When I say that finding Fernanda is the best thing to have happened to me this year, I mean it!! At the 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!! read more

Fernanda is a very intuitive, empathetic and energetic teacher, and each time I have a class with her, it is over before I know it. Her classes are a mix of conversation, grammar, translation and even some written expression and she teaches in a very lively manner using materials such as a workbook, magazines, film reviews and homework assignments in her lessons. She knows how to coax conversations out of me, elementary as I am in Spanish. Every time I finish a class, I am newly excited about improving my Spanish. I highly recommend her classes! read more

I've been taking Zoom classes with Fernanda for a couple weeks now. It's been going great - she always 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. read more

Fernanda is a remarkable Spanish language instructor. Her pedagogy emphasizes a holistic approach to language learning that makes language acquisition more intuitive and enjoyable. Highly recommended. read more

During Covid, Fernanda has done an excellent job making sure we can safely and effectively continue to learn Spanish without interruption. She's taken to utilizing Zoom for classes, and this makes it super easy for our small group to get together and practice. While I think many of us are super tired of Zoom, I've gotta say that taking a class is so much better than "Zoom happy hours" and other social get-togethers, which can be incredibly awkward and make for cumbersome conversation. By comparison, the class format works just fine and I am super glad that I get to see these folks each week so I'm not going crazy in my own little apartment. If you have the luxury like me to use this pandemic to focus on growing and expanding your knowledge, try her out! Fernanda is a great teacher. read more

I took online (virtual classes) with Fernanda, she was always prepared and had a well thought out lesson plan. Always patient and demanding with a smile! read more

I've been fortunate to take lessons with Fernanda after seeing a flyer on a community board and she's been a wonderful teacher. I learned Spanish at home as a child but did not speak it consistently for years and decided to seek out personalized lessons since online programs didn't work that well. She's been offering lessons to me online since my work schedule doesn't allow for in-person tutorials and she's very flexible. I've noticed quite a difference in my language skills since we've been working together. Highly recommend! read more

Classes with Fernanda are excellent for learning and socializing remotely. I take an advanced Spanish group class (5 people) with Fernanda via Zoom and she utilizes a number of different learning modalities (conversation, grammar exercises, textbooks, film, and literature) to ensure that all learning types are supported and engaged. My Spanish has improved immensely and I know that I've also benefited from the love and guidance Fernanda provides on all things. I would recommend any Spanish learner from beginner to near-fluent to study with Fernanda. She has an excellent grasp of grammar (for beginners) and literary and art theory (for those looking to engage with the Spanish-speaking world). read more

I took Spanish classes this past summer with Fernanda and in just that short time saw a great improvement in my comprehension and speaking ability. She's an incredible teacher and a really sweet person who was always accommodating of my ever changing schedule. Her classes are very relaxed and are really just a great way to get consistent practice speaking. Would highly recommend to Spanish students of all levels! read more

Fernanda is an excellent Spanish teacher. It's been really fun learning Spanish with her, I love going to the class! She is patient and quickly identified the aspects of the language that I need to practice more. This way I feel like I'm learning quickly. We've been having day-to-day conversations in person, practicing the vocabulary I need to know to be able to socialize in Spanish. She's also been sending me material so I can practice by myself. I highly recommend classes with her! read more

Fernanda is an excellent teacher and really accommodating. I was in a small group (Fernanda, myself, and one other student), and my skills improved really quickly. I always looked forward to the lessons. I would highly recommend Fernanda. read more

It's taken me a long time to seek out Spanish lessons again after taking classes in college. I didn't practice for years afterwards and lost a lot of what I'd learned. Working with Fernanda has helped me to regain confidence and gradually feel like I have more of a command of the language. She quickly spotted areas I could work on that would boost my ability to have more sophisticated conversations, and I already feel myself steadily moving towards fluency. Beyond her excellent teaching abilities, I also appreciate her interest in her students' lives and well-being and enjoy meeting in her home to catch up and dive in to my Spanish studies. I look forward to gradually recovering the vocabulary and knowledge of grammar I've forgotten. I would highly recommend working with Fernanda on your Spanish skills! read more

