Summer holidays in the Czech Republic - how to find out everything about free education abroad

Learning a foreign language most effectively takes place directly in the environment of its distribution. And if not every parent can afford to send a child to study abroad for a long time, then many are quite capable of seizing the opportunity and arranging a child for a language camp in the Czech Republic. Let's try to figure out what are the advantages of summer schools and how to choose the most suitable one.

Types of summer camps

Summer holidays in Czech schools last only two months: from July 1 to August 31. Therefore, the operating mode of camps for children and adolescents who prefer to spend the summer in the company of their peers is built with this circumstance in mind. Sixty days is a fairly long period of time, allowing you to complete several training programs on different shifts and even in different camps.

Some organizations also offer longer stays - for example, the State University of Prague organizes annual and semi-annual programs for young people who play football on a professional level. In addition to sports training, teenagers also have the opportunity to study some academic subjects in order to keep up with the school curriculum.

Holidays in the Czech Republic can be very diverse. However, the main focus of the programs is the study of a foreign language. Here you can learn not only Czech, but also English, German, Spanish, French.

Most of the programs are of a combined nature, involving the alternation of sports and creativity with the study of languages ​​and meaningful recreation, for example:

• football and other sports;
• fitness;
• ecology and environment;
• creative activities: music, singing, painting, acting.

One of the tasks of organizing summer events is vocational guidance for young people, assistance in choosing a future profession and preparation for training in Czech universities.

Foreign language programs

The Czech Republic has the most camps with the study of the Czech language. In this case, the program, as a rule, is structured in such a way that children can master several languages ​​at once. The most popular languages ​​are, of course, English and German. Spending summer holidays at a language camp is a great opportunity to improve your linguistic skills, find new friends and get to know life in another country better.

The range of possibilities is quite large. Let's name just a few options for those who want to spend the summer with benefit:

• Two camps - "English" and "Czech", organized by the Prague Educational Center. The language course is suitable for both schoolchildren and students. English classes, which are interactive in class and outdoors, take 20 hours a week. The main emphasis is on the development of spoken language. In their free time, vacationers take part in quests and sports activities, excursions to museums, galleries, walks in the parks of Prague, etc.

Czech language courses include 16 hours per week. To them, in addition, program participants receive 4 more hours of English lessons. For vacationers, excursions outside of Prague are organized - to Mlada Boleslav, Kutna Hora, as well as to Germany and Austria.

• International Language Academy, organized by MSM (International Youth Union). This program has been operating since 2021. The camp is located in Prague. The number of pupils is 250. Designed for children from 14 years old.
• Study Camp - international courses in English, German and Czech. The camp provides a unique opportunity to learn languages ​​through immersion in the language environment, since the bulk of its pupils are children from the Czech Republic and Germany. Located in the town of Mlada Briste. The number of participants is 40 people.
• Lexica Camp. Located in the Czech capital. It is organized by the Prague Linguistic Institute. Designed for children 11-18 years old. The number of pupils is 160 people.
• Language camp from the Veda school. Here you can get basic knowledge of Czech or English. Children aged 9-18 are accepted here. The program has been running since 1993. About 160 children rest here on one shift.
• SCEL Summer School offers courses in English and Czech. The program also includes a large number of excursions, entertainment and sports activities, as well as visits to the country's leading universities. Teenagers 12-18 years old undergo language training here, their total number per shift is 150 people.

Summer is not the only time of the year when you can improve your language skills. For example, during the winter holidays there is an opportunity to visit the Ski School of the Czech Republic and Austria with the study of foreign languages. The camp is located on the Czech-Austrian border in the Sumava Mountains. All inclusive service system, program duration is 2 weeks. Designed for children 7-16 years old. The number of pupils is 30 people.

Who can go to a language camp in the Czech Republic

There is a lot of writing on the Internet about free education at European universities. It's hard to believe, especially when you know that one year of study in Cambridge costs about 18 thousand Euros. In search of an answer to how to get higher education in Europe for free, I read dozens of blog articles and studied the official pages of universities. About the conclusions - in this material.

Why study in Europe after the Russian school class

For a Russian student, a logical step in continuing education is to enter one of the prestigious institutions of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Tomsk or another large city. If you have a thirst for learning and abilities that will allow you to compete with peers for a budget place, then you can choose a university from the top 500 in the world.

