TECS Blogs

There are different ways of learning English after TECS summer camp. Which do you think is the best one? Look at the statements below and decide whether you agree or disagree. Then with your friends, parents or teacher discuss (in English!) and say why you agree or disagree. Can you all agree on the same statements?

It is very important to learn English if you want to find a good job when you are older.

We should all learn Chinese, not English! Many more people speak Chinese than English!

If you don’t speak English, there are a lot of things you can’t understand: songs, commercials, films…

All our TV programmes should be in English, with subtitles, that would help us to learn English.

If you don’t speak English, you’re silly.

It should be compulsory (an obligation) to study 1 year in an English speaking country when you’re at university

English isn’t really that important. You don’t really need it in life.

Black Eyed Peas – Ive Gotta Feeling song Black Eyed Peas – Ive Gotta Feeling song

Black Eyed Peas – Ive Gotta Feeling

Do you know the Black Eyed Peas’ song ‘I’ve gotta feeling?’. Click on ‘crossword’ to find the lyrics. But there are 14 words missing! Look at the descriptions and the jumbled up letters and listen to the song to complete the lyrics.

Black Eyed Peas lyrics

Hi! We’ve interviewed Guillermo the Welfare about his TECS experience. Read about it but look out! Some vocabulary is really difficult, you can find more information about the vocabulary by clicking on the vocabulary crossword! Then click on 'quiz' and answer the questions

Hi Guille! Can you tell us about your TECS summercamp      experiences?

Hi! I have worked for TECS for 4 years. My first year I worked as a Crew Member, which I think is a good start for those campers who want to start working on a summer camp. The last 3 years I was working as a Welfare Coordinator: helping the campers with my yellow polo has been very gratifying in the last 3 summers.

I love working for TECS! Since my first year I've been having great summers working for TECS. I have really good friends now who I met at TECS and even if we can't meet very often we are always in touch through Facebook or MSN.

My favourite camp is Family Camp, I also worked in Sports Camp but I prefer the one in El Puerto because after 4 years I know the city very well and I can enjoy my time off better. My favourite age group is Juniors because they are at a very good age, they are old enough to have conversations with you in English but they are still energetic enough to enjoy camp games more than any other age group

I have lots of memories from the last 4 summers in TECS. I remember one from last summer. It was the last day of camp and we (juniors) were about to go to bed after the disco and we all sang the TECS song in a circle. All the campers were very sad because they were leaving the next day.

Are you coming back in 2010?

I think so and I hope so! I don't know in which position yet but i would love to come back next summer and of course I would go to my favourite camp.

What do you do in normal life?

I am a student. I live in Sevilla and I study industrial engineering. It is a tough degree but I like it a lot.

What do you want to be when you’re old?

I would like to be an engineer but if not I would like to be Director of Languages in TECS – lol.

Vocabulary

quiz

Only 6 more months until the summer of 2010! Here you can read more about all our camps for 2010!

Last year, in 2009 we had four camps. This year we will have even more camps: 6 in total! All with different programmes, options and characteristics! Read about the different camps, then do the camps quiz to see how well you know the differences between the camps!

First of all we will have Family Camp in El Puerto de Santa Maria: for the sophomores (6-10 years) the juniors (10-13) and the seniors (13-16/17). Family camp is the only camp that runs in July AND August! 

Also, like last year, we will run Little Village in Grazalema (Cadiz): for the Anglos (12/13-16/17 years). Little Village is the only camp where you have to speak English constantly, including with your friends! For this camp you need a good level of English!

Magic Village is a new camp this year in Benaocaz (Cadiz). This camp is for Juniors (10-13) and it is the only camp that runs a Natural English programme with lots of games and different activities.

Then we have Star Camp in Sotogrande (Cadiz). This camp is for seniors (13/14-17/18) and it is in a 4 star hotel!

Sports camp, another new camp, is also in a hotel, but this one is in Sancti Petri (Cadiz). It has two age groups: Juniors (11-13) and Seniors (13-16) and all the sports activities are water sports!

Then finally our last new camp is Go Camp in los Arcornocales (Cadiz). Go camp is the only camp where there is a combination of English and Spanish being used by monitors. This camp is for Pioneers (8/9-11/12 years).

Next months you can read more about the different aspects of these camps. In February it will be all about the different sports         activities per camp!

Camps Quiz

Get in!        You bet!

Remember these expressions from camp? Get in you can use when you win or get something, for example you score a point atn padel or you win a competition. You bet we use instead of ‘yes’, when it is a really convinced ‘yes’.

Click on the gap fill activity and decide what the correct response is, you bet! or get in!

Expressions Gap fill

Do you know your evening entertainments? Click on the quiz, read the descriptions and guess the correct event! Use the word list under each question for the more complicated words

Evening Entertainments Quiz

Sometimes you say very funny things when you’re on camp! Look at these funny quotes:
My new friends, all the chickens are very good! (Juan, seniors).

My monitors are incredibles! (Paula, juniors).

Arts and crafts is special, we made a pig! (David, juniors).

This month we are going to make a friends mural: a big poster with a print of all your fiends’ hands.

What you need:

•  a big piece of brown paper (or any other colour).
• different coloured paints or pencils.
• a normal pencil.
• a black pen.

The procedure:

• put the different coloured paints on plastic plates.
• put the brown paper on the floor.
• everybody should choose a colour, put their hand in the paint and print it on the paper.
• If you don’t like paint, you can use a pencil to mark around your hand and then use coloured pencils or crayons to colour the insides of your hand.
• with a black pen write your name underneath your hand and a small  message.