Andrea is phenomenal. I've been meeting with her regularly for a year and a half, and she is really special. I've studied multiple languages with many teachers (~6 teachers for Spanish, 8 for Mandarin, 2 for Japanese, French, Swedish...), so I feel I have a good sense of what makes a good teacher. In Andrea's case, she has so much going for her! She is truly a treat to work with. She is great at finding interesting materials. She pulls from all sorts of sources depending on what we need to work on... this could be interesting youtube videos, movie recommendations, or exercises with comic strips. She is inventive at coming up with interesting ways to study the language and drive home points that I might be struggling with. She has a strong technical background. She really knows the language very well. She is also very aware of the different contexts in which spanish is spoken. In my case, I have a background with rioplatense spanish, which is the spanish spoken in argentina (where she is from) and uruguay. As we study, she's great about qualifying vocabulary... "in a business meeting, you'd say this, but in argentina, you'd say this." As someone who has mainly spoken in informal settings, it has been very useful to put what I know into context and improve my speaking in a variety of contexts. She has other interests. Most language teachers do, of course, but in Andrea's case, she is also a painter and artist! The fact that she has a life outside of language instruction means no end of interesting things to talk about. As one improves in a language, you stop just focusing on pure grammar and vocabulary, and being focusing on how to actually express yourself naturally on a variety of topics. As such, it's important that you study with someone you feel you can talk to! I've had so many interesting conversations with Andrea about a full spectrum of topics, and she has really helped me express myself more and more naturally. She is capable of tailoring her instruction to what the student needs. In my case, I really need someone who can help me refine my spanish, and take ok spanish and tell me how to make it much better spanish. Where other teachers have found it difficult to pause a conversation to discuss some vocabulary or grammar, Andrea has been consistently wonderful. She is very genuine, and cares about her students and their progress. I love working with her. And if you have the pleasure of running into her significant other, John, or her cats, you'll see that her whole home is full of warmth. read more

"I have learned from Andrea in only 4 months far more about the Spanish language than I was able to learn from 2 years of countless larger classes, audio programs and study guides. Each lesson with Andrea has improved my vocabulary, conversational skills, comprehension and comfort with the language. No two classes are the same, and I am certain no other instructor brings more experience, knowledge of the Spanish language and culture, and positive energy to her teaching. I am a better student and lawyer for having been under her wings." Dan A. Womac Attorney/Social Worker "I have studied Spanish for approximately 8 years. This study included 4 years in high school, 3 years in college, 3 years of private classes in NYC and 3 months of intensive Spanish study in Latin America. Throughout these years of study, I have learned Spanish from at least 15 different teachers. Without question, Andrea Cukier is the best Spanish teacher that I have had. I believe that the high caliber of her teaching skill stems from two main sources. One source is her thorough and highly accurate knowledge of both the Spanish and English languages. Because she is able to understand both languages so well, she is able to quickly and effectively explain differences in the languages, determine the source of a student's confusion with regards to the Spanish language and use logic and precision to clarify grammatical rules. The second source of Andrea's teaching skill relates to Andrea's creativity. Andrea constantly thinks of new and fun ways for her students to learn Spanish. In addition, her methods almost always include an opportunity to learn something about the culture of a Spanish speaking country. I find this added learning opportunity fascinating and it works to enhance my motivation to continue learning Spanish. My Spanish has improved greatly with Andrea and I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone interested in learning this beautiful language." Karen Dockery Human Resources Manager, Council on Accreditation read more

Andrea is truly a special person, and a fantastic teacher. She's a native speaker from Argentina (with near flawless English as well), and has a sincere passion for language studies. Her knowledge of the structures and intricacies of the English and Spanish languages is deep, and her ability to articulate this insight in her lessons is profound. Andrea is kind and warm, and has a lovely home where she conducts her lessons. She was always quite hospitable, offering me tea, coffee, or water, and I looked forward to my time with her every week. Her lessons were based around my skill level and strengths and weaknesses, and they never felt monotonous. For private one-on-one lessons in Manhattan, her prices are very reasonable, and she tries to make her schedule as accommodating as she can. I already had a generally good grasp on Spanish grammar and vocabulary from years of classes in high school and college (and from studying abroad in Madrid), but Andrea helped me understand rules and concepts that I previously hadn't been aware of, and brought my skills to a higher level. I'll be leaving for Bogotá in three weeks to teach high schoolers English for eight months, and I'm glad that I had Andrea to help prepare me for this next adventure in my life. read more

If you have at all been thinking about learning to speak Spanish or, like me, have made various failed attempts in the past, you absolutely must take lessons from Andrea. She is a native Spanish speaker (from Argentina). Her teaching is informal, focused on the conversational aspects, while integrating grammar at your own pace without textbooks or heavy written exercises. Her sessions are an absolute pleasure, as she puts you completely at ease, thereby removing the usual tension over making mistakes. Lessons are customized to your personal situation and progress, and she is completely flexible. Andrea is fantastic. You can not do any better. read more

