The class went way too fast. Too much info to soon in a short time frame. The instructor, was good but he was forced to follow the curriculum which again was too much too fast too soon. Classes were too long at 90 min each. Too much for the truly beginners mind to absorb. We dropped out after 3 weeks. read more

Does Berge's have any in class learning, I am not very good with the computers/online , I think I would do much better with a class room atmosphere read more

II have taken over ten online language classes from various schools in French, Japanese, Chinese and Italian, and I looked forward to working with Berges on an efficient, cheap solution to learning Spanish. I loved working with the various teachers, especially Silvana, who kept the coursework interesting by offering her anecdotes and conversation practice for the first 10 minutes of each class. Berges uses the Graf Method, which is great for learning Spanish basics and practical grammar. The classes, unfortunately, mostly focused on grammar, even though conversation should be embedded in language learning. (I understand Berges had conversation classes, but the Basic Conversation Course is only available if you are taking or have completed Level 4.) Each class had various levels of Spanish learning per student (understandable), but many of the slower learners held the class back. People taking a single trial lesson disrupted the course more often than usual, and I felt the teachers tried to incorporate them into the class structure, but they never returned. The teachers did their best, and I enjoyed working with one of them. However, in another class I took, the teacher was sporadic and was replaced by two teachers on multiple occasions before another teacher completely replaced them. You get used to learning with a certain teacher, and I understand things come up in people's lives, but communication with the students regarding this was not handled appropriately. Regarding the homework and the book, I could have been more impressed with the quality of Berges' book. I had ordered a physical copy from Amazon before the administration put them on the website halfway through my course. When I received the book, it was damaged and felt cheap. The text in black-and-white A4 paper with some grammar mistakes, which the teachers would point out, cheapened the product greatly. The homework also was just translation and paragraph writing, which is good, but it could be better (there's also no answer key). The reading could have been more inspiring and interesting than other language class workbooks I've used. Every class homework took 30 minutes to cover. I won't get into the website as I've seen a major improvement since I started. Still, many Berges teachers need to mention the podcasts and other media available, which is a shame because it was very hard to find other media and materials for learning Spanish with Berges. Other teachers at different language schools knew of readily available workshops that Berges lacked. There should be more workshops outside of grammar and conversation that includes culture, happy hour, a book offer, or even doing yoga in Spanish. Overall, it's a good language school and program that can learn much from student reviews. I have seen improvements with the website; the staff, especially Victor and Silvana, were amazing with communication. Much more progress can be made to distinguish Berges from other language schools, as I want to see Berges succeed with its great potential. read more

Growing up, it was mandatory that we take Spanish in school starting in Pre-K, however I never felt fluent and I'd been telling myself for years that I would find a class and really become fluent. I'm so glad that I found Berges. The prices are really reasonable and their classes are very effective. I feel a little more confident about speaking in Spanish after each lesson. I started in level 2 where I had Vanessa as a teacher, she was very funny, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. I'm now about to finish level 3 with Nicolas who is also an extremely personable and helpful teacher. For each level, there are several sections available to fit most people's schedule, and if you ever miss a class you can take a makeup class another day. I will say that not all of their instructors are as good as Nicolas and Vanessa, which I learned after taking a recent makeup session. I won't mention her name, but she had no energy, was not friendly, didn't seem to recognize half of her students and kept forgetting their names throughout the course of the class (nearing the end of the 10 class section, this definitely stood out to me), and often finished their sentences when they were trying to answer questions in Spanish. Maybe they needed a few extra seconds to think of the right word but she didn't really give them a chance. Any class that you take with Nicolas or Vanessa will earn a 5 star. I'm sure there are other great teachers there who I have not met. read more

Berges Institute Spanish Classes - Level 2 textbook, see topics covered at the bottom - Language Schools Near Me - New York, New York

