English in Canada
for
10-17 year-olds

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           sprachferien, summer camp, sprachschule, sprogferie, canada, engelsk, sprogkurser, sprogskole, sommer schoolanada

Feedback from last summer's language camp at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.  
Esther reports: 

Four wonderful weeks at "Destination Canada" in Ottawa

 
Esther M. Wisskirchen
 After a very, very strenuous journey from Frankfurt with stop-over in London (5 hours !!!) I finally arrived at my destination in Ottawa. I was so exhausted, but ready for my adventure. After a lot of red tape, Bruce, a staff member from Destination Canada picked me up at the airport. We went to the campus of Carleton University, a few kilometres from Downtown Ottawa where I spent four weeks at the summer school "Destination Canada".

                          
Campus of Carleton U (- Dunton Tower) and  Swimming Pool

We used only a little part of the big campus, consisting of some houses of the Residence Complex, the cafeteria, some schoolhouses and all sport facilities.

After I ordered a pizza (the best pizza is in Canada !!!, but after 4 weeks I couldn't see pizza again, the reason: too many pizza-parties, but these pizza-parties were real fun !!!) Bruce showed me my room. I shared a room with Caroline, a very nice girl from Montreal, Quebec. Even on the same evening I met a lot of new friends from Mexico, Quebec, France, ... .
Well, this was my first day. Let's continue with the second one.

I'd like to show the days as an example for the days from Monday to Friday, but I have to say that this is really impossible because every day was special !!!   O.K., at 7 o'clock, Tracey, our floor supervisor, woke us up. From 7:30 to 8:45 we had breakfast. There were a lot of variety of food to choose from, so that I stood in front of these things and I didn't know what to take, because I wanted to try everything.  At 9 o'clock classes began, e.g. written exercises, grammar and listening or written comprehension until 12 o'clock. Don't be afraid, it wasn't really like school at home. We had a lot of fun !!!

      
 This is part of a big  experimental Agriculture Museum - farm in Ottawa

Well, at 12 to 1:30 was lunch and break. Classes continued at 1:30. The classes in the afternoon consisted of discussions, movies and interviews ... .
Instruction ended at 3:30 and we had half an hour free time.  


 At 4 o'clock we had a meeting with our activity group. During this meeting Denise, Andrew and Greg, our group-leaders, informed us about the daily routine. After this meeting the afternoon activities started: Soccer, Tennis, Music, Arts & Crafts, Volleyball, American Football and Kickball, ... .After dinner, at 6:30 we had off-campus activities, such as bowling, shopping, water sliding, go-karts, swimming, the movies, ... until 10:30. That was a lot of fun !!!  At 10:30 we had to be at our floor. Free time. But the fun wasn't over.  We enjoyed our time with dancing, listening music or just relaxing (water bombs, don't tell nobody !!!).

At 11:00 it was ‘lights out’, but really not in every room. Chatting, chatting, chatting, about what, no, that's our secret !!
Having fun with her room mate (at night)

At the weekends we had excursions. Museum of Nature, City tour of Ottawa,

 

                      
City tour of Ottawa - Downtown Ottawa and talking  in the bus

Upper Canada Village,     

 

     
Upper Canada Village - house (inside)  A "living museum" of the first settlers in Canada

Museum of Civilization, Montreal, ... . We also joint other students from other activity groups. We spent a great time together and we saw a lot.After graduation and a Good-Bye-Party with a lot of tears, I flew with a small group of Mexicans to Toronto. We spent 3 days in Toronto. On the 1st day we went to Niagara Falls,


The is the mighty Canadian Horseshoe Falls as seen from the "Maid of the Mist" 

 
Below are the American Falls.  At right are people walking in yellow rain coats.


This was absolutely impressive. We also got a boat-tour with the "Maid of the Mist". Wet, wet, wet !!!

The next day we spent the whole day at Canada’s Wonderland. We really had a lot of fun together. The roller coasters were especially breath - taking. The 3rd day we had an exciting City tour of Toronto, so we could get a good impression of Canada's metropolis, "little Manhattan",


Skyline of Downtown Toronto and view from the CN-Tower Platform.

After lunch in the Hard Rock Cafe we went by elevator to the top of the world's tallest building, 
the CN - Tower.
Toronto - CN-Tower - view from the platform.  The white "lines"  on the street are busses!

I spent 4 wonderful weeks at "Destination Canada" in Ottawa. I really improved my English. Even after 1 week I had problems speaking German. I began to think in English. It sounds unbelievable but it's true !!! I met a lot of friends from different nations. I miss them a lot because we had such a great time together. I had a lot of new experiences and I saw a lot of Canada's highlights.

Written by Esther Maria Wisskirchen


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