Journey to a Classroom Without Walls

The Language Travel Industry is booming, enjoying unprecedented numbers of both students and teachers embarking on educational tours all around the world. Michael Howard investigates why Language Travel has become so popular and the companies that are leading the adventure.

How many times at the end of a long school day have you sat back and dreamed of taking your students abroad on the ultimate educational adventure? To let them see for their own eyes the imposing Eiffel Tower, sample the delights of authentic Italian cooking, or to hop aboard the Metro in Paris__while also improving their language skills. Now think again. How many times have these pleasurable thoughts rapidly transformed into nightmarish images with throngs of tourists waiting in line to see the same attractions, the taste of stale cafeteria food or the prospect of jam packed buses (if they come at all?)

If these negative thoughts are stopping you from embarking on a travel and learning experience you and your students will never forget, then sit back, relax and read on.

Educational travel has never been so popular and contrary to popular belief the educational travel world is on a roll.
Since last year more than 160,000 students have embarked on some sort of educational travel. Now is the time to seriously consider the benefits of taking your students on an educational tour and according to Michael Eizenberg, of eTrav there has never been a better time to show students that what they are studying in school has a vivid life beyond the classroom.

"Studying a foreign language from a textbook has benefits, speaking with your classmates begins to make it real, but having a conversation in the foreign language where it is actually spoken is like performing in Symphony Hall." he says.

"Students who begin learning a foreign language at an early age become the best foreign language speakers. Students who begin traveling at a young age generally enjoy the learning and fun of traveling throughout their lives," Eizenberg added.

Taking your students to another country complements what has been accomplished in the classroom by demonstrating to them how to put what they have learnt into practice. Travel abroad also boosts their confidence as they learn to cope in a new environment.

"The children learn a lot on a tour, especially from each other," says Phil Simon of EF Tours. "For many it is often the first time they have left the country and their first time away from home. This gives them the opportunity to gain independence."
He added, "Parents are often shocked at their children's level of maturity when they return home from the tour. They learn a lot from their fellow travelers."

Apart from the obvious benefits of opening up the rest of the world to your students, broadening their minds and educational advantages, the trips are advantageous in other ways.

"The more subtle lessons children learn on a tour include maturity, responsibility, self confidence and how to get along with others," according to James Gibson of Global Vistas.

"If I had to pick the single most important lesson, it would be that children learn there are many more similarities than there are differences between all the world's people, no matter where we live."

With increasing globalization and decreasing costs for world travel, the beginning of the 21st century is an ideal chance to grasp that opportunity to give your students an experience they will never forget. Gibson points out that "Far fewer groups currently take these trips than the number that would if they only knew the advantages of these programs. The savings inherent in group travel take what used to be the privileged domainof the rich and famous and puts it within the reach of everyone."

According to Josette Bonafino, of Culture Quest Tours, children equipped with knowledge of the world have an increasing desire for challenging travel experiences. "Today, travel is considerably less expensive that it used to be. By the time many students reach 18, they are second and even third-time travelers abroad," she says. "There's a new wave in student travel. Gone are the days when the typical coach tour of seven countries in two weeks would suffice."

So with those days gone, what sort of trip can you look forward to nowadays?

There are currently more than 20 companies nationwide offering tours of an educational nature. These range from, for example, a week-long exploration of London, a 14-day tour of Europe or a 16-day discovery of the South Pacific. Most of the larger tour operators operate on more or less a worldwide basis offering excursions to places including Europe, the Pacific, Australia, Russia, China and South Africa.
Smaller operators offer tours which can be tailored to your specific needs and enable you to organize your tour to tie in with a particular module you have been teaching in class. For the more creative students in the group, some agencies can arrange for students to brush up their artistic side by taking painting lessons in Provence, or can even organize a pizza making session in Rome!

Most popular tours follow the well-traveled route taking in the sights of Europe such as London, Paris, Rome and Madrid for anything between 11 and 21 days--ideal for language students. “We like to think of the tours as powerful, educational weapons,” says Tina Falcione at CHA Tours.

“They're like appetizers that make students hungrier to come back for more.”
She added, “The children see that the language is no longer words in the textbook, but that it is deeply connected with the people and the thousands of years of culture and tradition. Also, history, art, music, architecture come to life while traveling, allowing students to appreciate them in a completely different way.”

Although these tours obviously have a serious educational purpose, operators are keen to ensure that teachers and students enjoy a stress free time. To help achieve this goal, parties are met by a bilingual local tour guide on arrival at their destination who is responsible for overseeing the rest of the trip and taking care of all the logistics along the way.