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I just completed the Level 2 course and I am very happy with my abilities at this point. I can formulate sentences and can read and write well. Spanish is spoken quickly so it's still hard for me to comprehend when listening. But I feel that's to be expected at this level. Yo terminé Level 2 y estoy muy feliz. Yo puedo leer y escribir muy bien. Yo puedo habar bien cuando yo tengo tiempo pensar. Yo tengo dificil comprendiendo cuando personas hablan rapido. Pero, esta OK para ahora. I started at Level 1 (Absolute Beginners) with Monika as my teacher. I took Level 2 with Julia. Both were very good teachers. I used a Groupon so the first level was only $89 ($9/session). You'll find that when you complete a level, there is a 15% discount offer on the next level ($237 or $24/session). In fact, I took advantage of a "Black Friday" special and my Level 3 (starting next week) is only $199 (29% discount, $20/session). I spoke with others who take language courses and these are very reasonable (and low) prices. 15 total hours per level, 1 1/2 hour classes each week, and small class sizes. My last class was 7 people. One comprehensive test at the end of a level. The fee also includes the workbook. I think that supplementing the classes with outside meetup groups and finding ways to practice speaking and listening comprehension would be helpful to me. That is not to diminish the foundation that these classes provide. I believe that this applies to any language learning process. So, bottom line, a very good experience, nice and informative teachers, a good foundational instructional program/method, small classes and all at a very reasonable price. read more

Completed Level 2. I can read Spanish better than I can speak it. They offer students the opportunity to make-up missed courses for the week. They also offer one-on-one sessions, although they are a bit on the pricey side for me. Still they are flexible with payment plans. Berge's has been a great resource to me in providing structure/teaching new material in my language journey. read more

Berges Institute Spanish Classes - Level 2 Complete. I may not be the best student, but this is literally a miracle from where I started in high school! - Language Schools Near Me - New York, New York

I chose Berges because of all of the positive reviews I read here, but I'm not gonna lie, I did not enjoy my experience. I was super excited to get started because I had been wanting to improve my Spanish, but each week that I attended, my enthusiasm dissipated. I took Level 2 Spanish and often felt ignored or overlooked when he was seeking participants and on more than one occasion I had to raise my hand and let him know that I was in the class too. Mind you, I sat smack dab in the middle of the very small classroom, so I was hard to miss. I also felt as though we spent way too much time going over the homework from last week instead of focusing on new material. I did inquire about switching classes, but that time and day were the only ones that worked best for my schedule. Anyhow, to me, Spanish class is supposed to be fun! And instead I did not feel great about it, which sucked, considering that I paid the same amount that the rest of the students paid to be there. No bueno. read more

I found Berges on a Groupon for Beginner Spanish right as the pandemic was hitting New York pretty hard. When I started the beginner course, I had ZERO knowledge of the Spanish language. My course was actually online (as opposed to their standard in-person courses pre-pandemic) and I thought my instructor Julia was great! The class was pretty small and I though the syllabus and materials were easy to follow. By the end of the beginner course, I was able to have basic conversations in present tense with my classmate and teacher! I signed up for the next level and can't wait to learn more! read more

I wasn't able to finish the course due to unforseen circumstances- however, the classes I were able to come to really helped. The professor was really nice and helpful. I never felt timid to try to speak Spanish. He was able to create a welcoming learning environment that gave everyone a chance to try, it was great. You are able to find a great deal on Groupon if this is a place you want to try out first. 4/5 read more

I am so glad I started taking classes at Berges! When the pandemic first hit, I decided to finally start learning Spanish to take my mind off of everything that was happening in the world. I took classes at a competitor and had to keep taking the same course over and over again- it was very heard to progress. Then I found Berges. I signed up for Level 2 and finally things started clicking for me. If you put in the time and follow their method and do the homework, you will learn Spanish. My teacher, Nelson is so patient and kind. I'm taking Level 3 now, which I never could have done without using the Berges method. read more

I took both Level 1 and Level 2 with Julia. She is the best teacher ever. She is extremely patient and she reviews everything that we had learned from the previous class. I have learned a lot of Spanish and I found the Institute to be exceptionally helpful. I would definitely recommend the Institute to people that want to learn Spanish for the first time or for people that have forgotten Spanish. read more

