wake up until they go to bed. Every meal, activity, and conversation becomes a chance to practise, so learning doesn’t stop when the lesson ends. That concentrated exposure builds momentum, helping grammar and vocabulary stick in a way that occasional school classes can’t match. By the end, many students surprise themselves with how much more fluent, confident, and independent they feel after just a short time abroad.

Learning in the Classroom

One of the biggest advantages of summer language schools is the class size. Unlike crowded school lessons, these courses keep groups small and personal. That means more time with tutors, more chances to speak, and faster progress.

As one student at the Bucksmore English Summer Course put it:
What I like bhttp://bucksmoreest about the lessons is the small size of the classes. It feels really private and comfortable. We learn faster than we would ever do in bigger classes.

Learning through doing

The best programmes don’t just teach language — they turn it into the medium for every adventure. Sports, arts, and excursions run entirely in the local language, so teens learn as they play, create, and explore. In Spain, football is coached in Spanish; in France, cooking classes happen in French; in England, trips and activities are guided in English. Every moment becomes practice, and learning sticks because it’s tied to real experiences.

Beyond fluency, immersion builds independence and confidence. Teens return home proud of new skills, more comfortable speaking up, and eager to keep learning. Parents see resilience, curiosity, and global awareness — all gained in just a few transformative weeks abroad.

Today’s language summer schools also go far beyond traditional classrooms. Some deliver academic rigour in top universities or boarding schools, while others blend language with passions like horse riding in the UK, tennis in Spain, robotics in Croatia, culinary arts in Barcelona, or adventure sports in the Swiss Alps. Whatever the level — beginner, university-bound teen, or adult — there’s a programme that makes language learning both effective and unforgettable.

What parents say: A good camp for teenagers, the son is very pleased with the trip. The territory is beautiful, large, plus it is not far from the main airport … Children live right there on the territory, which is convenient, the conditions are very good. The food was repeated periodically … but on the whole … everything was delicious. Studio Cambridge 

By Language & Destination

Where you learn a language matters just as much as how you learn it. Immersion works best when it’s rooted in the culture of the country itself — ordering food, hearing accents, and experiencing daily life in the target language. That’s why these programmes are grouped by both language and destination. From English in Oxford or Dublin, to French in Paris, Spanish in Barcelona, or even Icelandic in Reykjavík, each setting turns the world outside the classroom into a living, breathing part of the lesson.

Among the many language immersion programmes available, a few stand out as models of how to do it right. Manor Courses is one of them: combining strong academics, an inspiring location, and a well-rounded student experience. It shows how the best summer schools don’t just teach English — they create a complete environment where learning, living, and exploring work together to build confidence and fluency.

Manor Courses

Manor Courses delivers excellence across all the pillars of a top language immersion programme. Academically, students benefit from interactive English classes designed around renowned Cambridge University Press materials, taught in small groups of up to 16. The focus balances grammar and accuracy with real-world communication, ensuring learners not only know the rules but can use English confidently in everyday situations.

The setting adds another layer of quality: Hurstpierpoint College, a historic boarding school near Brighton, offers a safe and inspiring environment with beautiful grounds and excellent facilities. The location combines the charm of the English countryside with easy access to cultural hotspots like London, Oxford, and Brighton — meaning students experience both traditional England and vibrant city life.

Outside the classroom, the programme excels with a wide range of activities — from sports and creative arts to performances — all designed to keep learning active and fun. Cultural excursions immerse students further, making language come alive in real contexts. The supportive, international community ensures teens and kids alike build friendships across borders while gaining confidence, resilience, and global awareness.

In short: Manor Courses blends academic rigour, a stunning location, rich extracurricular opportunities, and a nurturing environment — a model of what the best language immersion schools can be.