Fernanda is an excellent teacher. I have been taking group Spanish classes with her for several months now and have seen an improvement in my grammar and speaking confidence. She always makes class fun while doing a great job of keeping everyone on track. She balances casual conversation practice with the necessary evil of grammatical and written exercises. I am learning while feeling like I'm just passing times with friends. Her fees are reasonable and I definitely feel like her classes are a great value for my dollar. Highly recommend! read more

I have been studying Spanish with Fernanda for only a few months, and in those few months my Spanish speaking skills have increased dramatically. I really did not expect to learn so much so quickly, by only meeting once a week - and to this I credit my amazing teacher. Fernanda has an incredible ability to make learning a language seem so easy and attainable. She is professional with a warm personality, which creates a relaxed environment for some intense learning. If you are thinking of taking a language class, but intimidated by the idea of a conversational environment, take a class from Fernanda - you won't regret it.... just don't try to take my time slot. read more

I saw a flyer for private and small group Spanish language instruction posted in a neighborhood coffee shop (Glen Park). I have been wanting to study Spanish for several years and never seemed to find the time. I decided to start with private classes. I hope to get quickly up to speed so that I can join a small instruction group soon. Also, I decided to take advantage of Fernanda's summer special- a reduced hourly rate for 3 hours of instruction per week during the month of August. I feel a much greater sense of commitment in this environment. Best decision I have made in a while. read more

Fernanda is a great teacher, I've been struggling with Spanish since high school and her instruction has helped me so much. I needed to improve my Spanish for work and Fernanda has made a huge impact on my ability to communicate with my Spanish speaking patients. I have a crazy schedule and Fernanda is always gracious and flexible, I've been able to take one-on-one classes as well as classes with 2 to 3 other students. She does a great job of pairing you up with classmates at similar levels of proficiency and having another person to converse with (even if we're both struggling) ands to the learning process. read more

My husband and I signed up for a series of Spanish classes with Fernanda about 8 weeks prior to leaving for a three-month stay in Costa Rica. My husband had some prior knowledge of Spanish, but I was starting from scratch, which was quite daunting. Fernanda is an enthusiastic and patient teacher who walked us through the basics and had us apply what we learned through conversation. By the time we left for our trip, I had some of the basics down and a great foundation on which I could build. I looked forward to our classes because she made them fun, interesting and relevant - for example, she taught me how to explain my work and my thesis, which came up often in conversation on my trip. If you would like to learn or improve your knowledge of Spanish for work, a trip, or just for fun, I highly recommend that you give Fernanda a call today! read more

This is my first Yelp review, and one that I should've written a long time ago. I have been studying Spanish in one of Fernanda's small group classes for four years. During this time, my Spanish has improved considerably. Fernanda keeps classes small -- between three and six students -- which provides everyone with ample airtime during each hour and a half session. During class we spend time speaking, listening, reading, and learning grammar. Fernanda provides a direction for the group and each class, yet she remains open to the learning desires of her students. Her engaging teaching style means that many students have been regulars for years. When I decided to take Spanish classes four years ago, my apprehension to inquire about classes was the hardest part. Once I overcame that fear, Fernanda made everything else easy -- from the assessment of my level to the integration into a group. I've seen her kindness again and again in the way she treats both new and long-time students. Whether you want to start or continue your Spanish journey, I would highly recommend reaching out to Fernanda. read more

I have been using Fernanda's services for the last several years, both as a Spanish and English (for native-Spanish speakers) teacher for some of my employees, and as a Spanish teacher for myself. Everyone I know who has taken classes with her has nothing but wonderful things to say. Her classes are engaging, fun and very comprehensive. She has a gift for matching students to others at a similar level, for pushing you to stretch outside your comfort level (SO important in a language learning class!) and for incorporating art, culture, music and travel into the lessons and discussions. I look forward to continuing my own education with Fernanda, and to also sending my employees to her to build their own foreign language skills. read more

After spending a month in Buenos Aires, I was determined to learn Spanish. By chance I found Fernanda, who happened to be Argentinian and exuded a passion for teaching Spanish and her culture as much as I had the appetite to learn. In a short time, she was able to teach me vocabulary, grammar and I even started to write short essays. I left the country for many years, but now I'm back and have the intent to re-engage with Fernanda to learn Spanish again. Fernanda has a special gift for teaching Spanish while motivating with culture, stories, poetry, and travel. read more

