Hi, I highly recommend this Academy and in particular our great teacher Francesca Lorenzon…read more Francesca is an excellent teacher, who truly cared about me and the rest of our class. She made sure that we learned about culture, geography and language. She always welcomed our questions and was just fun to be around. This carried forward into the overall classroom experience where all had a good time and ended up going out to lunch every few weeks. I studied Italian for eight months to prepare for my trip to Italy and highly recommend Francesca and the Academy. Joe

I have been taking Italian language and literature classes with Polyglottist Language Academy off…read moreand on since 2017. I initially started taking classes because I had planned a trip to Italy for the summer, but after my trip I was motivated to continue. I have since returned to Italy 2 more times. I've taken Italian classes with several instructors including but not limited to Sole, Valerie, Cinzia, Oscar, and Francesca. I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every class. The instructors are knowledgeable, patient, and eager to create a positive and enriching learning environment. Olga has been even more accommodating in light of the difficulties that arose with COVID-19 social distancing protocols, even allowing classes to take place on Zoom. I would 100% recommend taking classes with this academy!

I have been taking classes at Centro Latino for 4 years now. The entire time I have been working…read morewith Ximena, and she has been so great as a teacher. She cares a lot about my learning individually and is constantly catering the class to my strengths and weaknesses. We play fun games, listen to spanish music, learn about the history of various countries and their people, and do it all in spanish as a double-learning opportunity. I went from not remembering any of the spanish I learned in high school to being able to understand and converse more confidently than I ever have. The classes have emphasized proper grammar but also really help with interacting socially and in certain situations with spanish speaking people. I have used the skills I've developed to have many full, 30+ minute conversations with people in spanish speaking countries, and it's given me an opportunity to connect with people I wouldn't have otherwise. Highly recommend them.

I like the teachers in this school. They are engaging and knowledgeable in their grasp of Spanish…read more However, the school has little control over what is actually taught in class. I recently finished beginner 1 and moved on to beginner 2 with a different teacher, and found it almost impossible to adapt to. It turned out that my first teacher combined materials from different sessions. Also, the teacher in the second class was giving out handouts and assignments from an older edition of the textbook. As a result, even though I bought the book, I still had to copy the items from the teacher's book because each edition has different page numbers and homework questions. I wish there could be more uniformity in this school.

Great teachers, kind staffs! The lectures are good quality!…read moreBut the price is inexpensive I took TOEFL class. My English skills were so improved I think I've made a right decision

I took TOEFL with Adam. He is the best teacher ever I had in my entire language course: 18 months…read more He is fun and motivating. IIC Oakland has a decent size campus, student teacher ratio is super good. Very good for studying. Their SF campus are conveniently located in but Oakland are spacious and newer. Teachers are in Oakland enthusiastic. Do you want to learn life in America? come to Oakland, right next Jack London Square, you can walk down the harbor walk. grab some sandwich from subway, get some ice cream in Ben and Jerry. IIC has got flexible schedule.

The founder of Bay Language Academy, Essia Bouzamondo-Bernstein, is an incredible woman in my book!…read moreShe started this business as a way to help others since language is one of the most important ways we connect with one another. My youngest son has been taking Mandarin for about a year now and he just loves it, which amazes me since he's usually so particular, but he adores his teacher (even the new one) and the curriculum is both engaging and interactive, which has helped him retain what he has learned. Now my oldest is also taking the same class, and his review of his first day was "awesome!" This is a high quality program at a very reasonable rate. Your child will benefit so greatly from learning any of the many languages they offer (I know they offer French, Russian, Korean, Spanish, etc.), and even you and other adults would also greatly benefit to learn a new language or refresh an old one. Lastly, their location is just breath-taking as they're situated within the Harbor Bay Business Park that oversees the tranquil ocean and beautiful San Francisco skyline, which is just icing on the cake.

