Language Villages
Concordia Language Villages is an educational phenomenon. Equal parts exciting summer camp and full-immersion language academy, the Language Villages is hands-down the fastest, most effective and most fun way for a young person to learn a new language.
What are the Language Villages?
Every summer, 6,000 kids aged seven through 18 converge on scenic Turtle River Lake outside of Bemidji, Minnesota, 140 miles north of the Concordia campus. For one-, two- or four-week sessions, students live in architecturally faithful “villages” from around the world where they hear and speak nothing but Spanish, German, French, Norwegian or one of 10 other global languages.
How We Teach
With the help of specially trained counselors and teachers—many of them Concordia students, alumni and faculty—kids are immersed in both the language and culture of the target country. They eat authentic food. They dance to authentic music. And they fill their days with engaging, creative activities—producing radio shows, playing sports, cooking, making regional crafts—all in their new language.
As a Concordia student, you can work at the Language Villages on weekends or during summer break and earn valuable language and leadership experience while touching the lives of an amazing group of kids.
Special Programs
Since the first summer Language Villages was founded in 1961, the program has expanded to include month-long, for-credit sessions for middle school and
high school students, year-round
adult and family programs, the
English Language Village for foreign international students and the
Global Language Villages in China and Mexico.
Concordia Language Villages is literally world-famous. Bill Clinton sent Chelsea to Waldsee, the German Language Village, for six straight summers. International ambassadors from all over the globe have come to visit and praise our facilities.
Visit the
Language Villages Web site to learn more about our teaching philosophy and explore in depth all of our 14 languages (coming soon—Portuguese!).
