At age three I got my first real experience with a foreign language. My parents and I traveled to Germany and the surrounding countries for about a month. My dad was there on a military deployment, and my mom and I were able to go along and stay on the base he was at. She and I got in a rental car and did tons of sightseeing. This experience, combined with additional trips at ages six and ten, gave me a solid interest in the German language. On each trip I learned a few more words and phrases and became familiar with the culture. As I got older, I had a strong desire to continue my language education.
This desire led me to learn about Concordia Language Villages. This language program, run by Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), is an internationally known, experience for children of all ages. The main thing they're known for is two-week immersion summer camps for kids 8-18. They offer additional programs, such as day camps for younger children and high school/college credit adventures, but the core number of attendees fall into the two-week sessions mentioned. Currently, CLV camps for 15 different languages. Most of these camps are located in Bemidji, MN, around Turtle River Lake. Each camp is designed to feel authentic to the country that it represents. The buildings, food, and street signs are all representations of a foreign country. Counselors speak only in the language you are there to learn, and encourage learning through educational games, songs, activities, and skits.
I attended their two-week immersion sessions for four summers, from the ages of 12 to 15. The eight weeks of my teenage years that I spent at the German camp, Waldsee (vaald-say), were eight of the happiest weeks I can remember. My first memory from camp is arriving with my parents and finding out that as a camper, I would need to pick a "new" name to represent my German experience. The name "Lena" grabbed my attention, as it felt familiar (Ole and Lena, anyone??). But alas, someone else had already chosen my name. So I chose the next-closest name: "Leni". Now at first glance, you'd think it's pronounced "Lenny". But I will quickly correct you... It's pronounced "Laynee". This name has stuck with me well beyond my camp years, and it has become a part of who I am.
It is quite likely that I could ramble on and on about my experience at Waldsee for much longer than you care to read. I could tell you about the fast progress I made with my language comprehension, I could teach you a silly German song about animals, or I could make your mouth fill with saliva by describing fresh-baked croissants smeared with Nutella. But instead, I will leave you with this piece of advice: If you have kids, encourage them to learn a foreign language. If they have an interest in a foreign language, send them to Concordia Language Villages. It is an incredible experience, worth every penny, they will learn invaluable skills and make friends to last a lifetime.
Wilkommen in Waldsee! It is a characteristic for the camps to name their main buildings after what main buildings in a city might be called. For instance, Bahnhof means "train station", but at Waldsee it is the building you first enter when you get dropped off at camp--no trains around though! You might be able to guess that Fussballplatz means "soccer field". Soccer/fussball is an integral part of the Waldsee experience, as is ultimate frisbee!
At Concordia Language Villages there are LOTS of outdoor learning adventures, but sometimes there is homework too. Here my friend "Benni" and I were studiously creating maps of Germany for an activity. Notice that we are both wearing name tags. It is a defining characteristic of CLV to have the campers decorate a name tag displaying the authentic name they have chosen for themselves. These namenschilds, as they're called at Waldsee, become great souvenirs to hang on to.
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