My daughter loves taking French classes there!read more

Toastmasters has literally changed the way that I communicate professionally and personally, as…read morewell as enhanced and improved my leadership abilities. I thought that this was just a public speaking club when I finally joined 2 years ago! Little did I know that I would gain the courage to stand up and speak in front of my peers, thanks to the supportive environment in this club, as well as learn how to think quickly on my feet, and become a better leader. This particular club was a great starting point for me, as the people are friendly and nice, the membership base is a younger demographic than other Toastmasters Clubs in the area, and there is no pressure to speak if you do not want to get up in front of a small audience just yet. An added bonus is that I have made friends in the club, as well as recruited my friends outside of the club to join in the fun. Yes, it's FUN to give prepared and impromptu speeches, to give evaluations of other people's speeches, and to become a club officer to collaborate with fellow club members. The new location at The Kensington is stellar! It's no wonder that two other Toastmasters Clubs also meet here. It's clean, well-lit, has lots of seating and tables, a good speaking space, and its own side entrance. I highly recommend Toastmasters as an organization, and this club specifically. Don't wait to gain confidence! If you want to impress hiring managers at job interviews, learn how to respond quickly to questions out-of-the blue, learn how to give presentations at work, or just want to network and socialize while learning new skills, check out Toastmasters!

I have been a part of the Toastmasters community for the last 5 years and it has truly been an…read moreincredible ride. The fact that we have the opportunity to not only improve our communication skills, but also enhance our leadership capabilities makes for a valuable experience. The Walnut Creek Toastmasters club has been around for 10 years, and you can tell by the veteran members who have been with the club since its inception that it will be around for 10 more. These members are the ones who's passion inspires you to improve your communication and leadership skills to eventually meet their level. I agree that this club still has room to grow, but I feel confident in its future and I see a lot of new members coming in with a lot of enthusiasm to improve. I can't wait to see how this year pans out and I am excited for the future of this club! :)

I scored 8 out of 9 in IELTS!!! It wouldn't have happened…read morewithout Padma's and Anu's help. They are very knowledgeable, experienced in this field, but what really intrigued me that they are passionate about what they do. On day one they assessed my level on all modules based on my plans on taking the test, they created a roadmap. We discussed it together and that sounded a plan. We worked based on that, there were times I'll get slow due to my full time job and distractions in life but they got me back on track. Definitely that's not possible without the extra efforts from them. There were days I got off days from work and they encourage me to visit the institute and they will arrange for 1 -1 class to keep on track. Who does that? People with passion! They were super nice, I was comfortable working them , I would approach them with my work anytime and get feedback. I scored more than what I was expecting. The are THE best!!!! Good luck :)

Anu is one of the best teachers! She made me feel confident as I was learning. She taught me with…read moresuch enthusiasm. It's clear that you love what you do Anu, and for that I am incredibly grateful. Your excitement to teach fueled my excitement to learn. Anu helped me to improve my English and also she helped me to prepare myself for the IELTS. I'm totally recommend her. Thank you so much Anu!

Marion & the team at the GICS is like nothing else in the Bay Area, or northern California to my…read moreknowledge. Learning the spoken & written language is one of the primary functions at GICS. But unique here is learning about German culture and history in a welcoming & inclusive format. One will be able learn more then the language, but understand Germany's complex history, culture and people as it relates to the past and present. Marion offers a supporting environment like no other. I encourage you to explore Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies.

I took tutoring classes with Dr. Gerlind at a time when I was totally over my head with an…read moreassignment in German. As soon as I started my tutoring sessions, I knew that I was going to succeed. Dr. Gerling's patient, step-by-step approach was able to make simple what was actually complicated and difficult. In no time at all I was able to organize the materials and obtain success in my project. I totally recommend the Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies for all aspects of German studies.

The beginner flower arranging class I signed up to take was very disappointing. I stopped after one…read moreclass for these and other reasons. The instructor used a pre-recorded YouTube video to show us how to make our arrangement! And she didn't even make sure the flowers/supplies she provided to us , at an inflated cost, matched on the ones in the video (she admitted the greens in her video were wrong). The flowers/supplies she made us purchase from her were much cheaper (e.g., carnations vs. roses). I don't know why she didn't provide a live demonstration and do so with the right flowers, etc. That's why we signed up for the class! I knew something was very wrong when she began the class by reading her written course description out loud, even referring to herself in the third person (e.g., "Supplies and tools are available from your instructor"). The class is for beginners, but the arrangements in her "textbook" are SOO pedestrian (see photos). She could show students much more appealing arrangements to make. Another problem was that the class had a combination of new students and returning students (those who wanted a flower arrangement certificate). The returning students had their own projects, so there were two classes going on at the same time, which made it hard to focus. The school district's unfair policy is that refunds are available only before first day of class, so be aware before you register!

