I took Manisha's class last year, and it was one of the most brilliant expriences I've had in New York City. The class is based on the idea that the best way to learn French is by really feeling what you're saying ... and the best way to really feel what you're saying is by learning to act. So Manisha (who lived and studied acting in Paris) combines both, and she passes on her knowledge to you masterfully. The class is two hours a week: The first half hour you're learning French; the second half, you're acting out scenes from a French play. It really helps that Manisha is warm and welcoming, and the acting games and exercises she incorporates into her teaching really put you at ease. Plus she works on your accent a lot in a way that sticks with you, which I've found other French classes don't do. The class is always full of laughs, and if you apply yourself, you can really learn a lot about both French and acting. And you get a chance to prove it too: The semester ends in a public performance, where all your friends come to see you act in French. Sound scary? I thought so too when I first read about it ... and in fact, it took me weeks to finally gather enough courage to sign up for the class! But I'm glad I did. Not only did i rekindle my love for French and the process of learning languages, but I also discovered the surprising exhilaration of being up on the stage. The best part is, even if you never use your French much after you're done with the class, the acting skills you'll get in Manisha's class you'll take with you everywhere. Because finding out how to connect with yourself and say what you mean the way you mean it will help you in the workplace and in life in general. If New York to you means what it does to me -- and that is pushing your boundaries to grow and always be better -- then this class is where you need to be. It's a wonderful challenge and something that will stay with you forever. read more

I signed up for this class because the techniques advertised really attracted me to it. Being up on your feet playing theater games and not being barked at was very attractive to me. Many of Manisha's ideas are really innovative and creative. Unfortunately, what she has in interesting learning ideas, she lacks in basic lesson planning, and understanding of student comprehension. I signed up for a beginner level class, and ended up in a very mixed group with a larger student to teacher ratio than was advertised. The class was clearly not for a beginner level. In the second class we were conjugating irregular verbs in the past tense. I was a true beginner, and found myself unable to even ask simple questions as other advances students rambled on about me. I found myself so caught up in either not making a fool of myself or not taking time away from the more advanced students that the class became a frustrating waste of my time. I think the main reason for this is that she recommends you take the intro class twice before taking the advanced. That means that you have people who have already experienced an entire course with her mixed in with people who don't speak a word. Manisha, while very passionate about what she does seemed quite scatterbrained at times. Her paperwork was poorly formatted (and not written by her, as she sited websites throughout it) and the material was all over the place giving no consistency to the material. I had a native speaker look at the course materials, and he was completely lost by it and found quite a few grammatical errors. She spent a lot of time telling us how the class and her techniques were good, and not as much time checking in to see how the learning was actually progressing. She also had a native French speaking assistant teacher who was quite lovely (though almost silent for the majority of the class) who she used to check in with on occasion if she didn't know a word. I give Manisha an A for effort and innovation, unfortunately her execution is just not there, and sadly cannot recommend this class to a beginner. It might be great for someone who took a few years of high school french a 10 years ago and was really rusty, but other than that try something else. read more

Q: What's the advantage of learning language in a theater studio rather than in a classroom? A: You will have no blackboard but a lot of mirrors around you. Then when learning the pronunciations, you will not only see the teacher's mouth but also your own. It helps, trust me. Q: What's the advantage of learning language from an actress and with other actors and actresses? A: You won't feel the old school nervousness of being picked up from your seat for questions. You will find yourself in a more expressive, relaxed, natural, and funny crowd. Q: What's the advantage of learning language through acting? A: You won't feel that you are back in high school to be a student again. You will feel that you are back in kindergarten to be a kid. But we were at our best of learning a language when we were in kindergarten, weren't we? Learning French through body language, games, monologue, or even a short play is much fun, and also more effective! Don't worry, you know you are still adult when starting and finishing the class with French cookies and beers. By the way, don't get intimidated. This class is not only for actors and actresses. It's open to the public and around half of the people on my class are not acting related. Also the class has different levels, good for beginners as well! read more

Beautiful~ I took an Act French Act American course with Manisha and she was amazing. Manisha has an innate sense for what works for each individual and what the particular individual needs to unleash herself in class and in the theater. Her method of teaching allows for all levels to work and develop at their own pace and in as much as each student is willing to put forth into the class and their performance. Overall a very enjoyable experience I recommend all to try~ Vive le théâtre! read more

Second session taking Act French and the results have been surreal. I can't recommend these classes enough. I have learned that trying to learn a language through theatre is perhaps the best way to reap the benefits of such language. Who gets to actually learn monologues in another language? As to the comments of student to teacher ratio... call me crazy, but I think learning from listening and looking at others is as beneficial as learning from the teacher. I am a big believer in "you get what you put in." read more

