Sharon is an excellent ESL (English as a second language) teacher. I take online English lessons…read morefor 60 minutes once a week. I wanted to improve my English grammar, pronunciation, writing, and conversation skills. In a few lessons, not only did I notice big improvement, but my colleagues did too. Her approach is to work on quick fixes and to give immediate feedback so I can incorporate that learning immediately in my daily life. In addition to helping with daily conversation, she has expertise in resume/LinkedIn profile review and job interview preparation. With the help of her sessions, I landed a wonderful job opportunity.

Sharon is very excellent interview preparation coach. She listen carefully, very friendly, and very…read moreprecise to help me with interview questions I might get. She not only fix my pronunciation and grammar but also help me organize my answers, making them sound more polished and comprehensive. After two sessions with her, I got accepted for the position. making them sound more polished and comprehensive. After two sessions with her, I got accepted for the position. I greatly appreciate her help!

I took an intro French course recently with Celine Val. I really liked the class and our teacher. I…read morethought it was reasonably well structured and that she did a good job teaching us first how to pronounce, then how to read and write. We studied formal and informal. If you have any background in a language I would suggest you refresh yourself and test into something other than the intro course. Starting at the beginning was perfect for me since I have never studied French before, but it was very, very basic stuff. Had I taken that level for a language I had previously studied I think I would have been bored. Pros: - Conveniently located to the 84 and 101 (and Caltrain?) - Convenient times after work - Great way to sample a new language to see if you're really interested in it. - You get to keep the text book (they are used, mine had writing it...) Cons: - When you are only meeting once a week it's really easy to say: "I'll study this weekend." "I'll study tomorrow." "Oh crap, class is tonight, I better study." - Cost - it's roughly $40 a class (give or take) so if you're going to stick with it long term it's going to add up. A college course may be cheaper (though with the way college tuition is these days maybe not?). Private lessons seem to run $30-$40+ an hour, so I think their costs are reasonable. It just adds up over time, which hurts my head when I do the math... - $50 one time set-up fee per student

I took private intro spanish lessons with Erick. He was very flexible with my scheduled and allowed…read moreme to have a different meeting time each week to accommodate my schedule. Erick did a great job of assessing my current level of proficiency and then adapting an appropriate curriculum to advance my skills. We met at the Menlo Park school at times, which is a very easy to access right next to the Facebook campus off of Willow Road. Other times we met at a location we decided upon. The staff at ABC were very helpful in my billing or any questions I needed to get answered. Highly recommend ABC for anyone interested in any foreign language, no matter what level they are in. They will have an instructor for whatever language you are interested in.

My child attended the full day preschool program taught by Ms Susan and Ms Isabelle. She loved it…read moreand I thought it was very well run and educational. The environment is safe and kind. We were sad to move too far to keep attending but would recommend it without reservation.

I love their after school program. The environment is safe. The staffs are very child focus and…read morenice. The director of the learning center truly cares about the Children in all areas (emotional, academic, social). She worked on the students to solve conflicts, showed them how to love and care. I am very happy my child is in this school.

This is a school for second-language learners of Mandarin Chinese. There is a nice mix of…read moreEuropean-American kids, American-born Chinese, and some kids adopted from China. The school teachers are very nice. They make sure each child gets a turn to practice the new word or phrase in class. They use space at several different schools, so there is some variety of days and times to choose from. They use books that have mostly Traditional Chinese characters but also have simplified in parenthesis.

From the owner: Our Chinese program is tailored specifically for kids who do not speak Mandarin at home. Our…read moreprogram teaches Chinese at schools - Jordan (Sat), Fairmeadow(Wed), Laurel(Tue), Oak Knoll(Thur), Hillview(Fri) and NorthStar(Fri). Enroll Chinese Fun program now.

As a former student of CalCC, I want to write a review on how the language skills I learned from…read morethe school had helped me a lot in getting admission into MBA program at CSU East Bay. Just like many other ESL institutions, basically you will learn English. However, what makes the school different from others is the effectiveness of the program. All the grammar, listening and reading skills, and writing techniques are practical, easy to learn and sufficient for you to use daily and academically. You might doubt it at first, but believe me, after just about 1 year of studying at the school, I was able to get TOEFL score of 90 at my first try. A score of 80 is a standard for a master degree. It could reach 100 at some highly competitive universities. But I want to emphasize the importance of your self-practice also. You need to use it in some way even though there is no homework or an assignment. Your self-practice is important for you not to forget what you have learned. Another special thing about the school is the devotion that all instructors have to their students. They are willing to help you as long as you need their assistance. You can ask them to write recommendation letters, or ask them about other tests that you cannot study at CalCC. I studied GRE myself at the same time I took English classes at CalCC. I can say that all the help from knowledgeable instructors had helped me get high enough score on GRE examination to get admission into my MBA. Obviously, the program itself and the constant assistance from instructors provide you more than enough English competency to survive and succeed in higher education environment. Last, the school offers affordability and friendly environment. Tuition is relatively competitive I can say. The class is friendly and interactive. There is a kitchen for you to cook occasionally, but you will need dean's permission for it. Frequent field trips give you chance to interact with classmates and other people, help you to review what you learned, and relax your mind with some enjoyable food. All in all, this will be a right place for those who are looking for an ESL institution where they can learn, practice, interact, and even enjoy.

