Dr. Talley was an amazing Spanish teacher for me from ages 13-17! I went from barely being able to express myself in Spanish to confidently having complex discussions about Latin American poetry and literature. Dr. Talley is able to explain grammatical concepts in tangible ways that explain the complex rules of the language. For example, she easily taught the Subjunctive mood, a tense that barely exists in English, but is very prevalent in Spanish. The Subjunctive is used under many specific circumstances, and not every use of the tense is justified under a rule, but instead a feeling. Understandably, this topic is most difficult to teach, but Dr. Talley pushed her students to follow her explanation. After practice (with her beautifully crafted worksheets), we all grasped the concept. In short, Dr. Talley provides the explanations and personalized support for each student to succeed. May I also add that we almost never opened a textbook. In addition, Dr. Talley never forgets the larger usage of Spanish in the world: application. She specializes in Latin American literature and poetry and fearlessly led a group of sophomores through a graduate level literature course. The discussions I was able to have in Dr. Talley's literature courses allowed me to write essays, ask questions, and verbally express myself in Spanish. With her expert guidance, I was able to close-read symbolism and analyze short stories, poems, and entire books. I was lucky enough to go on the 2017 trip to León, Spain with Dr. Talley. During the month of July, Dr. Talley took a group of around 15 high schoolers to León -- it was an experience I'll never forget. She arranged museum visits with her own personal tours, dining experiences at the best authentic Spanish restaurants in León, outing experiences to other parts of Spain, and even a private Paella party with some of her Spanish friends. Dr. Talley perfectly organized and coordinated all of these experiences and countless others, all while helping us with our Spanish homework from the classes we took during the program. Through these 4 years, she also served as a strong mentor for all of her students. Dr. Talley's knowledge of Spanish and Spanish speaking countries, travel skills, personal connections, and friendly and kind personality make her an excellent teacher, person, and travel agent. You won't regret working with her. read more

I started taking Virginia's virtual classes in September, and have thoroughly enjoyed them! Prior to starting the class, I had a phone conversation for Virginia to determine my placement. I feel very comfortable with it. I look forward to the class each week. Virginia facilitates a great Zoom class. She is very good about asking each person directly for an answer to a question. That way, there is no talking above another person, which can be a distraction of Zoom. In each class, she will first ask us, in Spanish, about our week. It is a great way to learn and speak practical Spanish. Then she will delve into the lesson, and screen share with slides, video, or her own notes based on what we talk about. She is very good at explaining new concepts, and reinforcing what we have learned in the past. After each class, she will email the summary document of the class, as well as links to practice throughout the upcoming week. If someone can't make it to class, she will record the lesson. Additionally, she will send vocabulary that we will use in the next week's class. We have several ways to prepare for each class, and to learn even more. While most of the people are taking the class virtually, from Austin, I am taking it from St. Louis. It is so nice to have the opportunity to take Virginia's class. For me, taking the class has been one positive outcome of having to stay home! In summary, I highly recommend Virginia's small group class. She is a great and patient teacher, and I look forward to continuing the classes! read more

Virginia is LOVELY. I sought out private Spanish lessons to improve my conversational Spanish and potentially progress to fluency. Like others in the current social distancing climate, I suddenly had more free time on my hands and figured now was as good a time as ever. It has been many years since taking / studying / speaking Spanish, and I was really nervous about not being able to convey my current level of understanding, but Virginia is a total professional and knew exactly how to get a baseline on me. She has small classes at many different levels, but I opted for private lessons since my goal is fluency as soon as possible. The lessons are conducted on Zoom, and she is always very prepared with activities, materials, etc. It's actually quite fun and feels more like having a conversation with a friend while learning Spanish. After each session she emails me a follow up with notes from our session, vocab and verbs for the upcoming session, and other resources and materials (videos, podcasts, etc.) I've now been meeting with Virginia weekly for about 3 months now and my progress has been tremendous. I am so happy I took the leap and signed up for Virginia's services. She has been so understanding, organized, easy to work with, etc. Really could not recommend her more. 10/10 read more