Took "French and Cheese for Travelers" class, which was a three-hour Friday evening class for beginners. Basic stuff, starting with the months of the year accompanied with movements, then learning some useful phrases including most importantly how to order at restaurants. Sips of wine and tastes of cheese throughout. Nice mix of people in the class, everyone from pastry chefs to pharmacists. Instructor was nice and personable...overall a good experience. read more

I bought a Yelp deal with my co-workers where for $49 each, we can take a three-hour French and Wine For Travelers class that includes wine tasting. We signed up online at the website to take a class in April, 2011. Afterwards, I received two emails before the actual day of the class: The first email was to clarify the time of the class: 6-9pm. I did not notice the time was wrong on the website before. The second email was to give us more details on where to go and what to bring. They ask that we bring a small notebook and pen/pencil and a optional English/French dictionary, but I found that I never needed it for class. Secondly, we were to go to the 12th floor and check the electronic board in order to confirm the room number because room numbers can change at the last minute. The location is at 500 8th Ave between 35th and 36th Streets, Manhattan. Upon walking in, we had to sign in and then go around the hallways for the elevator to the 12th floor. There are different elevators to take depending on which floor. On the 12th floor, I walked around the corner to see a small reception desk and an electronic board on the wall to the side. Unfortunately, the only "Act French, Act American" class on the board was at 9pm. I double-checked with the receptionist and he confirmed it was the class. The board said it was held in room 1201 and not 1206 as previously indicated in my email. I arrived five minutes early to class, but the door was closed and locked. A few minutes later, our instructor opened the door and told us she needed a few more minutes to get ready. There is a sign next to the door for "Act French, Act American" but the sign is outdated for a previous class. A line started to form behind me. At about 6pm, our instructor opened the door holding a plate of biscuits and asked for my name in French. I didn't know French, but I immediately recalled some phrases my cousin taught me. "Je m'appelle Karen." If I didn't know that, I don't know how I would survive the class. Bascially, if you have zero knowledge of French, it's going to be one tough class. After sitting in a chair arranged in a big circle, our instructor asked us to get up and play a ball game. From there, she taught us all the French numbers up to 30, but it was really fast pace. Our teacher's enunciation is good, but not as clear as I would have liked. For me, in order to learn, I need a lot of repetition. I found myself lost in the class quite often. She gave us a sheet of notes, but the numbers and months were not on the notes. We learned months next by using a body movement to associate each month. Unfortunately, a few days later, all I remember is the body movement, but not the words. We then had our first white wine tasting, which was filled up to less than a quarter full in a plastic cup. We were then asked to smell the wine and use the vocabulary to describe the wine. I have no wine knowledge, so the whole experience was foreign to me. We then learned basic phrases like "my name is...", "I am American...", and "I am from New York..." We went around the room to other students until time was up. On the sheet, it tells me how to answer, but not how to answer in a different situation. How do I negate things like I am not from New York? We sat back in our chairs and learned pronunciation of some of the French alphabet. I did not understand any of that because there were exceptions, but our instructor said we wouldn't get into that too much in this class. Then we had our second white wine tasting (I loved this wine the most). Afterwards, we took a five minute break. It was already 7:10pm. My husband showed up late at this time and our instructor was nice enough to give him the option of coming to another class to make it up. We had to move our chairs to the side so our instructor could show us directional language like "go right" and "go left" or "straight." She put random posters on the floor for various buildings such as the bank, pharmacy, etc. We also had our third wine tasting, red wine. My eyes and ears glazed over during this time period. The directional portion of the class was not in our notes as well. A few students were blindfolded and other students had to to direct the student to the right place. We then counted "1-4" per person and then split up into four groups. Each group had to practice ordering in a restaurant with a French menu. Then, we had to get a random question card and then answer questions in French. We also had a score card. For each question I got right, I received a star. This wasn't too much fun since the questions, to me, was everything we haven't learned like, "Who is the president of France?" and "Who is the first lady of France?" then there were cards about who a certain actress is. Some cards related to what we did learn, but by then, I have forgotten everything. We had our fourth wine tasting and went over some of the card questions again. After that, our class was over. read more

I just took the French beginners class with wine tasting. It was loads of fun! Interesting people and I enjoyed Manisha's teaching style. I would sign up again. read more

I was in Into this city during 2 months. Every body can go to these french, beginners and confirmed. I've seen all levels. Manisha, who is the french teacher, teach the french with for example ''soirées". All students can come and practice french with other students and by this way, this is easier to learn french. Very good School !! read more