According to the World University Ranking of 2020, there are only 5 of our universities. The cost of paid education in them, as well as the payment for a student's life in a large Russian city, cannot be afforded by every average family in Russia. Therefore, most applicants enter those universities where there is a chance to get a budget place. Even if the specialty itself is not interesting to them.

Those who enter European universities after the Russian school are rather an exception to the rule. They follow a rule formulated by US President John F. Kennedy. He stated that "the Americans are flying to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is difficult."

A Russian applicant entering a European university does it, because this task is a challenge for him. Coming to another country with minimal knowledge of a foreign language and learning in it means deliberately condemning yourself to difficulties.

• The European diploma will be accepted by employers in Europe and Russia. This is the key to a successful career. If after studying you plan to stay in Europe, then you need to get a diploma from a university in the Czech Republic, Germany or another EU country. This document will allow you not to start from the bottom rung of the career ladder, but quickly get a decent position.
• Studying abroad is more interesting. The learning process here is based on the menu principle. Students can choose interesting additional subjects to the compulsory basic ones. But you will have to learn a lot on your own. As in Russia, it will not work to attend lectures and receive machines.
• Those who have completed their undergraduate studies in Europe have a higher chance of going to graduate school and doing real science. Graduates of Russian universities can also continue their studies at a European university. But they will have to learn the language, get used to the new requirements of teachers.

In a word, a European diploma gives you an additional chance to get a job in life in Russia and in Europe, to broaden your horizons and cultural level. Many graduates find jobs abroad, others get positions in international companies operating in Russia.

Which country to choose for training

Each European country provides applicants, including those from Russia, a wide range of universities and institutes. Each of them has its own conditions of study and the cost of training. But all students must live somewhere, have something to eat and have fun. And this will have to be done in the country where the Chosen Institute is located.

I have chosen three countries for myself.

United Kingdom

Plus - high quality education. The British have 58 places in the ranking of the top 500 universities.

The state of the education system testifies to the well-being in the country as a whole, and in the Czech Republic this issue is given special attention. Schools in the Czech Republic until the early 90s of the last century were exclusively under the care and control of the state: it was believed that private services would not be efficient enough. Today, this border has been erased, and graduates of private educational institutions also successfully pass exams and move on to the higher level of education.

The stages of the Czech education system

Czech legislation states that every citizen of the country must necessarily obtain a minimum level of knowledge, confirmed by a certificate. This means that all children, without exception, will have to complete 9 grades. Whether to receive further education, each child decides for himself. Most of the students prefer to move to the next level and receive a diploma of higher education.

Czech children acquire certain knowledge at several stages:

• preschool education;
• basic education;
• senior school stage (gymnasiums, vocational and special schools);
• higher education.

Some do not stop there and continue their academic careers in doctoral programs.

Socialization of the child begins in infancy with the nursery, which he attends until the age of three. Then he goes to kindergarten, where he can stay for up to 6 years.

Public preschool institutions do not charge group fees for toddlers. The cost of services for private kindergartens ranges from 7 to 15 thousand kroons per month (270-580 euros).

Primary school for little Czechs is planned from 6 to 10 years old. From 10 to 15 they go to high school. After that, you have to make a decision: finish the educational process, enter a gymnasium, become a student of a vocational school. Only with a diploma confirming the completion of the last two types of educational institutions, a graduate can apply to a university.

Already at the preschool level, kids receive the basics of knowledge in general subjects, as well as practice their writing and reading skills. Many kindergartens teach foreign languages ​​to children.

The advantages of studying in a Czech school are many:

• a wide variety of educational institutions, including private, state and Russian schools;
• the possibility of obtaining a profession after graduating from a gymnasium or vocational school;
• studying the Czech and English languages;
• the possibility of entering a university in a country with good preparation in the chosen specialty;
• there is a high probability of avoiding problems with integration into the local society, since at an early age, it is easier.

Foreign children can use the services of an adaptation information center located in Prague, supported by the Czech Ministry of Education and the EU Council. All information about programs for foreigners contains the official website of the center.

More details about the stages of training are described in the article "The education system in the Czech Republic".

Grades of Education

We suggest choosing the Czech Republic. Firstly, this country is friendly to foreign students and provides them with equal opportunities for admission with the local population. Know the Czech language - get a chance for a free education. At the moment, the country is literally experiencing a shortage of local students and workers. Therefore, the Czech Republic is interested in improving the state of its economy by training specialists who will then work for its benefit.