I finally understand the subjunctive! For years, my Spanish has been stuck at an intermediate level, as I had trouble with the subjective, conditional and imperative. Nicolas was my teacher for Level 5 and he explained everything so well! I feel a lot more confident now. I followed up the Level 5 class with a conversation class, which also gave me the space to practice what I've learned. Highly recommend this school! I had a great experience. read more

I just completed the Spanish for Absolute Beginners course and had Edgardo as my instructor. He is an excellent teacher and he made the class interesting and fun. The content was delivered at a good pace for beginners and we had homework after each class. It wasn't overwhelming but it did get more challenging as the course progressed. I enjoyed the class very much and I am continuing on to the Level 2 course. Berges offers registered students a discount on their private lessons as well. I took one during the Beginners course and will likely take a few during the next level as I found the extra practice and support very helpful. read more

I took the absolute beginner class via the normal Groupon deal. The school is well run, the facilities are nice, and the email system is really neat. I definitely recommend trying this school to see if it works for you. Ultimately the style of teaching wasn't for me. Granted I could have studied more. I found much was taught directly from the book that the teaching didn't add as much as I would have hoped. Additionally, because the class is so short (1.5 hrs) where half is spent reviewing the homework (which often I couldn't check the right answer because students read their answers which make them hard to understand) you are rushed through new grammar concepts. And, because you are limited in time, once you finish a topic you completely move on, so prior topics are not reinforced to be sure you really understand. As for their "Graf Method " it seemed like the usual language approach with grammar and vocabulary. I don't see what was different than the standard language classes we all took in high school. The beginner class is taught almost entirely in English. I get this is easier to teach but it's not how humans learn languages naturally. As a result, I found my auditory comprehension development extremely hampered (yes, one can/should watch Tv shows etc outside of class to assist). I often needed to see things written out in order to comprehend (which is a normal result of this approach as most of the brain exercise is via visual written exercises). I also found myself translating back and forth from Spanish into English. Ultimately, I believe a language class just one time a week make it difficult to really teach anything well. It's just too infrequent and 1.5 hrs is too short a time. If the class was more frequent, say 2x a week, (which would make it more expensive) I think it would help. Again, I very much recommend trying this school. It's really a great way to get your feet wet learning Spanish. If it works for you, it's an inexpensive way to study up a new language. read more

I took Beginner level Spanish with Karen and she was a great teacher - ver friendly and knowledgable. Her clarify and explanation of the concepts made it easy to understand and progress each class - she was also willing to answer questions about vocabulary and local colloquialisms outside of the scope of the course which was helpful. She also provided us with extra worksheets apart from the homework to better help us grasp the concepts etc. I would highly recommend Karen and the Berges Institute for anyone hoping to learn Spanish! read more

I had been wanting to take Spanish classes forever however due to my work and schedule i was never able to. I found out about Berges Institute on Groupon a decided to take level 1. I signed up for classes with Maria who was amazing! She was very personable, structured and made class interactive and fun! I will continue to take all of my classes with Berges institute if they continue to do them online! I already signed up for level 2 in January. read more

This is my first Spanish school. I found the deal on Groupon. After I tried level 1, I do love to continue more. Now I was in Level 3 and will keep studying. The teachers all are nice and understand me, the school is flexible for me to have make up class. However the higher class, the limited schedule. But I would still recommend this school to everyone who willing to learn. Hope my real comment will help you all. read more

I have had only positive experiences at Berges Institute. The instructors are all great. They are all native Spanish speakers and very friendly. The curriculum is well structured. I highly recommend this to any New Yorkers looking to learn or brush up on their Spanish. I started studying Spanish with Berges Institute in the summer of 2017. I started with Absolute Beginner and progressed through Level 4. I then took Basic Conversation and am now studying Level 5. I recently went to Mexico City on vacation, and I was able to navigate reasonably well in Spanish. My plan is to continue on to Intermediate and Advanced Conversation classes once I finish Level 5. They are flexible in terms of letting you makeup a class, if you need to miss one. The private lessons are also reasonably priced, so you can also makeup a class that way or just take a private lesson to help you advance. All in all, a great place to learn Spanish. read more

