Sonia is wonderful. The classes are great and they are filled with great teachers from all over the place so oyu get exposure to Latin American spanish as well as from Spain. The classes are intense and fast paced, and thats wonderful it forces you to learn. It is sink or swim, if you arent doing well you can always add a couple of private lessons to help round out your skills in time for the next class. I really like how immersive it is and how you're not allowed to use english there, some people on here complain about that, but I htink thats important for learning a language in a timely manner. Very personal yet professional attention is given to each student. read more

I signed up for Casa Hispana post pandemic wanting something where i could learn from a teacher and be able to practice with other students and Casa Hispana was exactly what i was looking for. My life is all about remote experiences so that i can focus on being available for work and the remote classroom setting was perfect for me. Professor Villaran has been awesome and I have learned so much! I love that i can pause when i need to and jump back in when i can, as my financial needs fluctuate. Thank you Sonia and Antonio, see you soon! read more

Sonia was very standoffish in offering me any clarity on some questions I had regarding the course curriculum. No insight was given after the placement interview on what level I am at and what topics I should be first starting. Instead it was simply: "come in this week and learn past tense". Very surprised with the 5 star reviews given every other Spanish school or program I've tried provided much more structure and clear guidance on course curriculum and what level is most tailored for the individual. read more

Love this school! I am currently taking Spanish here and love it, and am learning a lot and very motivated to continue. Sonia is totally warm and organized, and our teachers have all been great, bringing lots of energy and diligence to the classes, which make them interesting and fun. The ambiance at Casa Hispana is fantastic too--friendly people and a very attractive and welcoming space. Highly recommended! read more

Gracias casa Hispana! Great fun instructors! They keep the instructions fun! I've been taking lessons with them for a few years, both group and single, I recommend them! read more

Casa Hispana - Language Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

I don't know what the low-ballers here are thinking; I'm very happy with the Spanish classes here. Yeah yeah, whatever, they teach Spanish Spanish; not like it matters to you since you don't speak Spanish anyway right? I mean...if you spoke Spanish you wouldn't need this class right? It's like, for you to complain about how particular the Spanish instructor is is like a picky, vegetarian bum. The classes here are very structured; each session involves writing, speaking and listening. They use props, notecards, drawings, and other visuals which help you learn quicker. Homework assignments are helpful while they stay mindful of your life outside Spanish. And all the people saying it's too expensive...are you kidding? Considering I pay like...$15-18 per class on average? That's like a China town hair-cut...c'mon people are you serious? Plus if you notify them that you'll miss class they'll let you make it up...dude...why do you live in SF and complain about stuff being expensive? OK seriously, I'd recommend classes here; they're fun, entertaining and a great distraction from my day job. If you want to learn conversational Spanish, you can come here, try out a class for a small fee - if you like it you can enroll full time. If you don't, then you don't have to come back. For the low ballers here, I hope you don't come back :D read more

Not really a good place to learn Spanish. All the instructors are from Spain and they insist in teaching that Spanish, although it makes no sense. The Spanish spoken in California is mostly Latin American Spanish, more specific Mexico-Center America. I also detect, regarding that, their Spanish is the right one and some comments were borderline racism towards Latin American people. Being from Europe doesn't make you better. The classes were too grammar oriented. A typical class in a community college. Don't waste your time or money here. read more