Fernanda is a wonderful Spanish teacher! I have been taking both private and group Spanish classes with Fernanda for over a year now, and my Spanish has and continues to progress immensely. She knows exactly how to progress the classes so that they remain challenging, interactive, and extremely fun. Every class is different, and she always has literature, activities, homework, etc. prepared, which keeps each class interesting. I would absolutely recommend Fernanda's classes to anyone looking to learn Spanish! She's great! read more

I have been learning from Fernanda for three months now and my Spanish has improved immensely. She is incredibly patient which is good because I can be a frustrating student. I recommend Fernanda without hesitation. read more

I have been learning Spanish with Fernanda for about 4 years. She is a great tutor who will give you different materials to explore while learning Spanish. I think the best part too is how she supports me whenever I make mistakes - she is always graceful at it. From past experience, some tutors can be too hard on their students and in effect, I lose interest in learning. Learning a new language, to me, is insatiable and thanks to Fernanda, she always makes it interesting =) Thank you for scaffolding the lessons for me and making me understand it with better confidence. See you soon! read more

Fernanda is the best teacher: positive, smart, interesting, engaged. Our class learned so much in just a few months.

This is a long overdue review for an excellent teacher. I could only take lessons once per week due to my schedule but Fernanda made sure that I still progressed each time I saw her. The homework outside of class was enjoyable to do. For example, Fernanda noticed I loved music and recommended a list of groups and musicians to listen to and we would learn Spanish by going over the lyrics together. She adjusts the subjects covered in class to what you want to learn and your interests which I really appreciated. I always looked forward to our lessons and always felt so welcomed. read more

Fernanda is a great instructor who makes lessons fun. I recommended her to anyone who wants to learn from "the real deal". We read literature, talk about movies and do grammatical exercises. Each week she finds a way to engage us with new material. Magazines, stories, songs poems, etc. No one is allowed to speak English and she does not just let us chitchat. She is alert and immediately stops us and corrects a statement that might be incorrect in a very friendly manner. This way we learn a ton just by talking ! Its amazing. I look forward to her lessons each week and I have learned a lot! M read more

Fernanda Monmany is a terrific tutor, and I could not recommend her more highly. I have been working with Fernanda for about a year, and I have learned so much. In each class, Fernanda manages to cover an array of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, verb conjugations, and conversation. She is very good at tailoring her classes to the interests and needs of her students, both in terms of meeting her students at their skill level and in her ability to select topics and create assignments. One of my favorite things about studying with Fernanda is that her own interests in art, literature and film shine through, as she exposes her students to new filmmakers and writers and artists from Latin America and Spain. (Now there are new Latin American poets, films and writers I'd never known before that I love!) Her style is friendly and easy. I took group classes with her, and she matched us well by level. Going to class feels like going to coffee with friends. She is very focused on conversation, and deftly engages all her students in the conversation, regardless of their level. Homework was interesting, creative and relevant to whatever we were learning. She also has a strong understanding of the fundamentals of the Spanish language. She's very thorough about correcting her students, but always in a way that encourages us to understand the grammatical rules, correct ourselves, and help each other find the right words. Finally, Fernanda is extremely professional, pleasant, organized and flexible, always striving to work around the busy schedules of her students. Above all, Fernanda is a lovely person who is clearly passionate about her work and wants to ignite in her students a love of the Spanish language, arts and culture. In sum, Fernanda is a fantastic teacher and the combination of her skills, passion and creativity--combined with her genuine interest in seeing her students learn--make her a joy to work with. read more

Fernanda is a patient, creative native speaker who individualizes classes to the student. She has been incredibly flexible about scheduling my private classes in Bernal Heights. To help me with conversational Spanish, she has been very intuitive in arranging small groups. There is optional "homework" and a small course book for beginners - which I love - because, honestly, I wouldn't speak or write Spanish the rest of the week without this motivation. Fernanda is a natural educator, who appears to genuinely enjoy being a teacher. A rare find nowadays - I strongly recommend her as a teacher. read more

My daughter is in 2nd grade and has been taking weekly group classes with one of Fernanda's teachers, Laura, for the past year and a half or so. Pre-covid, Laura was able to come to our house which was amazing and really helpful for our kids who had already had a long day at school. During Covid, she has miraculously been able to keep the kids engaged and enjoying their time together through Zoom. She keeps it interesting enough for them through games, etc. To be fair, my daughter complains about going (she'll thank me later) but during every class, I hear her giggle, laugh and participate, and she is absolutely learning. It is so wonderful to hear her speak Spanish! Both Fernanda and Laura are friendly, sweet and fun, and they have been so accommodating when we've had kids drop out of the group, new kids join, and had Zoom glitches. They are also very open to new ideas. I highly recommend them! read more

