English, French (Ages 14 - 18)

Students: 55 from 15 countries
Staff-student ratio 5:1

Located in the stunning Alpine village of Château-d’Oex, TSLP offers language-learning opportunities that help students strengthen their skills in an intimate countryside setting. Outdoor activities are balanced with frequent excursions to cities, which allow students to practice their target languages in real-world situations. TSLP especially appeals to students who desire a traditional Swiss experience and the exciting activities and excursions that are possible when living in the Alps.

Learn a Language
TSLP offers high-quality classroom instruction in Intensive French or English as an Additional Language along with excellent opportunities to interact in the language of choice. Cultural afternoons, clubs, and off-campus tours are presented in the target language, giving students the ability to use what they learn in real-world situations.

View a summer programs video where our students share their favorite French words and reflect on their fun-filled experience at Château-d'oex.
Activities and Sports Tracks
Intensive Sport Options
All students participate in our focused sports program, with regular meetings throughout the session. All sports are taught by qualified professional instructors who work with students to encourage and challenge them to perform at their best. Students may choose only one of the following options. Sign-up sheets can be found in the information packet emailed to students in the spring. Spaces may be limited.

Outdoor Adventure focuses on developing confidence and self-esteem, as well as communication and decision- making skills, which are all important aspects of good leadership. Students spend six afternoons engaged in highly-challenging activities such as rock climbing, rafting, canyoning, and rappelling/abseiling. They also learn navigation and basic survival skills.

Climbing (indoor and outdoor): This track teaches participants the foundational skills to set up top ropes and begin rock climbing by themselves. A combination of ground school lessons and actual rock climbing covers movement and correct belaying techniques, along with creating top rope set ups and anchors to climbing equipment selection, use, and storage.

Orienteering focuses on the development of self- esteem, communication, and decision-making skills, as well as basic survival skills and navigation. It provides each student with the opportunity to learn about specific equipment and tools, such as a detailed topographic map and compass, used in path and route finding in the landscape, as well as mapping related activities. Effective map reading and compass skills give students a feeling of independence and provide a foundation for safe participation in many outdoor recreational activities.

Intensive Tennis: Certified instructors meet with students three times per week as they improve their skills. The two- hour workout includes drills, stretching and conditioning, strategy, match play, and video analysis. Interested students should bring their own racquets.

Soccer: Students learn and practice the skills and elements that make this the most popular sport in the world. Qualified instructors teach all of the basics of individual technical play (dribbling, passing, shooting) along with tactical team play (1-on-1 and mini games of 4-on-4 and 5-on-5).

Basketball: Qualified instructors teach the fundamental technical skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting, along with some basic tactical aspects such as 1-on-1, 4-on- 4, and 5-on-5 games for the development of team play. Frequent play in a fun and positive environment helps students improve their individual skills and fosters cooperation, teambuilding, and an overall enjoyment of the game.

Arts and Crafts Workshop: As an alternative to enrolling in a focused sports activity, students may participate in the Arts and Crafts Workshop to draw, paint, and learn some of the local crafts.

During the program, students can also choose from a variety of outdoor pursuits such as hiking, whitewater rafting, canyoning, cycling, and a tandem paraglide flight or hot air balloon ride (with parental permission and at an extra cost). The program uses the village soccer field, indoor basketball court, Olympic-sized outdoor pool, tennis courts, and bowling alleys, all located within walking distance of the campus.

Travel
Our fortunate location gives students the opportunity to visit beautiful, exciting locations in both Switzerland and France. TSLP offers three types of travel experiences: afternoon activities, day excursions, and overnight trips. While the transportation for many of these activities is shared with our Middle School Program, TSLP students take part in age-appropriate activities that challenge their perspectives and encourage their development.

Students enjoy day trips to the cities of Lausanne, Geneva, Lucerne, and Bern, where they visit cultural sites, museums, and factories producing traditional Swiss products such as cheese and watches. Our location is near many charming Alpine villages where students can explore the wilderness and traditional Swiss ways of life. Students visit popular sites such as the medieval village of Gruyère, the renowned ski resort of Gstaad, and Montreux, where students attend the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival.

Interested students can end the summer session with an extra six days in Paris, France. Optional Fifth-Week in Paris