Amazing! Fun, effective, friendly and deliciously educational! Let me preface this by saying that I have studied 5 languages at over a dozen different schools and programs, so I am not saying this out of the blue. But Casa Hispana manages to combine the most important parts of language learning: an energetic, professional and fun environment, a comfortable setting where classrooms also feel very homey, and an organic teaching style that is tremendously effective. Courses are offered in three types: private tutoring, or group classes (90 minutes twice a week for 8 weeks, or 2 hours twice a week for 6 weeks. I prefer the latter, because the 2 hours zoom by). I'm just starting my 7th week, meaning I have finished Spanish 1 and am seamlessly moving into Spanish 2. This is what I mean by organic: you don't have to switch to a new teacher, new time or even a new classroom when you continue to the next level: you just keep coming back at the same time and, plus or minus a few students, you're suddenly in Intermediate Spanish! That is, to my knowledge, a rarity in language schools...but it's also amazing! Now, in terms of the class itself, I can't compare it to other Spanish classes, but I can say that in our Intro group we had people with a variety of backgrounds and a variety of skill levels. No one fell or felt behind, and yet everyone was challenged and involved. Our teacher, Ana, was fantastic. She kept us laughing and smiling, but also kept us talking. You didn't get the feeling you were being put on the spot and judged, but more that everyone had a chance to talk, to try sentences or conjugations, etc. We felt comfortable enough to take risks and make inventive phrases, which is key to progressing in classes. Personally, I love grammar and all that, but I know it bores many people. The good news is that you are exposed to every concept in two ways: structurally (as in, here is the conjugation chart in a grid) and practically (short dialogues, repeat after me, etc.). The book has everything we cover in class, plus extra exercises and explanations if you need them. I missed a week in the middle, but caught up pretty quickly (thanks to the help of classmates - everyone became pretty friendly pretty quickly!). As for those who complain about "which" Spanish you learn, let me say this: I grew up in California, and Mexican Spanish is what I am used to, it's what sounds "right" to my ears. But learning "Spainish" was really fun precisely because it was exotic, different, and frankly, a lot more dramatic. It's always easier to learn more exaggerated dialects first and then to pull back to more conservative ones than the other way around, trust me. Plus, if you've studied French or Italian, the similarities stand out more when you look at Spain. I would not have had it any other way! Now, if you want to learn Spanish for immediate use here, or in South America, you can just let your instructor know, and they will emphasize the differences. When learning "vosotros" and other geo-specific terms, the teacher will always let you know "This is only said in Spain" or whatever. As other reviewers have said, the class sizes are small (but big enough to spread the teacher's attention around and not be stressful). The teacher will learn your name and somehow always manages to know which errors you are prone to - corrections are always very gently pointed out. In fact, one of the only criticisms I have is that I think they should be pointed out more, to prevent recurrences, but that's my absurdly nerdy point of view. Like all classes, what you get out corresponds to what you put in. But really, at Casa Hispana, there is not a lot of homework, and I found that the teachers were so good that after leaving class, the lesson just sorta stuck in my head. Unlike Arabic, (which I took last summer) you don't need to do 3 hours a day by yourself to supplement class! If you come to class, participate and enjoy yourself, you will be surprised at how much you learn, and how much fun you have doing it! Also, since I drove in from Marin, I'll mention that parking was really easy, especially in the evening classes. I almost always found a space directly in front of the building on Gough. Oh, and their Facebook group is pretty sweet too! Yay for Casa Hispana!!!! read more

I guess I could have given it another shot. I only took two private lessons here. I really liked my instructor, but, didn't feel like I was learning anything new at all. I've studied Spanish off and on for many years and I honestly think the best (and most affordable) way to learn or improve your Spanish-speaking skills is by buying a CD and/or taking a class at City College. Casa Hispana is just too damn expensive. Another issue was that everyone seemed to be from Spain (again, my experience was limited, so I could be wrong). The Spanish spoken in Latin America is very different, and that was what I was hoping to focus on. If you're really serious about improving your Spanish and have the time and money available, plan a trip to Guatemala. There are tons of language schools throughout the country (especially in Antigua), as well as opportunities to volunteer. It's a beautiful country that was torn apart by a 30 year civil war. I was there for two weeks and wished I could have stayed for at least a month. So, save up your money and go to Guatemala to learn Spanish! Casa Hispana es muy caro! read more

I never touched Spanish before and I did not grow up in an environment that can hear Spanish easily. I did not even know how to pronounce ABCD in Spanish and the teacher wanted me to practice asking questions like "what's your name/what's your birthday/what's my profession/where is he from?/where does she live?/how to say xx in Spanish?" and counting numbers from 1 to 30 and spelling stuff in Spanish, asking and answering the time. All these taught in a 2.5 hr class including break time. The teacher did not use English at all and taught super fast. If you know basic Spanish or learned in high school and did not use it for years, it would be great to have a quick review of basic stuff in this class. But for me, fuck. I wanted to stand up and walk out of the classroom at some point. I need to learn from scratch and they did not make it clear that their "beginning class" is not for people never speak Spanish before. read more