I really like it here. My instructor is Alejandro, who is super goofy and hilarious. He does a lot to make beginner's Spanish engaging and enjoyable. The work books are also great-- very helpful and not at all confusing, as I find many language workbooks-- plus they are included in the price of the class. I got a Groupon for Beginners Conversation and the deal was phenomenal. Something like 10 classes for $70 or something insane like that. I had low expectations for the class, assuming that since many people would be here through the Groupon it would be not so great. However, though the vibe from students is casual, my instructor takes it very seriously. The Midtown location is a little meh, but it's very convenient to get here from all over the city. My one qualm with Berges is that they do a lot to cater to students-- weird that I have a problem with this, yes, I know-- but hear me out. They allow you to make up class by showing up in someone else's class for the day you missed. This is great, but it can also be frustrating, because you have randoms coming in and out of the class, some of whom are unprepared which slows the class down. People don't come on time to the class, which means it rarely starts on time, which makes me feel like my time is wasted when I am punctual. There are a lot of interruptions when people come in late, which happens nearly every day. So being the nerdy teacher's pet that I am, I guess my problem is more with the students' rather than Berges. I wish they would have a bit tighter policy on attendance, punctuality, etc., but I do appreciate the kindness, flexibility, and respect that they give to their paying customers. I'm definitely interested in taking the next level up (which does not have a Groupon), and I believe that the class will be a bit tighter in a more advanced class. Definitely recommend! read more

I signed up through a Groupon, making this an incredible value ($92 for the 10-week beginner course). My instructor was Monica, and she was excellent: professional and fun at the same time, patient and challenging at the same time. The course book is well organized and builds nicely on previous lessons. As for negatives, one frustration was to see the size of the class diminish week after week, limiting the diversity of interactions that would have made for more conversational exposure. As this was a beginner class, and the cost of entry for Groupon users so low, I suppose it is to be expected. I would expect the more advanced classes to see less attrition. Additionally, not all students took the course as seriously as others (or myself), requiring delays that should have otherwise been unnecessary. Lastly, although this was the beginner course, I would have liked to see more conversation weaved into all of the memorization (as pronunciation was definitely an issue for many). And the final exam was only multiple choice, allowing too many opportunities for guessing correctly through process of elimination (not a sufficient test of our nascent ability). A more challenging exam would have required we construct sentences ourselves. However, in summary, I would definitely look to take more advanced courses here. read more

Julia is so great! I took the level 1 course with her and learned so much. She is patient, kind, and such a fantastic teacher. The class moves quickly enough to stay interesting but so enough so it's not overwhelming. I've already signed up for level 2. Thanks Julia and Berges! read more

I just finished Level 2, I did not take level 1, I continued from my knowledge from college/high school of spanish. I scored an 86% on my final. PROS--Monica was a great teacher with a personality. It was truly a pleasure to sit in her class each week. The content was relevant and helped me get to a functional level to travel around Colombia for my business trip in Bogota. The flow of the course went well and I will be enrolling in Level 3 since my experience was acceptable. CONS--Some of the other students were clearly not as serious about taking the class and would slow the rest of us down because they haven't put in the time to practice. This was frustrating, when we spent time going over basics they should know. Berges does offer private one on one lessons which would be a solution for me to this if they weren't as expensive. Perhaps level 3 will be less frustrating since its more advance. I also wish they did more oral tests or had more exercises that allowed us to engage in dialogue. read more

Alejandra is a wonderful teacher of beginners. She makes it fun and anxiety-free while effectively introducing a language -- the language we in this country should all know already! Berges is well-sequenced, and the classes are kept small enough to get a lot out of it. I'm excited to proceed! My boyfriend and I are continuing with Ale for Spanish 2. read more

I have been taking classes at Berges for a few years now, and it is always a great experience. All of the teachers are helpful and encouraging, and conversation classes are structured but allow us to also direct conversation so everything flows naturally. I took my most recent class with Nelson Navarrete, who is funny and makes great corrections during the class without interrupting the flow of conversation. I will be continuing to take classes at Berges. During COVID, Berges has been doing virtual classes, and while I'd obviously prefer to be in the classroom, the 2.5 classes I've taken virtually have all gone smoothly. read more

