friLingue Alps Winter Camp — St. Bernard, Valais

friLingue moves its winter programme between three houses in the Val d'Entremont, depending on the week: the school's own chalet Relais de Dranse in Liddes, the Petit Vélan hostel in Bourg St. Pierre, and Maison Dolent in La Fouly. All three sit within easy reach of the local ski areas, and each keeps classroom, dining room and bedrooms under one roof, which suits a winter camp where the day is split between the slopes and the language. The camp takes children and teenagers aged eight to seventeen. Each participant chooses one language — French, English or German — and stays with it for the whole booking. Classes run Monday to Friday in two morning blocks, twenty lessons a week, in groups that average about six students. Placement follows an oral test on arrival and every level from beginner to proficient is accepted. Lessons lean on conversation, games and audiovisual material, on the principle that a short stay should leave a participant able to use the language rather than able to recite it. Afternoons belong to the snow. Skiing and snowboarding sit at the centre of the programme, with snowshoeing and indoor activities filling in around them. Two excursions a week take the group out of the valley: Lausanne on the shore of Lake Geneva, Sion in the Rhone valley below its hilltop castles, an indoor water park, and Montreux. Because Swiss and international participants share the same groups, the language keeps working on the chairlift and at dinner, not only in class. Accommodation is in dormitory rooms in the camp house, with smaller rooms available for a supplement and a host family placement offered for participants who want deeper immersion. Full board is included and served in the house; gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan and halal diets can be arranged on request. The camp fee also covers tuition, the activity and excursion programme, and supervision around the clock. Several extras can be added at booking. Skis or a snowboard with helmet, boots and poles can be hired from the camp, camp insurance is available for participants not already covered, and a supervised day on the slopes of the larger Verbier ski area can be booked separately, with transport, lift pass and a snack included. Whether a lift pass forms part of the standard camp fee is not stated by the school, and parents should confirm that point with the camp provider before booking. The season runs on Sunday arrivals through January and February, with stays of one to four weeks.