Andrea is an absolutely amazing teacher. I was so lucky to find her earlier this year, and really wish I'd found her before - my Spanish would be amazing by now! She tailors the lesson to what I need to learn and my varying levels of familiarity with topics. She's a real professional and her classes are a great learning experience, but they're also so much fun! We started speaking in Spanish right from the first lesson - she made it seem easy and natural. She uses a variety of materials and approaches and it never gets boring. Some people are just natural born teachers, and Andrea is definitely one of them! Can't recommend her highly enough! read more

I loved my Spanish lessons with Andrea. I studied with Andrea for a year and my knowledge of the language is so much greater than when I started. She correctly determined that my main weakness was in understanding the spoken language, so while still working with me on vocabulary and grammar, she talked with me herself (my favorite part of studying with her were the great conversations we managed to have in Spanish) and had me watch videos in class and on my own of people speaking in different accents. She is a great teacher, and I highly recommend her if you want to learn or improve your Spanish. read more

Andrea is a wonderful Spanish teacher. She knows how to break things down and troubleshoot, which is especially helpful when students feel stuck. After about 7 months working with Andrea, I felt much more confident and competent in my Spanish-speaking, comprehension, reading and writing skills. What's more, she's incredibly creative and a lot of fun to work with. I agree with every positive review I've read about her. Lastly, she's very patient and non-judgmental. Plus, she has three wonderful kitties. I love coming to her apartment. I feel right at home. read more

I have been taking lessons with Andrea since March of this year and in just 5 months I have learned so much. She teaches Spanish in a way that is functional and easy to understand. On top of being an excellent teacher, her warmth and kindness towards her students is unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere else. Andrea is also very accommodating with scheduling. All around I'm very pleased with the instruction I have been receiving. I have been a lot more confident communicating with native Spanish speakers and I owe a lot of thanks to Andrea for that. read more

Andrea brings an energy and positive attitude to her teaching that is highly effective for the process of learning and makes the entire lesson a pleasure. She is attentive, supportive, and makes each session a truly engaging experience. Also, her knowledge of grammar, syntax, and other aspects of language, especially Spanish, is quite thorough. Most importantly, Andrea makes the language accessible and concrete, while giving the student the ability for real communication with others in everyday life. read more

Andrea has been absolutely fantastic. My daughter was struggling in Spanish 2 (High School) and needed help in both homework and testing. She is extremely patient and encouraging. She uses several techniques to help you understand the material. She is very flexible with her schedule. I highly recommend Andrea! My daughter is always excited to see her and understands the material when she leaves. She will be continuing with her next semester for sure! read more

Andrea tailored our lessons to my level of comprehension with great patience and humor. Her private tutoring was just what I needed to fill the gaps I had from the high school Spanish I took many years ago. She uses text books, newspapers, popular music, poetry and even PBS telenovelas to supplement her lessons. Never critical and always understanding, she is an excellent teacher for students at any level. I highly recommend her! Colette W. read more

NYC Spanish has helped me improve my language skills in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years. Every class is engaging and Andrea uses many different tools - videos, recordings, websites, even cartoons - to work on grammar, comprehension and conversational skills. It's so much fun you don't realize how much you're learning. Her teaching method is practical and applicable and, most importantly, it gets results fast. read more

If you want to learn Spanish, there are few people who have the patience and sensitivity that she does. She loves her language and her culture, and she shares that with you with a contagious enthusiasm. She creates an honest and useful engagement with the language that is not filled with boring, unrelated grammar exercises, even though she know her language. I had a wonderful time studying with her. read more

Andrea Cukier is a FANTASTIC private tutor! She's very engaging, creative and makes lessons fun! She tutors speakers of all levels and has the unique ability to make you feel at ease while guiding you to achieve your next level of fluency. No two lessons are the same and they're always based on your need/interest and effort. I wish I'd been taught this way in high school! read more

Andrea is a very gifted instructor. She makes learning so enjoyable that you don't want your lesson to end. What is even better is her ability to build your confidence level with each lesson, which is critical to learning a new language. I recommend her highly to anyone who wishes to speak beautiful Spanish. read more

Andrea is very professional in her manner, striving to achieve the highest level of excellence in all that she does. I am remarkably impressed with her skills and talents, hard work and dedication, and attention to detail. She puts her heart into her work and her students. read more

Dedicated, thoughtful, personable and patient are just a couple of words that describe my experience. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking to learn Spanish. The best part is the convenience as she made every effort to accommodate my busy schedule. Gracias por todos!!!! read more

As an instructor, there is none better than Ms. Cukier. Her approach is eminently practical, immediately applicable, results in solid learning. You can't go wrong with NYC Spanish. read more

Andrea is patient, understanding, engaging, and funny. She makes learning Spanish feel natural.