I have been improving my french now for many years, using classes and individual lessons both in…read moreSan Francisco and France (many locations). Arcene is the only french tutor I have used in SF, and would not switch to any other. For the price that Arcene charges, he is really unbeatable value for a very skilled teacher. I know all this sounds hyperbole, so some specifics may help; - A part of each lesson is conversation. Arcene is a good conversationalist, by which I mean that he draws out the student with leading questions, and gets the student to talk about themselves. e.g. on my very first lesson with him we went through the vocabulary for my 'life story' - how I was going to introduce myself to others during an upcoming visit to France. - Arcene listens well, takes notes, and corrects after the conversation, point by point, without breaking your flow at the time. He will suggest better ways of expressing things, and use your bad grammar usage as launching points for instructions in some point of grammar (pronouns, tenses, verbs etc). - Arcene would usually then go through a structured description of that point of grammar, whatever it might be, and write down the information at an appropriate level of difficulty, using examples. Sometimes the writing was a little untidy, but I would rewrite these later into my own book anyway. - There is a good mix of technically correct grammar and good daily phrases. - He's quite funny, does not take himself too seriously, and as I can see from the other reviews, many of his students also consider themselves to be friends with Arcene.

Arcene is great. I…read moremet him a few years ago while I was studying for law school classes at Maxfields cafe in the Mission. I overheard his lesson at the next table and immediately wanted in on it. I asked for his info, then I had a few lessons with him before I headed to Paris for a month. I felt like my lessons with Arcene really helped me communicate with Parisians, whether it be ordering breakfast, asking for directions, or exchanging something at a small hardware store (my biggest achievement thus far). Last year, my friend and I asked Arcene to lead our "French Club," which consisted of meeting at a French cafe for some coffee and conversation every other week. Arcene gave us little homework assignments, and was very flexible as far as just letting us do as much or as little as we wanted. I would recommend Arcene to anyone, whether as a supplement to a formal class or just for conversation. He is extremely intuitive at telling where each person is and what they need to know. Plus, he is super interesting so you actually want to figure out what he's saying!

I've been taking Zoom classes with Fernanda for a couple weeks now. It's been going great - she…read morealways comes prepared for our lessons, and I have already improved so much. We have a great blend of conversations and grammar, which has been great for my beginner level.

When I say that finding Fernanda is the best thing to have happened to me this year, I mean it!! At…read morethe time that we started lessons, I was dating a Uruguayan, so I wanted to learn the language to be able to communicate with his family. We are no longer dating, but I now work with Fernanda twice a week -- which is just a testament to the love I have for her and her classes. She has such incredible knowledge of language, and also such a kind and engaging spirit. I plan to continue classes for many years to come. Love you, Fernanda!!

I really like it here. The teachers are very warm. The environment is gorgeous. The work is hard…read moreand there are a great many opportunities to practice. J'aime bien ici. Les enseignants sont les meilleurs.

You learn to speak french in a emersive environment. They also have an extensive library to…read moreexplore! Ils sont fantastiques!

I signed up for classes in February on whim after a deal popped up in an email. I researched it…read morebriefly and decided to go for it since it worked for my schedule and the price was quite reasonable for the number of classes. Fast forward a couple of months and I'm half way into my second session and I've learned quite a bit while having a lot of fun. Classes are conversational, so it's not a whole lot of note taking or just writing things down although we are supplied with a binder and every week we are given handouts for the classes. We do take some notes but it's more about learning a few basics and taking it from there building on the previous weeks lessons. Also, the classes are pretty small, about 12 or less from my experience, so if something is not clear, it's very easy to ask a question. I'm taking a trip to Italy this summer and I have no doubt that I'll ready to get there and put my skills to work.

Studying with Juztino was not what I expected! It is not a boring classroom experience, there are…read moreno desks! You will not learn from a teacher that is two lesson plans ahead of you, he seems to know everything about Italian having lived in Italy for years of his life! You will not simply learn to pass a test, there are no tests! Instead he will teach you a useful approach to speaking Italian! Along with his masterful approach to teaching a very difficult language he incorporates the local Italian businesses into a "culture" in which his students are invited to participate. He even works with Native Italians to introduce his students to the cooking skills and micro-cultures of the Italian way of life! He is not the most tech savvy, shiny classroom, lifeless computer module of an instructor; he is a face to face, etymologically gifted, guitar and flute playing song leader of an instructor (he teaches italian songs to his students). I am so glad to learn from him! It can't be easy to teach me a language but somehow he is making it happen, and in spite of all this learning I am even having a good time! Ciao bello!

