A foreign language exchange or homestay language vacation gives your child an opportunity to immerse themselves in another language and culture. London and the surrounding areas are a popular destination for homestay language vacation students looking to learn English. Visiting London gives your child the opportunity to immerse themselves in the English language with native speakers, and to experience the historical and cultural attractions of the city. London, which is home to some of the world’s most recognisable cultural and historical attractions, welcomed more than 16m visitors in 2013, making it the second most visited city in the world, after Bangkok. Many visitors are concerned that London can be an expensive city to visit. This is accurate to a degree, but if you have the right information a visit to London can be as affordable as any other city. There are many free things your child can do to learn about the history and culture of England whilst developing their language skills. Here are three culturally enriching activities that you can do in London for free:
- St James Park and The Changing Of The Guard The changing of the guard is a military ceremony that takes place outside Buckingham Palace, it features traditionally dressed British soldiers and a military band. The ceremony lasts for 45 minutes, and, once it is finished, you can picnic at nearby St Jame’s Park whilst enjoying the view of Buckingham Palace. The changing of the guard begins at 11:30 on a daily basis during the summer, and switches to every other day during the winter. More Information
- British Museum With more than two millennia of history, London boasts a wide range of museums. The great news for visitors is that many of these, housing collections of national and world importance, are free to enter for all. The British Museum houses a huge collection of world history and art that has been free to the public to view since it opened in 1753. The collection comprises over 7 million objects from all over the world, and from the whole spectrum of history, and includes displays as diverse as geological specimens to animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex: It could take weeks to see everything. We recommend the ancient Egyptian and Greek exhibits, which includes the Rosetta Stone, an essential discovery which led to the understanding the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt. The museum is open between 10am and 17:30 each day, with late opening to 20:30 on Fridays. More Information
- Tate Galleries There are four Tate galleries in the United Kingdom, two of which are in London: Tate Modern and Tate Britain. Tate Modern is housed in Battersea Power Station, an iconic building that was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also invented the red telephone boxes that are synonymous with London, and now famous across the world. This gallery houses works from some of the most famous contemporary and modern artists from around the world, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Henri Matisse. The other Tate gallery in London is Tate Britain, which opened in 2013 and is the national gallery of British Art from 1500 to the present day. For a full list of free museums and art galleries in London see this great listing from Go London