Speak! Kids
Language and Culture Programs for Kids 4-14
Speak! Kids programs:
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- Language and Culture Camps (Summer and other holiday/school breaks)
- After-school programs
- Speak! at School after-school enrichment programs at your kids’ school
- Travel program planning for school trips around the globe
- Birthday parties with a cultural-international theme
- One-on-one and small group lessons in most of our languages
- Pre-travel language-culture “boot camps” for kids and families (custom)
SPRING BREAK SPANISH CAMP: Argentina Tango Tour
- Instructor: Sara Moses
- Lesson times: 8:30am-2:30pm
- Course dates: April 2-6, 2012
- Tuition: $275 (additional siblings $250)
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
Camp Description:
CHE VAMOS A ARGENTINA PARA LA PRIMAVERA!!! Pack your bags and get ready to take an adventure to the beautiful country of Argentina in South America. We will be learning about all the culture of Buenos Aires and other major cities in Argentina. Your children will have the opportunity to learn Spanish Argentine style! We will learn all about the food, drinks, games, and traditions of this incredibly rich and diverse country. Get ready for trips to open air markets, drinking mate with traditional cookies, and playing futbol in the street! We will end our week long trip with a celebration of Carnival, ARGENTINE STYLE!!!
SUMMER 2012 Language and Culture Camps
coming soon!
The Science of Cooking Culturally for 7-12 year olds
- Instructor: Kimber Hawkey
- Lesson times: TBA
- Course dates: TBA
- Tuition: $150
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
Course Description
Have you ever wondered why eggs are so important in cooking? The classic Spanish flan would be nothing without them! In this five-day camp, your child will become a cultural scientist learning both the science of cooking and experimenting with the classic dishes from around the world! They will also learn vocabulary of cooking, utensils, basic verbs, commands, and adjectives to describe food.
Mandarin Language and Culture for 11-14 year olds
- Instructor: TBA
- Lesson times: TBA
- Course dates: TBA
- Tuition: $250
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
Course Description
This Chinese enrichment program offers a fun and fast-paced introduction to the rich and increasingly important Chinese language. Taught by an experienced teacher, the course uses games, crafts, and Chinese legends to introduce students to the basics of Chinese language and culture. Students are exposed to the fascinating Chinese writing system, but the focus is on practical speaking and listening. Especially given the daily practice, kids will quickly learn and be able to use key Chinese phrases, including greetings, foods, counting, colors, and much more. An ideal foundational course for future Mandarin studies.
Plunge! Verano: Intensive Spanish for 11-14 Year-Olds
- Instructor: TBA
- Lesson times: TBA
- Course dates, Section 2: TBA
- Tuition: $395
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
Take a vacation, Spanish-style at Speak! this summer! Dive in to this most important second language with our intensive 2 week course geared towards the needs and interests of middle school-aged students. Plunge! Verano aims to give beginners-through-experienced students a true immersion experience= ¡hablamos solo español! In this 40 hour course, beginners will be introduced the 101 Spanish basics through a combination of conversational activities and topic-based (i.e. fun!) grammar exercises. Students with previous experience will work to hone and perfect their speaking, listening and reading/writing/pronunciation skills. The Speak! method involves teaching students to SPEAK! and master grammar through engaging, dynamic activities exercises that focus on the LIVE experience of learning in a cultural context. A highly social and engaging way to improve your skills in Spanish to get ready for the 2011-12 academic year and/or future studies!
Paris: A Blank Canvas – A One-Week Exploration of French Language and Culture for 4-10 Year-Olds
At Explorations Play Studio (for 4-8 year-olds):
- Instructors: TBA
- Lesson times: TBA
- Course dates: TBA
- Tuition: $175
Course Description
This five-day course will allow the campers to become immersed in French art and culture. While creating or building on preexisting French vocabulary, each camper will be exposed daily to a French artist, their life, and technique, while building their own repertoire of artistic talent through hands-on projects. This class will be divided into two separate age groups for language-learning (4-7 and 8-12).