I pride myself on knowing the different pastas without asking the server when dining at an Italian…read morerestaurant. Agnolotti, cavatelli, bucatini -- the list goes on! my love for perfectly al dente pasta knows no bounds. Well, the problem became apparent when we booked our trip to Italy a couple of months ago. I freaked out because my Italian is non-existent and so... HOW THE HECK AM I GOING TO ORDER A COCKTAIL AT THE BAR?!?! * well, you speak English of course! * I wanted to be able to confidently order in their language and sure, I can Rosetta Stone my way into learning Italian, but why not learn it from a REAL live Italian? Idesli offers Italian classes twice a week, but it didn't work with my schedule. Carla, the director, was flexible and accommodating. She worked with me to find a schedule that would fit and answered emails promptly. I got six private, 1.5 hour sessions at a fair price. My instructor, Valentina, is patient, kind and engaging. I learned so much with the personalized attention and she always encouraged me to email her if I had any questions. Learning another language is hard! It's like learning how to walk all over again. I'm planning to continue where we left off when I get back from my trip to Italy. I can say that in the short time I've had with Valentina, she taught me the most valuable lesson one can ever learn: the difference of intonation. Did you know that in Italian, penne = pasta, but pene = penis? o_0 You can't exactly order "pene" at a restaurant, right?

I just finished a 10 lesson Spanish package with IDESLI and had a great experience…read more A little background on me: I minored in Spanish and studied abroad in Chile during college but found myself a few years out and faltering in my language abilities. I was presented with the opportunity to travel to Bogota, Colombia for work and began taking lessons with IDESLI to get back up to speed. I can confidently say that after 9 lessons I felt so much more confident in my Spanish abilities. My instructor Monica gave me great feedback and mixed the classes up with conversation, practices, and lessons. She gave me some great resources I can use later on as well. After these lessons I have used my Spanish so much more, in my professional as well as personal life, than I would have prior. I highly recommend IDESLI to anyone looking to take private Spanish lessons in the Bay Area. The private attention I received rivaled any college class I took. This is truly a great value. If I ever find myself needing to freshen up my abilities or to advance my abilities I will be going back to IDESLI.

My son started classes at SF Spanish and he absolutely love it. He enjoys the different topics…read moreevery week and the material that is provided. I will definitely recommend that classes and the teacher is amazing and very knowledgeable.

Unprofessional instructors, rude, expensive, and overall judgmental experience. Don't recommendread more

Sev is an incredible tutor. My brother and I both have been working with him for 6-8 months now and…read morehave experienced stellar results. His rates are very reasonable, especially considering how talented he is. He is very patient and tailors the format to your level, style, and preference. He is also very fun to work with, has a great sense of humor, and is extremely knowledgeable. I plan to continue working with Sev for years to come, and I recommend that anybody looking to learn or polish their French skills gives him a try.

Sev has been tutoring my daughter for three years now, since she was 10. He's a fantastic teacher…read moreand skilled at personalizing his lessons to the interests, abilities, and age of his clients. His lessons for my daughter have involved a combination of grammar and vocabulary, reading and writing, discussion, and fun things, depending on the mood. On a nice day they might walk around the neighborhood talking about things as they go. Or (more when she was younger) they might watch silly videos and talk about them--in French of course. He's incredibly good at figuring out what will get her interested and talking. Now that she's older they converse like adults. It's been fabulous to watch her progression with him. With Sev you will get not only a very skilled teacher, but one sensitive to the needs of his client and the needs of the moment. Whatever you are looking for in your French lessons I am absolutely sure that he can provide. And he's a fabulous person to boot. Do yourself a favor and contact him! You will be so glad you did.

We love the Sentence Center! My daughter started there in 3rd grade, and her writing skills have…read moreimproved tremendously since then. At the time, she often struggled with what to write and how to complete her assignments. After enrolling in their writing classes, she improved not only in her writing but also in her critical thinking skills. Now she can organize her ideas, start writing with confidence, and complete her assignments independently. We are very grateful for the support and guidance from the Sentence Center!

My son (8th grade) has done this camp two years in a row and both times has had a great experience…read more Chino and his team are fantastic. They make an effort to get to know each kid and their interests. They make the online format fun, including some chatter about personal interests during the zooms. They also reach out to parents and offer positive and constructive feedback about each child's writing. I was initially looking for an in-person camp but I think the zoom format actually works well for a writing camp. Each day has a specific theme and each participant has to read out their essay to the class. I believe my son's writing skills and confidence has grown due to this camp. We will definitely do it again!