Calcc is a really good language school option..Especially if you want to transfer after one year…read moreand go to college or university..I'm very happy to have stayed here for one year..And I met a lot of amazing people here..The stuff is amazing and always available to help us

I can't speak for the entire school, but I had a very bad experience trying to enroll in a night…read morewood working class. I had previous experience in woodshop classes I took at Mount Tam high school in Marin, so I wasn't a novice. I paid the fee and enrolled in the class. However, when I met the teacher Ray, he decided not to let me take the class. I think he just didn't like me. Disappointed, I tried to get a refund but the school wouldn't give it to me, so I had to open a dispute with my bank. None of my calls or emails to the school or the teacher were ever returned regarding the class or the possibility of taking future classes. It felt like the class was a private club not open to outsiders. Its this kind of elite snobbery that gives rich cities like Palo Alto a bad name.

I am all about learning something new. I have taken classes from financial, to building your own…read morewater fountain to a basic sewing class. Classes are mostly held at Palo Alto High School on Embarcadero Road and El Camino Real across from the Town and Country Shopping Center. They follow the semester system. I get a hard copy catalog in the mail. You can register online, by phone, by fax and by mail. How easy is that? Classes are very reasonable and can range from $35 on up to $200 depending on how often it meets and the types of supplies you pay for. Geared toward the adult, so evening and weekend classes. They have arts and crafts, cooking, financial, computer, language, music, health and fitness, birdwatching, dancing, acting, CPR and first aid, ...you name it.

Our daughter has been at Cornerstone for almost 2 years and we absolutely love it. Her Chinese is…read morefluent now, and this is one of the only schools that we toured for the children actually speak to each other in Chinese on the playground, instead of reverting to English. The project based and play based curriculum for three and four-year-olds is truly unique and engaging. The teacher to student ratio is low and the teachers genuinely understand and are invested in each child's development. Unlike many traditional Chinese schools, they also focus on children's social emotional development, and my daughter has matured substantially in this area. Helen and Teresa are wonderful and made time to meet with me anytime I had concerns. Truly, an exceptional environment for Chinese immersion, and in my opinion (after touring nearly every Chinese school) the best on the Peninsula.

Summary: A great immersion school with caring staff. My chicks have been attending here for many…read moreyears. 99.8% of their Chinese ability is from CLF. ( yeah, I will take the .2 %). Their Chinese is not native level but enough to help new student from China in school. ;) We know plenty of kids go to other Chinese schools that have shuttle services, homework hours, extra enrichment options etc. let's be clear. CLF doesn't offer any of that. When you sign up CLF, you are there to learn Chinese. Guess what? Unlike the norm that kids dislike Chinese school and eventually drop out, Most CLF kids stay and continue for many years. My chicks have close friends from CLF kinder days. The same class pretty much grow up together. My chicks love their Chinese school and excited to go. Students learn Chinese though regular activities like singing, performing, cooking, science projects. Last key point: CLF fosters a healthy culture of handwork and effort. Not purely on how fluent/good you are with Chinese. Students who don't have the opportunity to practice at home can equally feel empowered and recognized. On rainy days, you can see teachers escorting the kids with their umbrellas up and down the stairs. Now that is caring!

Absolutely beautiful campus!! They also have a free bus system that goes around the campus during…read morethe week. It's limited on the weekends. It is a rather large campus as well. I did so much walking and was tired. And I walk a lot! haha. Glad I got to visit my nephew here!

Visiting Stafford University for my sister-in-law's PhD graduation over at Maple Pavilion was nice…read more The only thing was the lack of organization of parking as it was a madhouse. However, once inside the pavilion very organized and what a spectacle a lot of brain power, but also very proud. The campus itself is remarkable, and if you haven't gone on it, take a look at one of the best universities in the world.