News

Announcing Mar e Floresta, the new Concordia Language Village

Since 1961 Concordia Language Villages has offered a summer language-immersion camp for young people aged 7-18. In July 2008 it will add a Portuguese-language Village, Mar e Floresta ("Sea and Woods"). During two-week immersion sessions, participants will study the language and take part in a variety of educational and cultural activities typical to Portuguese-speaking cultures. Mar e Floresta will be located at a camp facility in northern Minnesota.

Concordia Language Villages offers 15 world languages to 11,000 youth, families, and adults from all 50 states and 32 countries yearly. The addition of Portuguese is in keeping with its tradition: teaching critical world languages and cultures to pre-collegiate young people.

During two-week immersion sessions, Mar e Floresta participants, known as villagers, will be surrounded by a supportive staff of native and non-native speakers. Villagers need no previous knowledge of Portuguese to participate. Instruction will be given in small language-learning groups according to proficiency levels.

Villagers will also take part in a variety of educational and cultural activities to familiarize them with the music, dance, songs, crafts, games, and foods representative of Portuguese-speaking cultures. In addition to language and cultural immersion, all of Concordia Language Villages’ programs focus on global studies. Villagers participate in discussions about peace and cross-cultural understanding, helping to bridge the gap that can often occur between cultures.

The Portuguese Language Village received a grant of $300,000 from the Luso-American Foundation to be used toward the start-up costs of the new program. The funding will also support curriculum development, staff training, and community outreach for the new Village.

Founded in 1961, Concordia Language Villages has long been a nationally recognized leader in language and cultural immersion education. This unparalleled program gives participants self-confidence, cultural acuity, and critical thinking skills which foster a love of learning and achievement that is valuable in all walks of life.

Concordia Language Villages is a program of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, a private, four-year liberal-arts institution with a strong commitment to international education. Concordia Language Villages is accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, and the American Camp Association.

For more information, registration materials, or staff employment opportunities or to contribute to Mar e Floresta, such as posters, books, clothing, and artifacts, to create a more authentic experience, please go to the Concordia Language Villages Web site or contact our office at 1-800-222-4750.