Concordia Language Villages
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Concordia Language Villages | |
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Address | |
901 8th St. S. Moorhead , Minnesota 56562 United States | |
North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement | |
Communities served | all 50 U.S. States, more than 25 countries |
Alumni | Chelsea Clinton |
Website | concordialanguagevillages |
Concordia Language Villages (CLV), previously the International Language Villages, is a
Villages
There are architecturally and culturally authentic village sites (Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Russian, and Spanish) located near Bemidji, Minnesota on Turtle River Lake. There are also leased sites throughout Minnesota, as well as abroad in Switzerland and China.
The road connecting the permanent villages at Turtle River Lake to the
Several
CLV consists of 15 villages:
- German: Waldsee (est. 1961)
- French: Lac du Bois or Les Voyageurs (est. 1962)
- Spanish: El Lago Del Bosque (est. 1963)
- Norwegian: Skogfjorden (est. 1963)
- Russian: Lesnoe Ozero (Лесное озеро) (est. 1966)
- Swedish: Sjölunden (est. 1975)
- Finnish: Salolampi (est. 1978)
- Danish: Skovsøen (est. 1982)
- Chinese: Sen Lin Hu (森林湖) (est. 1984)
- Japanese: Mori no Ike (森の池) (est. 1988)
- English: Hometown, USA and Hometown, Europe (est. 1999)
- Sup sogǔi Hosu(숲 속의 호수) (est. 1999)
- Italian: Lago del Bosco (est. 2003)
- Al-Wāḥa(الواحة) (est. 2006)
- Portuguese: Mar e Floresta (est. 2008)
Each village is named "Lake of the Woods" in its language (as the villages are situated in the woods next to a lake) with the exception of the English villages "Hometown, USA" and "Hometown, Europe", the Portuguese village "Mar e Floresta" (meaning "Sea and Forest"), and the Arabic village "Al-Wāḥa" (meaning "the oasis"). The Japanese village "Mori no Ike" translates to "Pond of the Forest," but this name was chosen in lieu of the more-literal translation (which would use 林 hayashi 'woods') for length and ease of pronunciation.
Village culture
Villagers use CLV-issued "passport" booklets to manage their camp bank account and familiarize themselves with the use of a real-life passport. Villagers also go through "customs" upon arrival, which includes the storage of phones or other devices with internet connection, non-target language literature, and food (perishable items are disposed of).
Each language village site has numerous traditions, many of which are related to meals and songs. Meal presentations, in which each food and its name are presented in a short skit before each meal, are a language tool implemented by almost all programs. Many villages also put on a
The cuisine in most villages reflect the ethnic cuisines of the target language. At
The fusion of American and foreign cultures gives rise to linguistic phenomenon referred to as "
Village activities
A typical day at one of the Villages includes cultural and typical summer camp activities. In the target language, villagers might go canoeing, create art projects, play traditional music, practice yoga, play ping pong, or make a film. Camp songs and daily skits are an integral part of the village experience, including at mealtimes, as are jokes, games, and weekend dances, all of which surround campers with the language.
Villagers may sign up for two-week or four-week programs, the latter of which are accredited academic programs which gives students high school credit via "a thematic curriculum, experiential immersion techniques and performance-based assessments."[5] To earn the 180 hours to gain credit at a high school, villagers attend multiple structured classes during the day with a higher level of focus on reading, writing, listening, and conversation. "Credit villagers", as they are often referred to in English, are still able to participate in all-camp activities such as evening programs, sports, arts and crafts, and other unique offerings in each village.
Programs
Concordia Language Villages has offered a 10-day, 4-credit graduate level course for teachers in second languages and immersion, along with various adult programs to serve its diverse audience, not all of which are offered in every language. High school credit abroad programs were formerly offered in China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Cameroon, and Argentina.
During the summer, CLV serves youth with villages in the United States. Villagers can stay for one week, two weeks, or four week programs, and it is possible to earn high school or college credit for the time spent being immersed in the language. Wilderness programs during the summer offer additional opportunities to spend time in the outdoors of Minnesota for those who enjoy the environment, exploration, and camping. Many camps also offer other themed programs, such as
Between September and June, CLV offers weeks and weekends of immersion for adults, families, teachers, and school groups. These programs meet over weekends and long weekends, and each school year has a theme for its weekend.
International Day
During each half of the summer, all the camps within driving distance travel to Waldsee, the German camp, for a day-long festival of cultures called International Day, or I-Day. The camps bring out their wares and each has a booth of ethnic food to share, and each camp prepares a short closing performance to share. Each year has a different theme. Additionally, campers in every village learn a choreographed dance to the year's "I-Day song" during the two weeks preceding I-Day. This is a song from a language not covered by the camps; everyone dances to it together during the festival. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, International Day has been postponed until further notice.
International ties
Notable visits
Over the years, Concordia Language Villages has been visited by numerous dignitaries and supporters, including:
- Spanish Consul General Rodrigo Aguirre de Cárcer (1983)
- German Ambassador Peter Hermes(1983)
- German Ambassador Günther van Well (1987)
- Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson (1991)
- Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton (1991 and 1992)
- Finnish Ambassador Jaakko Laajava (1998)
- German Ambassador Jürgen Chrobog (1998)
- Austrian Ambassador Peter Moser (2002)
- Ambassador of Norway Knut Vollebæk (2003)
- Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Wolfgang Ischinger (2003),
- Italian Consul General in Chicago Eugenio Sgró (2003)
- Finnish Consul General in New York Jukka Leino (2003)
- Finnish Ambassador Jukka Valtasaari (2004)
- Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein Claudia Fritsche(2004)
- Deputy Chief of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany Klaus-Peter Gottwald (2005)
- Deputy Chief of Mission of Sweden Caroline Vicini (2005)
- Counsellor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy Kirsten Hammelbo (2005)
- Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Klaus Scharioth (2007)[6]
- Second Secretary for Cultural Affairs at the Russian Embassy Irina Khortonen (2007)[6]
- Swiss Ambassador Urs Ziswiler (2008)
- Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka (2008)[7]
International patronage granted
His Majesty King
In 2009, Tove Irene Dahl, the dean of Skogfjorden, was named a Knight of the First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway for the advancement of Norwegian language and culture in the United States.
Johannes Rau, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany has also granted personal patronage to Waldsee, the German Language Village. This patronage is symbolic of the strong bonds between the people of Germany and Concordia Language Villages.
References
- ^ "Language Immersion Programs | Concordia Language Villages". www.concordialanguagevillages.org. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
Concordia Language Villages is a program of Concordia College, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Located in Moorhead, Minn., Concordia College is a private liberal arts college and a recognized leader in global education.
- ^ "Methods". Concordia Language Villages. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ "School Groups". Concordia Language Villages. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Robertson, Tom (2006-07-10). "Concordia unveils Arabic language camp". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "High School Credit". Concordia Language Villages. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ a b [1] Archived October 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "German Missions in the United States". Retrieved September 26, 2008.