I agree with Mazi, and my Spanish sucks too, although it has been several months since his review so maybe he's fluent by now! This place is very cozy. The class are small so you really do get a lot of practice and my class has really become friends. I've only taken one beginner course so far (6 weeks), but all my Spanish speaking friends say I've improved a lot (maybe they're just being nice...). Our first teacher was Raquel and she was amazing. She was a real natural teacher and so fun (and pretty)! Maria who works in the office(maybe does more?!) is super nice and friendly too. In fact, everyone seems super friendly at Casa Hispana (students included). The classes are in small rooms on the top floor of an older victorian building on Gough (near Market). It makes you feel almost like you're in someone's home. They're quite comfortable, and they offer free tea and cookies. mm mm. Their teaching approach is one where they only speak Spanish all the time, which can be intimidating at first because they really stick to it, but ends up being great. I am really enjoying my classes and plan to continue on to more advanced ones soon! UPDATE: They lost two stars. Turns out Maria in the office isn't so nice and friendly. She has basically all but shut out 4 of my classmates and me just because we simply *asked* if there was anyway to accomodate us all taking a break from classes at the same time and then starting up again together. It was a simple request and she was completely unreasonable and unaccomodating. At $370 per person, I would think we would get a little better service. UPDATE AGAIN: I am giving them back a star. I think Maria was just reacting to what she thought was people trying to pull one over on her something. Not sure. But I don't care anymore. And my new instructor, David, is wonderful! FINAL UPDATE (I swear): They're back to 2 stars. I really, really liked my instructors, but I just didn't like the class structures. They are constantly adding new people to classes (every class there were new, different people), so you never could really feel comfortable. After several months, I felt like the lessons were stagnating. This is not the fault of the instructor, I truly loved David especially, just the way they set up the classes. I will not be going back and I don't know anyone (of the few people that I actually did get to know because they stayed for more than a class or two...) that is either. I'm looking for other avenues to study...any suggestions?! :) read more

I agree with all of the positives people have mentioned: the teachers are super nice (encouraging, not critical), the classes are fun with a nice mix of written and listening practice with visual cues, the physical space is warm and cozy, the other students (mostly) seem motivated, and the teachers will only speak Spanish to you, not English, which is helpful. As far as it being expensive, I agree with the person who pointed out that if you break it down, it isn't very per class. I needed something at a certain time, so a City College class wasn't an option. Also, the complaint that it was only European Spanish didn't make sense to me... yes, Latin American Spanish is different, but you've got to start somewhere. I had one teacher with a strong Spanish accent, another who was also from Spain but spoke very slowly and clearly so it was hard to detect where she was from, and another from Mexico. So, I think they have a mix. There is a system to it, clearly, but it is the methods you used in high school to learn language; even if the worksheets are funny with appealing cartoons, it's still drill and hard to remember. I would feel like I "got" something in class, but then in the real world, it wouldn't stick. I went to Casa Hispana for 1 month before a trip to Spain, and was frustrated, feeling that we were going over "beginners" material without any real substance, even after I increased the frequency of classes. Then I thought that it wasn't fair of me to judge after such a short time. A few months later, I tried again. I had learned a bit while I was there, so I skipped a level and began again. I agree that the classes had different people in every class; it's not the fault of Casa Hispana, but people are constantly dropping and adding, so you might have a class of 10 or a class of 2. I stayed from the end of January to the end of May. I believe that at this point, I should be further along than I am. I finally have to give up and have to try something else, because even though I can read some Spanish and understand someone who is speaking v-e-r-y slowly and clearly, I still feel uncomfortable with my speaking skills, in real life rather than a class setting, and when I went to Spain again this month it was still really hard! I did do my homework (person who thought that all people who don't do well here are lazy and entitled), but I think that to learn a language you have to be exposed more often than twice a week. I know that I need to focus more on the spoken than the written practice, IF I want to be able to really use it with native speakers. Or, yes, one could go to Guatemala to study... it is lovely there! read more

Great instructors and small classes provide plenty of individual attention. Definitely note their attendance policies... You pay for 6 weeks of classes at a time and unless you know about an planned absence when you sign up, you can't make up any of them (even due to illness). My course helped me brush up on my rusty espanol, but you will definitely need to keep practicing and working outside of class if you want to improve your skills... I'd definitely agree that living abroad is the best way to acquire a new language. When you aren't forced to use it every day, it's hard to practice on a regular basis. read more