Great teachers, great curriculum, nice environment, safe, learning lots, meeting people all over…read morethe world!

Parents, please do not send your poor children here. They take your money and have no…read morequalifications to teach anything. I wouldn't even allow these people to pet sit let along try to educate. I sent my child here for close to a year to learn piano and she learned nothing. Here are my main concerns: 1) teacher showed up 10 minutes late every time for 30 mins session and of course they continued to charge me for the full session 2) they try to teach using technology but their Wi-Fi is down. Therefore the rest of the class they spend trying to figure out how to connect to Wi-Fi which first hand observing, was painful. 3) the place is owned by a clown with the biggest ego. I went in there to watch my child after realizing that the sessions were not helping her at all. The clown that owns this place was fumbling around trying to get tech support to turn his computer on. He refers to himself as a "doctor" which further shows what a narcissistic clown he is. He also was upset that I hadn't been in there before to introduce myself to him. I don't think the moron realizes that parents have to work to pay for extracurricular activities like his clown school. He literally was offended that I didn't come in to introduce myself!? 4) the pianos and other instruments looked like they were picked up at the local dump. I can't sing and I am more tuned than the piano my poor daughter was trying to learn on. 5) the worst part is that I asked them to cancel my daughters sessions. That night I noticed that he had gone in and quickly charged our credit card for next month. What a crook and phony. Horrible place disguised as a teaching institute.

Don't send your kids here. Angry owner in attack mode:…read more I had an appointment in the building of 99 Brookwood Rd, Orinda, CA 94563. The person I had an appointment with told me that I could park in the ATMA/ALMA spaces. My dad dropped me off and wanted to wait for me, so I told him to park in one of the ATMA/ALMA spaces since he would be waiting for an hour and could take a nap if he wanted.  When I was done with my appointment, I walked to my dad's car and we got ready to leave. We saw a car stopped on the street and thought the driver was waiting for the space. After we pulled out of the parking space, that driver waved my dad down and got out of his car. I thought, "oh, maybe we didn't close all the doors in our car and he was trying to be nice." Not the case. This man, while blocking traffic, walked towards my dad and took a photo, then started yelling that we can't park there and that we were disturbing the businesses. My dad doesn't speak fluent English, so he told me to explain to the man what we were doing there. I got out of the car to tell the man that I was here for an appointment in the building and was told that I could park in one of those spaces. That man did not stop yelling to hear my explanation. He continued to yell that it was his spot. There was no point to this, so my dad and I got back in our car and drove off. I called the person I had an appointment with and found out that the man who yelled at us was the landlord of the building. He received a complaint from a tenant, SaraBella (florist), who described my dad as a creepy man walking around. My dad was stretching and admiring the scenery outside of his car while waiting for me, nowhere near the florist, minding his own business. No one, not the florist nor the landlord, talked to us and just assumed that we did not belong. We were judged by our appearance and treated unfairly. What happened to my dad and me happens to many people and I'm not going to be silent about it. His name is Dr. James Fiatarone, aka Dr. Jim. He is a landlord and a music teacher at the Academy of Language & Music Arts (ALMA), located in that same building. Stated on his webpage, "James is a Bay Area native who holds a Ph.D. in language and literature from the University of California, Berkeley". I expect better language and understanding from someone with such esteemed credentials, at the very least a common decency to speak maturely. Instead of introducing himself as the landlord and seeking to understand, Dr. Jim chose to block traffic and cause a scene in order to exercise his own judgment and bias. I want to get my message out and let him know that the way he conducted himself is not okay, especially in a place of business.

Upon recommendation of a friend, I visited www.Pencils-Up.com as I work with people in the travel,…read moreeducational, and tourism industries. I know about how some people people want to teach English overseas as well as be immersed in different cultures and learn new things and other languages, and I believe this website is a great resource from which to gain new ideas, perspectives, hints, tips, and to plan for a trip abroad... on a budget! One of the founders/owners is from a cross cultural background, having been overseas and speaking different languages, and feels that creating cultural bridges between different societies is not just interesting, but rather a MUST in our global situation. Having this resource from a "grassroots" level is important as it builds a basis from which any newcomer can build a foundation, and get ready to make that first or 100th trip overseas, and be ready for the journey! Yay for www.pencils-up.com and those who use this service!