A few of our Holiday Camps!
Our winter holiday language camps are an ideal way to introduce children to a new language and culture – or to expand on what they already know. The daily practice is both effective and fun, as it allows incorporation of more stories, songs, films, games, crafts and, most importantly – speaking!
Please Note our Sick Policy: If your child has had a fever within the last 24 hours, please do not bring him/her to camp. If your child has just begun a cold or is displaying new symptoms, please do not bring him/her to camp. If your child has to miss most or all of the camp due to illness, we will issue you a credit for use in a future Speak! camp or class.
Magical Tour of China: Mandarin Made Easy for 5-10 Year-Olds!
- Instructors: Jenn Jones and Jing Lu
- Lesson times: Wednesday – Friday, 8:30am-2:30pm
- Course dates: December 21-23
- Tuition: $175 ($150 for each additional sibling)
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
- 2 spots left!
Course Description
Join our wonderful instructors for this enchanting exploration of Chinese culture and an introduction to the Mandarin dialect. Join us as we take a cultural tour of China, exploring everything from dragon fables and tea to calligraphy and taichi . Each day there will be a field trip to places such as a tea house and a Chinese restaurant. Students will learn about the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Chinese holidays, traditional dress, geography, basic Mandarin greetings, and much more! Introduce your child to the most widely spoken – and increasingly important – language in the world!
Check out this video of last year’s December Chinese camp:
Christmas in France: Exploring French Language and Culture for 5-10 Year-Olds!
- Instructor: Emily Martin
- Lesson times: Monday and Tuesday, 9am-3pm
- Course dates: December 19-20
- Tuition: $115 ($95 for each additional sibling)
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
Course Description:
How to prepare for the 442nd Annual French Christmas market known as Christkindelsmärik in Strasbourg, France? With bredle, pretzels, apple ornaments, and the history of the Christmas Tree, of course! Along with traditional Alsatian holiday carols and the recreation of our own stand at the market, we will practice our French, learn about the traditions surrounding this sumptuous market whose origins date to 1570, and immerse ourselves in the culture, food, and craft of this important region of France during the holiday season.
Vamos de Vacaciones: Adventures in the Spanish Speaking World for 5-10 Year-Olds
- Instructor: Sheila Zakielarz
- Lesson times: Tuesday – Thursday, 9am – 3pm
- Course dates: December 27-29
- Tuition: $175 ($150 for each additional sibling) - FULL!
- Extra Charge for early dropoff/late pickup: $10 per day per student (30 min. maximum for early dropoff or late pickup)
Course Description
¡Venga! ¡Vamos de vacaciones!
It’s winter break and it’s cold, so come on, let’s go on our own vacation! Travel on a field trip to warm and sunny Uruguay in the southern hemisphere, where we’ll learn about the lifestyles of the gauchos and shop in the open “feira” marketplace and enjoy tasting some empanadas. Then we’ll venture off to learn everything we can learn about World Cup soccer in Spanish speaking countries, covering world geography and world currencies while we learn how enthusiastically soccer is followed and enjoyed by all generations. We’ll wrap up our three day Spanish-speaking vacation exploring the tropical climates in Central America — its rainforests, its volcanoes and its beaches. This camp will also include a special Spanish Nia class at Divine Play, just upstairs from Speak! ¡Vamos de vacaciones!
Speak! Birthday Parties for Kids
Looking for a new idea for your child’s birthday? Celebrate at Speak! with a culturally-themed party geared towards your child’s age and interests. A full menu of party options is coming soon!
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Speak Abroad – Come with us to Todi
Now Enrolling for 2012!
Fall: June 16-30, 2012
Join Christina Ball (Speak!) and La Lingua, La Vita Italian school in the hill town of Todi for a glorious two week cultural and linguistic immersion experience.
Click here for more info!