Secondly, there are legends about the safety of life in the Czech Republic, which are confirmed by statistics. This country is on the list of the safest in the world. Therefore, by sending there, though an adult, but a young enough person, you will be sure that everything will be all right with him. In addition, you suit his future: a specialist with a higher education in the Czech Republic receives an average salary of 35,000 kroons (about 100,000 rubles at the current exchange rate).

The most demanded professions in the Czech Republic in 2020:

• Programmer (they receive an average of 65 to 75 thousand kroons);
• Doctor (general practitioner up to 35 thousand kroons, family doctor - 65-90 thousand kroons, dentist - 35-90 thousand kroons);
• Teacher (teachers in kindergartens receive an average of 30 thousand kroons, primary school teachers - 37 thousand kroons, secondary school teachers - 38 thousand kroons);
• Agricultural specialists (engineers, technologists, managers from 25 thousand kroons)
• Designers (from 27 thousand kroons)
• Engineers and technical specialties (40-50 thousand kroons).

This is despite the fact that even within Russia, only 12% of its residents earn such funds. The advantage is an inexpensive life in the Czech Republic: pleasant prices for food and transport free up funds for travel and buying your own home.

How to enter the Czech Republic after class

To enter a Czech university for free, you need to learn a language up to level B2 and spend 800 academic hours on it. Next, prepare for the entrance exams, collect all the documents, get a visa and perform other actions that are in the Vltava intensive program. We offer such services for studying in the Czech Republic for Russians after grade 11:

• Czech language courses from scratch to the level you need;
• Preparation for all exams: both entrance and nostrification;
• Help with choosing a university and faculty, based on your preferences and our work experience (the Vltava language school cooperated with almost all universities in the Czech Republic);
• Communication with faculties regarding admission issues. Czechs prefer to communicate in their native language, so we can quickly clarify the information through the already established channels.
• Assistance in processing all documents and obtaining a student visa.

In one year: Starting to learn Czech

We offer the optimal amount of time: 800 academic hours + 150 for studying specialized subjects. These numbers are justified: the European Association of Examination Boards ALTE recommends spending 600-800 hours learning the Czech language. In these 800 hours of study, the necessary aspects that are found in the exam are laid: speaking, listening, writing and reading. But don't worry, the training is spread over almost 9 months, so knowledge will be learned without difficulty. The result of the training will be the knowledge of the Czech language at the B2 level. This is enough not only to successfully pass exams at the Czech University, but also to successfully study at the university in the Czech language.

August-September: choose a university, a faculty and start preparing for the entrance exams.

We understand how important it is to choose a profession that will determine the future career of a student. Therefore, we help in preparing for entrance exams in specialized subjects. Here are examples of the subjects that need to be prepared when choosing a faculty:

Economics, management: passing mathematics, English. Medicine: we pass physics, chemistry, biology.

The decision to study in another country is never made spontaneously. First, all the pros and cons are weighed, the universities and the opportunities that open up to the graduate after graduation are assessed, and only then the choice is made towards one or another state in which the child will study.

However, it is quite problematic to do all this remotely, without ever having visited the country of future residence. It is especially important for schoolchildren, who may not yet fully understand the whole need to study abroad, to feel the student atmosphere and feel all the delights of free education abroad.

Especially for children planning to enter Czech universities or who are only interested in education in Europe, vacation programs were created, the main task of which is to familiarize future applicants with the national language and study opportunities in the Czech Republic.

The largest such program is the PEC Summer School. We will tell you about why it is worth choosing a vacation in the Czech Republic and what advantages they subsequently give to students in the review "Free education in the Czech Republic - how to find out everything during the summer holidays."

reasons to choose a Summer School in the Czech Republic

1. Practice Czech in the natural environment

There is no better time than summer vacation to spend a few weeks or even a month in the country of the target language. Daily interaction with native speakers, continuous communication, even just reading the inscriptions or ordering food in a restaurant will significantly improve your knowledge of Czech or English, and most importantly, relieve you of the fear of speaking a foreign language.

2. Acquaintance with the culture of the country

Acquaintance with the culture of the country not only broadens the horizons of the children, but also opens up for them a new wonderful world with its own unique:

• traditions and customs;
• architecture;
• natural beauty;
• cuisine, music and entertainment.

Which, in turn, arouses general interest in the country and its language. We, in turn, carefully plan the tours so that the travels will be remembered by each participant.