I'm about to start my third consecutive session with Virginia at The Language House. The first session was conducted IRL at her space and the second has been conducted virtually in accordance with state shelter in place guidelines. In both settings, her curriculum and approach has been extremely effective- seriously it has been an extraordinarily smooth transition to the virtual space. Here are some of the attributes of her class that I would asses as unimpeachably positive: 1. Highly interactive- you get a chance to constantly use the skills that you learn 2. Confidence building. Virginia is warm and brilliant at building her students up to help them feel confident speaking 3. Well-organized. I know what to expect going in to class, and though we sometimes get carried away talking (which um... that is kind of the freaking goal isn't it) and don't get to EVERYTHING on the agenda, the scope of what we have been able to cover is wonderful 4. Consistent, applicable, and engaging homework. The class time is great, but in order to get the full effect of the course, Virginia doles out high quality options for practicing individually. I cannot recommend The Language House enough! read more

Virginia T. is both a skilled Spanish teacher and a savvy traveler. She helped my son, who is in high school, understand the basics of the Spanish language when his own teacher (who was a first year teacher) was just learning how to reach her students. In addition, Virginia was tutoring my son at the same time I was planning a trip to Spain (this was just before the TG agency was up and running) -- and she provided some key tips for our trip that proved to be invaluable. She guided us to see certain sights that we would have missed had we kept to the well worn tourist recommendations and she also advised us about the specific foods and wines we should taste along the way! Since she did this all from Austin, I can imagine how fun it would be to travel with her -- on a customized itinerary. She's amazing! I fully endorse Virginia Talley as a guide or a Spanish tutor. read more

I am an older student who had never taken a Spanish conversation class outside of college, which was decades ago.    I wanted to improve my language skills for travel to Mexico and Panama. Virginia and I initially tried to talk in Spanish and she placed me in the appropriate class level.    I had a conversation class and after that I arranged a one-on-one class with Virginia by Zoom.   Virginia was always conscious of COVID issues and arranged her in-person classes safely.     I appreciated how she balanced class participation evenly around the 6 people in my class.     No one was left out. Virginia is warm, caring teacher who clearly loves the language and the Spanish-speaking culture.   She gave me encouraging feedback at all times.  At the end of my time I felt much more confident in my Spanish. read more

My significant other and I had been planning and putting off taking formal Spanish classes for some time. We struggled finding a convenient location, time, and setting that we were comfortable. After discovering The Language House ATX and speaking with Virginia, we immediately started private lessons and it's now our favorite hour of the week! Virginia's style and order in presenting the material has been extremely effective in quickly (just a few months!) taking us from knowing little to hearing, speaking, and understanding the grammar far more than we anticipated. The online homework each week is very engaging. Virginia is patient, funny, and pleasant to work with each class. We appreciate all she has done for us and plan to continue learning! read more

This is the Spanish class I have been searching for for YEARS! You can stop your search: the Language House is it!! They have classes for whatever your level, and each teacher there is personable, dedicated and effective. The classes are small, I would say 15 people tops, and some are smaller. The desks are situated in a semi circle and it is the perfect combination of grammar lessons and practicing conversational Spanish. They also offer optional "coffee and conversation" groups on Saturdays that are just conversations. The classes and the Saturday groups are the highlight of my week. Virginia has really created something special here! read more

My experience in Leon, Spain with Virginia was one of the best travel adventures of my life. Her ability to communicate and coordinate with locals was very impressive. She arranged conversation, tortilla and coffee at cafes, a picnic with frisbee and soccer at a local park, and dinner in a Spanish home. She also organized a private paella party, took us on numerous tours of small cities and museums, and introduced us to many tapas and drinks like caña con limón and tinto de verano. The treatment we received while in her care was not only professional, but also educational and fun. I highly recommend traveling with her! read more