After spending time in Barcelona I was keen to keep improving my Spanish. I was lucky enough to find Fernanda, who allows me to keep learning at a pace which fits well with a busy San Francisco work life. Her classes are a great size, big enough to allow conversation between the group but also small enough so she can work on each students needs. Fernanda is warm and friendly, and she makes sure to keep the classes fun and interesting which is why she has students who return year after year. read more

I studied Spanish with Fernanda for over three years one-on-one and with a another student at a similar level of proficiency. With Fernanda, I indulged in my love of literature and poetry. Each class felt very personal and customized to my interests and language development needs. I especially appreciated Fernanda's vast range of interests, which made for intriguing conversations. She is very skilled at structuring conversations in such a way that they are enjoyable and natural while strengthening grammar. I also wrote essays on the texts and poems we read together, improving my written Spanish. She is a really warm person, and I looked forward to my classes. I recommended Fernanda highly! read more

I have been taking group lessons with Fernanda for almost 2 years now and it's been a joy! My Spanish has greatly improved, and I've learned a lot about the culture, music, literature and art of the different Spanish-speaking countries. Fernanda's warmth, humor and patience allow every student to feel comfortable, and I really appreciate that she provides extra materials (radio shows, short stories, film recommendations...) for us to keep honing our skills after class. Plus, her fees are among the most affordable in the city. I highly recommend taking a group or one-on-one class with her! read more

I've been taking classes (group and private) with Fernanda for almost one year, and I've loved it! She fosters learning by balancing a comfortable learning environment with clear, organized curriculum that is never dull. She shows a genuine interest in the lives of her students and in the topics that interest them. I always leave feeling challenged and curious to learn more. In many ways she's one of a kind. I'm grateful to have her as a Spanish teacher. read more

Fernanda was exactly what I needed as a tutor, both personable and professional. I needed to test out of Spanish to complete a graduate degree requirement. I had taken Spanish many years ago but only remembered bits and pieces. She customized her approach to meet my timeline, needs, and starting skill level. I highly recommend her services. read more

I have been a student of Fernanda's for many years and would recommend her services highly. She creates classes that are creatively attuned to the needs of the student's time, talents, interests and budget. She is highly professional and experienced in the art of teaching adults a new language. If you want to learn spanish for any reason, you will succeed and have fun at the same time with Fernanda. read more

We have been thrilled with Fernanda! She is teaching my 12-year-old daughter and a friend Spanish once a week. The girls love her style of teaching and the classes themselves. Fernanda has made them feel comfortable while helping them enjoy the process of improving their Spanish. read more

I have been studying Spanish with Fernanda for almost ten years now in both group and private lessons. She is an amazing teacher and incorporates film, literature and art into classes. She's also great at tailoring lessons to your needs or interests (i.e. special vocabulary for a trip or work). Not only has my Spanish improved immensely, I also truly enjoy our classes. She is kind and patient and we always laugh a lot. I can't recommend her enough. read more

Fernanda is the best language teacher I've ever worked with, and I've studied with quite a few. She has a deep understanding and feeling for Spanish that goes far beyond grammar and vocabulary. She is patient, resourceful, and most importantly, extremely interactive with her students. Her humor, playfulness, and gracious manner make studying with her a real joy. read more

I had zero Spanish experience when I first started. I took lessons with Fernanda for a month before my trip to Peru. I really enjoyed Fernanda's approach of teaching. My trip was so much more enjoyable because of Fernanda!!! read more

As a beginner, I studied Spanish one-to-one with Fernanda for about 4 months while living in San Francisco on sabbatical and progressed amazingly fast in conversational Spanish, grammar, and reading and writing ability. As others have said, she is warm, knowledgeable, professional and patient and turns the conversation to topics of interest to both of us--ranging from what we did over the weekend to recipes to what kind of food I planned to buy on Mission Street--while the reading material focuses on literature, which she knows is my area. I was happy to be able to read even a selection from Isabel Allende, as well as Eduardo Galeano and others. Now I have to find someone like her at home! read more