I've taken Level 4 and 5 classes (with Rolando & Nelson), and going on to Advanced Conversation next. And I would happily retake level 5. The school is great. Classes are small. The instructors, while all having a different style, all make sure to engage each student in conversation so that you get to practice speaking as well as learning grammar. There is a large emphasis on homework. About 1/2 the class is spent reviewing it. If you don't like homework (confession: I did it only a handful of times), you better find other ways of drilling & memorizing - I read books in Spanish several hours per week. The experience/level of fluency of other students varies, with a good number of very advanced/fluent students, which makes the classes great. I look forward to class every week. EDIT: As the most effective language-learning tool I have found (and I tried literally everything as I was obsessed with learning Spanish), I recommend Brainscape Spanish. This flash-card learning app took me from zero absolute beginner to intermediate student, to the point that once I got a tutor, I started speaking fairly well within the week. It costs about $30, is only available for iPhone and is the best $$ I've ever spent. Blows away any other app/game/learning system. You get grammar and vocabulary in a way that's structured and conducive to learning. I cannot recommend it highly enough, it was a game changer. Duolingo is a waste of time in comparison. Brainscape is how you actually learn. And yes, I also highly recommend taking a class at Berges. read more

My Spanish class with Nelson is the highlight of my week. He is such a good teacher and makes the class so fun. Very quickly, our class became a little family because of him. I signed up for the next level halfway through! read more

The best! Maria is the best teach ever, you get so much out of her classes. I am so happy I chose Berges. They are also very helpful and send you Spanish learning tips, make up classes are super easy, they are very flexible. Hands down the best. read more

I took Beginner Level 1 with Berges and was generally happy with my results from the class. Still, my review is at least partially dependent on the amazing Groupon deal for this course (a very low price for 10 classes). I'll break down the good and bad: The Good: - The teacher (Andres) was very good. He was easy to follow and understand, and he did a nice job answering questions. - The workbook is helpful and I like the homework assignments each week to reinforce lessons. There was a solid structure to the course. - The online class only had 5 students, so the teacher to student ratio was quite good. I was pleasantly surprised by this (but note: I started the first class in their Manhattan classroom before switching to online, and there were 15 students to just 1 teacher which severely limited verbal practice). The Bad: - The teacher was scheduled for back-to-back classes, so we consistently started class 5 to 10 minutes late (while ending right on time). Over the 10 classes, I lost about an hour of lesson time which was frustrating. This is on Berges, not the teacher. - We spent too much time reviewing homework sometimes, which limited the time for new learning. Also, some students repeatedly missed classes or hadn't done the homework, so we had to re-review basic concepts which held me and the other students back. - There was very little conversational practice, and the teacher spoke mostly in English. I know it's a beginners course, but it'd be nice to practice for back-and-forth conversation a little more. - Berges substituted out my teacher on the last two days of the course, which was frustrating since those were review days and we had 2 new teachers rather than the original teacher. read more

I've been trying to learn Spanish for several years. I'm conversational in French and German but Spanish has been challenge. Not at Berges Institute. I've been taking group and private lessons for about 8 months and I'm reaching a conversational level in Spanish! Their program is structured with rolling enrollment and hours that fit all needs. If you're seeking to become conversational or fluent in Spanish, I highly recommend Berges Institute! read more

I took beginning Spanish with Alexandra Valencia and she was a very engaging and fun instructor. She is knowledgeable and was able to answer our questions as they came up. She encouraged us to speak Spanish aloud both with her and in conversation with classmates. My class was very small (it was late at night) and I enjoyed hanging out with them and learning each week. In terms of curriculum, the pace feels pretty slow. On the upside, that means it felt like we really got a handle on the content for each week. On the downside, I wanted to feel a bit more challenged and get into some deeper content within the 10 weeks of this course. For example, speaking in the past or future tenses doesn't come up in the beginner course. I started to feel like I didn't really need to go to class because I could learn it through the textbook at that pace. I have studied a few other languages (in high school, college, and night classes) and it seems like that's just kind of the deal with night classes, but I would've liked it to move about two times as fast. I can't say enough good things about Alexandra- she was really great and I highly recommend learning from her. read more

