Summer Fun at the British Council

The British Council has just wrapped up its second Summer School session for young learners between the ages of 8 to 13. The aim of the two-week programme is to offer students the opportunity to learn, practise and improve their English skills through a variety of mediums. Lessons are tailored to specific age groups

supported by age appropriate films. English communication activities, including a final end-of-session play performance, is staged for relatives and friends. All teachers are from the British Council and come from different countries with experience in Summer School teaching and programming.

Included in this year’s programme was a special art competition that is part of the worldwide British Council network. Based on the theme ‘My Favourite Food”, students used their artistic talents to come up with visual concepts on their most beloved choices of food. Winners will be chosen from three different age categories and will be awarded prizes at the British Council Colombo. The winning entries will be sent to the network competition in London.

The plays performed by students to mark the end of the course are definitely the highlights of each Summer School session. The first batch of this year’s Summer School course included the plays Rumpelstiltskin, The Magic Mirror and the perennial Sleeping Beauty. The senior class of the first batch labelled themselves the wildcats, and created their own performance based on High School Musical. Full of song and their own choreographed dance steps, the group put on a moral tale of getting on with each other despite diversity. All was performed to friends and parents at the British Council main auditorium on Friday August 20, 2010.

The junior students of the second batch of Summer School also performed Rumpelstiltskin and the Magic Mirror. The senior students, however, were unique and staged their own adaption of a British literature piece, The Pink Bow Tie. The second batch’s performances were held on Friday, September 3 marking the end of the Summer School programme for this year.

Rumpelstiltskin, adapted from the Brothers Grimm, is a moral tale set in a royal court. The king looks for a wife with special talents, but mayhem breaks out when she seeks the aid of a scheming man; none other than the tongue-tying Rum-pel-stilt-skin.

Also set in a royal court, The Magic Mirror is a play about good health. The King and his court are plump due to their bad eating habits. A wise woman tells of a magic mirror hidden in the mountains, which restores good health. However, a rival to the king finds the mirror first. The king, perseveres in the end and achieves fitness through a healthy lifestyle.

The junior students of both batches thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the performances and undoubtedly learned from them as they demonstrated good manners and habits.

The Pink Bow Tie, which was performed by the senior students of the second batch, is a play extracted from the website www.teachingenglish.org. These students adapted the tale of a young teenager who repetitively finds himself in trouble with the school principal.

The students enjoyed their time at Summer School with the British Council. Parents too shared positive comments about the programme. ‘Excellent, keep up the good work”, said one happy parent, while another who is a local English language teacher said, “The school achieved 90 per cent of the expected goal, and my children are happy with it” The Young Learner’s Programme-Colombo Deputy of the British Council John Owens said the course put together an even balance of both fun and learning through English. Working with material such as DVDs, the course makes sure students have fun while communicating in English at the same time”.

With special effects and lots of song and dance at the end-of-course performances, Summer School students weave magic from their selected tales for the enjoyment of relatives and friends. British Council plans to build on the success of this year’s Summer School to continue providing young Sri Lankan students with fun-filled activities during the summer holidays.