I've absolutely enjoyed taking classes with Virginia. I'm about to start my 4th session with her. She is kind, patient, enthusiastic, and professional. You can definitely tell she has a passion for what she does. If you are a working adult these classes are for you. With great options for class times, and no pressure to complete assignments outside of class. After each class all class materials are emailed to you along with optional homework and extra study materials. Push yourself as much or as little as you need. You won't regret having Virginia as a teacher. read more

I have been wanting to learn Spanish for years, but never actually put in the time and effort to do it until I found ATX Language House. Virginia and her team of teachers are all incredible!!! The learning is low-stakes, geared towards adults, and FUN. It's a wonderful community to be a part of and I couldn't recommend it enough. Even if you don't have the time to devote to class every week, the Saturday morning coffee and conversations are equally as great. I'm so happy a Google Search a year ago led me to this awesome school! read more

I love the classes I've taken at the Language House! I have taken High Beginner 2 and Intermediate 1& 2. Really loved the pace of the class, getting to know my classmates, and the fun elements built into the curriculum, like games and jokes. Each class session includes lots of conversation practice. This has made me a lot more confident as a Spanish speaker. Language House also offers outings and gatherings on weekends, where learners have additional opportunities to practice and learn. I highly recommend The Language House! read more

I wanted to learn Spanish but was totally intimated by the different schools and teachers I spoke with, that is UNTIL I spoke with Virginia at The Language House in Austin. I have been studying with them for a few years and have made such great progress. She, and her staff, are fabulous. They are careful to make sure their students are in the 'right class' for their level of knowledge. I have learned so much and they inspire you to continue learning. It's not a chore to learn Spanish at The Language House. IT'S FUN! read more

Learning espanol is very fun with The Language House. I have been taking group classes since March, 2020. Have loved ALL my instructors. The format is just challenging enough, to not make my brain hurt :) I admire the patience the instructors have for us adult learners. There are socials a few times a year at the Language House which are super fun. Espanol is so very helpful on a day to day basis as well as when traveling. I am excited to take my learning to the next level. read more

I began taking Spanish classes virtually in March as the COVID lockdown began. Virginia Talley is an exceptional teacher and always keeps learning very interactive with presentations and links to continue practicing on my own. I had NO previous experience speaking Spanish and improved tremendously over the last 8 months while taking hourly classes two days a week. I HIGHLY recommend Virginia Talley and The Language House, and look forward to continuing my Spanish classes. read more

I started taking classes with Virginia as an advanced beginning student. Virginia is an kind and engaging teacher, and the small class size allows for an interactive class (5-6 students). The classes are fun, and I have learned quite a bit. Virginia provides resources for learning outside of class that are high yield, but not necessary for success in the class. I would highly recommend for any adult learners that want to improve their conversational skills. read more

I met with Virginia before my trip to Spain this summer, and her advice, which included neighborhood info, walks, shopping/eating/drinking recs, and sight-seeing, gave our trip the personal touch. From her heads up on the refreshing Tinto de Verano to her flamenco-bar-in-a-cave rec in Albacin, Virginia's plans, tips, and recs made our trip easier but, more importantly, a lot more fun! She's smart, she listens, and she knows her stuff! read more

My husband and I took Spanish this summer from Virginia Talley at ACC. We are thankful we had a teacher who was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and engaging. The course material was interactive and easy to follow. We learned more information than what the book assigned for the course outlined and left that class wanting to learn more! We have decided we need to look for Virginia's next class! We hope to see you soon. read more

Dr. Talley led a month-long summer exchange program to León, Spain. Not only was she very clearly knowledgeable about the area and it's culture, but she was patient with us and took great initiative in explaining everything from helpful language tips to historical information. Her enthusiasm for helping us learn combined with her knowledge of Spanish created a wonderful experience for me and the other participants! read more