I highly recommend Eva, who was my instructor for the Spanish Level 4 grammar class. She is fun loving, patient and clear. I learned so many terms in this class! read more

I took 2 sessions of Spanish classes, with mixed results. Pros: -- Daniel is a great teacher. I had him for Beginner Level 1. He explains the grammar and vocabulary clearly and integrates Spanish conversation flawlessly into each lesson, so that each student is hearing and answering questions entirely in Spanish for the full 2 hours. He moves at a quick but manageable pace through the textbook, so you really learn a significant chunk of material each week. -- The class sizes are very small. Both of my classes had about 6 students. You really get individualized attention if you have questions. -- The textbook comes with the class and is a lightweight packet. -- The center is close to a lot of train lines. Cons: -- I took Beginner Level 2 with Veronica, and she spoke English for about 90% of the class. She went into a lot of tangents, telling stories about her life / talking about pop culture / random stuff, all in English. That class also moved very slowly through the material. After 3 or 4 classes, I stopped going to evening classes because I felt so unmotivated, and I ended up just memorizing the materials in the textbook on my own. -- There is no makeup policy if you miss a class, unlike other Spanish schools in the city, such as Taller Latino, where you can just go to another class session in the same week. Berges Institute offers a discount on a private class if you miss your group class, but it's still too expensive to be worth it. read more

In an attempt to finally (and formally) learn Spanish, I came across a Groupon for the Berges Institute. There seems to always be a Groupon available so if it's your first time, be sure to look for that deal. The location my classes are being held are off 32nd and 5th ave. on the 8th floor. My instructor, Luis Godoy, is from Mexico City and made everyone in class feel completely comfortable. Since it was a beginner class, most people didn't speak a word of Spanish. A workbook is provided and you meet once a week for 1.5 hours. What you do outside of class is up to you. If you truly want to learn, then you do the homework, you study and you find ways to practice in between classes. If you do what they suggest you do...you will learn Spanish. Luis makes himself available after class for any additional questions you have or help you might need. If you miss a class, you can join one of the many other days and times within the week to make up the lesson. The value, the quality of the instruction and the material they give you is not only a great deal, it's fun! read more

Berges Institute Spanish Classes - Workbook given in class 1 - Language Schools Near Me - New York, New York

I finally found a spanish language school that works for me! I've been periodically taking spanish language classes in NYC over the last two years. (I've never really gone beyond Level 1 or beginners b/c I've been trying out different schools with either a Groupon or a Living Social coupon; trying to find a school that I like and that works with my learning style.) Many of the concerns I've had with these other language schools - like not knowing what will be covered in class beforehand - ( see my reviews of some of these other schools) were addressed by the classes at the Berges Institute. I've taken Level 1, Level 2, and will be taking Level 3 in a few weeks. What I really like about the classes here, is that for each level you receive a booklet that covers everything you'll be learning about in the respective level, so you know exactly what you'll be covering in class. Also, there is homework so what you learn in class is reinforced at home AND we actually go over homework in class ( which rarely happened at some of the other schools I attended.) And the homework is manageable - not too much where you feel overwhelmed week to week. The teachers are wonderful! I've had Dan and Vanessa. They reinforce concepts outlined in the booklet by having us constantly speak in class. Sometimes it's based on information presented in the booklet, which is helpful because we can use the information in the booklet as a model, and sometimes it's just speaking on our feet in class, which helps us internalize the information. The cost of the classes is very reasonable and once you've completed a course, you are offered a discount for the next level within a 6 month period. I highly recommend taking spanish language at this school and am glad I finally found an approach that works for me! read more

I have taken 5 (enrolled in my 6th) classes at Berges Institute and I cannot say enough good things about them. The professors come from a variety of different places and the curriculum is well structured and cohesive. If you are looking to brush up on your Spanish grammar I recommend the course work, but if you want a place to go and speak for an hour and a half each week the conversation classes are excellent. I have had Monica, Alexandra, y Nicolas and they all have very effective teaching styles and fantastic personalities. Victor at the desk is extremely helpful as well. :) read more

