What families say after a week at Speak Teens
Results speak louder than promises. This page collects the feedback we receive most often from parents and students after camp — alongside the measurable outcomes that explain why families return year after year and recommend Speak Teens to friends.
What parents observe
The feedback we hear most consistently from parents is not about grammar or vocabulary — it is about confidence. Students who left reluctant to speak English in class come home willing to try, faster to respond, and less afraid of making mistakes.
Parents also notice changes that go beyond language: greater independence, more openness to new people, and an ease with cultural difference that takes some teenagers years to develop. Living alongside native-speaking peers from multiple countries for eight days accelerates that process.
A sample of what families tell us after camp:
- “He spoke more English in those eight days than in three years of school.”
- “She came back so much more confident — not just in English, but in herself.”
- “The friendships he made with the Teen Anglos lasted long after the camp ended.”
- “I expected improvement in English. I didn’t expect the change in her attitude to other cultures.”
What students say
Students are often more direct. The things they mention most:
- The one-to-one sessions — speaking freely with their Anglo without classmates listening
- The variety of accents — British, Irish, American, Australian — and how quickly they adjusted
- The activities — the forest adventure park excursion, Team Challenge, evening events
- The friendships — with Teen Anglos and with other Italian students they did not know before
Many students ask to come back for a second camp. Some do — and report that the second week builds on the first in ways that feel qualitatively different.
Measurable outcomes
For families who want a formal assessment, the Cambridge English Skills Test is available at the end of camp. As an official Cambridge test centre — one of the first in Italy — Speak Teens can deliver the test on site on the final day.
The test is optional. Many families find the confidence shift and the week’s experience sufficient evidence of progress. For those applying to English-medium schools, international programmes or simply wanting a certified benchmark, the CEST provides a recognised result that can be referenced in applications.
Trustpilot and Google Reviews
Speak Teens holds a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot and a 5-star rating on Google Reviews from over 100 verified family reviews. These ratings are maintained across both Italian and English-language reviewers and reflect the full experience — academic, pastoral and logistical.
Reading the reviews directly is the most honest picture of what camp is like. We encourage families to do so before booking.
What changes in eight days
The most common question we hear before camp: will one week really make a difference? The answer, consistently, is yes — but not in the way most parents expect.
The vocabulary gain is real. The grammar practice is real. But what families notice first — in the car home, at dinner the same evening — is something harder to measure: a student who is no longer afraid to try.
Returning students
A meaningful proportion of students who attend Speak Teens return for a second camp — either in the same year (Camp 1 then Camp 2) or the following summer. Returning students report that the second experience builds on the first in ways that compound: new Anglos, deeper conversations, greater willingness to take risks with language.
Both camps run in July 2027: Camp 1 (3–10 July) and Camp 2 (10–17 July), at Valbonella, Bagno di Romagna. Ages 10–17.