From the wake-up calls to the evening meal, everything is taken care of. Let the guide take control, while you take in the sights and enjoy the trip of a lifetime for you and your students. The guide will most likely be with you 24/7 and can give instructional commentary not just in English, but in local languages such as Spanish, Italian or French. So you can sit back, relax and rather than concerning yourself with being the leader of the group, consider yourself a chaperone.

If the thought of spending weeks booking flights, hotels and sightseeing tours concerns you, then worry no more. Operators offer flexible package deals which normally include daily breakfast and dinner, the full time services of a guide and airport transfers, in the price. Accommodation is typically in 3 or 4 star hotels, with students sharing either double or triple rooms with private bathrooms.

The cost may now be the only thing stopping you taking your plans a step further. Well, don’t let that concern you as perhaps the most enticing part of the deal is that teachers can go free with companies such as EF and Voyageur, among others, who offer complimentary travel to teachers taking six or more students.

Many companies also pay out cash stipends to teachers. The more students you take on tour with you, the larger the cash amount you will receive.

If you think you’d like to take along a few adults for the ride, some companies will allow you to bring any member of a student's immediate family. Certain companies charge relatives the same price as the student.

Got your bags packed?
If you’re ready to go, the only obstacle you may now face is convincing parents of the value of the trip. When you've decided on the tour you want to take meet with your principal to discuss the plans. When you have received an official blessing from the school, arrange a meeting with parents and students to present your proposal.

Tour companies will be able to help you out with ideas on how to conduct the meeting and can supply you with posters, packs and everything else you'll need for it to run smoothly.

It is a good idea to enlist the help of your students who show the most leadership potential, as their enthusiasm will be a great help in motivating other students into coming on the tour.

An obvious concern parents may express at the meeting is the safety of their children while they are abroad. Most educational tour operators work with reputable hotels and transport companies, with safety obviously being paramount. Bed checks are conducted each night, usually no later than midnight to ensure all students are in their assigned rooms. For parents’ peace of mind, let them know tour guides are also usually contactable by cellphone in case of emergency.

Parents can also join in the excitement of the tour while being reassured of their children's safety. Photos of each day's activities are posted online by companies such as Explorica to let parents share in the experience and excitement of their child’s foreign adventures.

As Olle Olsson, President and founder of Explorica explains, the safety of students is an absolute priority: “We only work with reliable, tested and screened partners and we visit every hotel, restaurant and transportation company before booking them.

“Our Tour Directors are also screened, trained and supervised by our overseas staff and have to adhere to our strictest rules of conduct. All vendors must have the appropriate licensing and insurance backing before we work with them. In addition to working only with reputable vendors, the technology we empower our staff with, further enhances the feeling of security for both parents and students alike.”

Advances in technology mean that you can now select, organize and book language travel tours using the Internet. Many of the tour companies offer customized trips and a facility whereby once the trip is booked you will receive your own specialized site.

This website is then made available for you, your students and their families to view and enables you to check accounts, purchase insurance and optional excursions.

Explorica’s user friendly website with logins for teachers and students, features a handy function on its home page whereby you can quickly select a tour and get a price. Enter the country of your choice, the length of the visit, a price range and within seconds a potential tour is put before you on the screen. A great feature of many of these websites is that they also offer tips on what to look out for in particular cities, quizzes, fun facts and foreign phrases handy for when you arrive at your destination.

What’s the skinny on costs? Well, a 10-day tour taking in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and England is about $1200 in low season (November-March) and $1500 in the peak season (April-September.)

There are also language immersion programs on offer such as those in Spanish by companies such as AmeriSpan, Encuentros and Spancom. These are run all the year round and the length of the stay is up to the student. They are great opportunities for students to practice their language skills in real life situations, while living with a local family. A typical day involves up to three hours tuition followed by discussion groups and assessments. But it's not all work, work, work--organized trips to cultural and recreational sites are also part of the fun that can be had.
Whether it’s an educational tour or a language immersion program, experts agree that educational travel makes children better students. Gil Markle of passports, says “Less obvious but perhaps more important in the long run is the question of personal growth experienced by young people in a controlled educational environment overseas.

“It makes them learn about themselves, and that's what it's all about. That's why their teachers go out of their way to make these experiences available. It's an intrinsically good thing for all concerned.”

But don't just take our word for it. The educational travel industry is booming. So why not grab the opportunity now, at the beginning of the 21st century, to take your pupils on tour, leaving them with the memory of you as the teacher who helped them to broaden their horizons.