Absolute Beginner's Spanish Instructor - High energy and engaging. Really keeps class interested on a Friday night - no easy feat! Class Organization - The class feels very quick. Very little student talk time and pair work. School - The school itself seems fine. A decent deal price-wise. I don't care for the GRAF method for beginners (personally). I don't like that the class is 99% English. I personally don't learn that way, but I can understand how some learners would prefer that. I prefer spending as much time as humanly possible in the target language or I'm not challenged. What to Expect - Expect to have a good time learning and working with equally energetic students. The method is very approachable for beginners, I just found it much too easy to keep my interest. I signed up with Groupon, and I'm really glad I gave it a chance. This class is great for those who are shy or want to feel a little more secure before venturing into speaking in front of others. I'm giving this a 4 because I can see the value and I understand what some people may be looking for. If you have ever taken a romance language and achieved any level of proficiency, skip this particular class. Definitely make sure that it's the right level before signing up. See if you can stop in and ask about placement tests. read more

I am currently finishing up Level 1 with Jennifer. I got an amazing Groupon deal so was skeptical - but the class is great! I am definitely signing up for Level 2. I've taken other language courses at other places and this exceeds them. They are very flexible about makeup classes which is great for my schedule. I've taken makeup classes with Nelson and he is a great instructor as well. I can't recommend this place enough. My Spanish is better now than it was after my semester abroad in Spain (although I barely studied and mostly partied while there ) read more

Very professional Spanish school in midtown. Instructors are great and the learning material is excellent. The facility is conducive to learning. Took private lessons and highly recommend them to improve in a short amount of time. The catch is you must study a lot to get the most value. My wife and I took 12 individual lessons over the course of three weeks. We were paired with a single instructor each, which helps with continuity. The first day started with a brief conversation assessment to determine where you start among the five levels. In the end, my wife finished levels 1-3 and I did levels 3-5. We took classes to study for a placement test (CLEP) we need for a peace corps application. I exceeded my goal and we expect my wife to do so as well when she takes the exam in a few weeks after finishing the material on her own. (We only had 21 days in nyc). Also, I can say my conversation skills improved. I can also read Spanish language newspapers now without too much trouble. My wife, who had not been studying before as I had, gained a solid foundation for further self study. Each lesson was an hour and we did roughly 2+ hours of homework in between lessons. The material is grammar intensive and the concepts are reinforced through lots of exercises. (The homework also has some entertaining readings adapted from short stories). You go over homework at the beginning of the next lesson. Classes get more conversational as you proceed through the upper levels. However, If you don't do the work, you are selling yourself short. Our instructors were Nelson and Nicolás. Both were fantastic! If you can commit the time and want to improve quickly, I highly recommend private lessons. read more

I have a pretty decent grasp on beginner Spanish from work, friends and trying to teach myself through apps and such so I tested into the 3rd level at Berges. I took the course with Alexandra Valencia (virtually, during COVID) and I thought the class was amazing with her. She constantly asks questions and gives everyone a ton of opportunities to practice both listening and speaking whatever lesson is currently being taught. She is super nice, fun and helpful, she makes speaking a lot less scary. I don't think the text book layout is amazing, I think it has some issues with the design and difficulty finding certain topics, but content wise, the information presented is pretty easy to understand and also the homework was pretty helpful (I honestly wish there was extra practice in addition to the HW) and the lessons were definitely worth it. I feel way more comfortable with presente progresivo, preterito imperfecto, reflexive verbs and direct object pronouns. I definitely recommend, I'm already signed up for level 4. read more

Taking classes at Insituto Berges has significantly improved my Spanish. I have taken three classes here so far and now feel confident speaking Spanish in public. Two of my classes were with Alejandro who is not only an amazing teacher, he adds a strong level of practicality to learning the language. He is unbelievably patient and adds humor to his lessons, which made a lot of concepts and rules stick in my mind more. read more