I just read through the reviews of Casa Hispana and am very surprised by the negative ones. I have had an absolutely fantastic experience with the school over the years that I have taken classes. I never learned Spanish formally in school, so when I decided to move to Barcelona back in 2002, I decided to learn some introductory Spanish at CH before I went. I took the group lessons and loved them. The teachers were all great and the small class sizes speaking exclusively in Spanish really pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me form a good foundation before my move. To anyone who is looking to take a Spanish class in English, good luck trying to learn. This is, by far, the best way to learn a language - immerse yourself. Of course, you will be lost at first, but you will eventually catch on and learn so much more this way. When I returned from Barcelona, I took private classes for nearly a year to keep up my language skills. Again, it was a wonderful experience. I loved my teacher Estella, and the format of class was very well organized. I came back to classes a couple of years ago when I started dating my now fiance who is from Mexico and whose family doesn't speak any English. I again took the private classes - this time with David. He is also exceptional and I took classes with him for nearly a year. I have been around my future in-laws a few times and have had a pretty easy time communicating with them. For anyone who thinks Spanish from Spain vs. Spanish from Latin America is drastically different, you are wrong. I have always learned the "Spain" way but am able to communicate with my new Mexican family just as easily. I also want to address price and flexibility. The price of classes at Casa Hispana was always beyond reasonable. And in terms of flexibility, I was always able to take make up classes when I was absent. I always was treated more than fairly by Maria in the front office, who is great, by the way. All in all, I would highly recommend Casa Hispana for anyone gearing up to travel to Spanish speaking countries or anyone whos@ is looking to brush up on their Spanish. Both the group and private lessons were fantastic. Muchas gracias!! read more

I started about 5 months ago and although its getting really tough (pinche irregular verbs y preteritos) I am still loving it and feel like I am learning and having fun. maybe it has to do with the two great teachers I have had (three if ya count a sub who was also awesome) We started with Miguel, our first professor and about 12 people that eventually dropped down to two and then back up to its current 5. Miguel was awesome. super patient, great sense of humor and not intimidating at all. I learned so much from and had a great time. I was worried when I found out we were getting a new permanent proffesora but Anna has been incredible. Supper nice and enthusiastic and just as patient. Her excitement about us learning is incentive enough but it also gets you excited about learning some thing new. Do not listen to any of the posts about them teaching only Spanish from Spain. its a tiny little difference which you can chose to learn and remember or don't. its not going to prevent you from ordering a burrito in the Mission or traveling around Mexico. that's ridiculous. if anything it just gives you a more rounded understanding of the language. if you dedicate you self and have the time you will pick up a good understanding of the language. of course studying and practice is highly recommended but even if like me you may not always have time you will still pick it up and be impressing native Spanish speakers, who all seem to love when we even try. read more

I just read all the reviews of CH and can say that I am pleased to see that the tradition continues. I went to CH in its original location in a house on 18th street when the founder Tony ( from Catalonia - now deceased) started the school. The approach then, from the reviews I've read seems to continue to this day. Smallish classes. Teachers from the full diaspora of Spanish speaking countries (when I went there they were from Argentina, Spain and elsewhere). And that people made friends. They used to throw dinners and parties where people mingled and I ate my first Paella there in 1989! It didn't feel like school w tests. Just a cool environment to get the hang of things. I don't know if its the same people running it or whether its the just the same philosophy or vibe - but I can tell from the other reviews that its still the same general approach. I was a total beginner when I went there and there was enough to hinge on to. I never felt overwhelmed. There are lots of approaches to language learning. Our brains all work differently. I think CH had a great approach when founded and sounds like it continues on today. A friend mentioned just signing up and that got me curious so I came to see what people were saying. I wish I could find a CH for French! But I would eagerly go back to CH after all these years from the sounds of things if I had the time. read more

I've taken two lessons a week since October and have seen great improvement in my Spanish. The curriculum prepares me to have coherent conversations with my Spanish speaking coworkers and the handsome man at the panaderia. :) read more

So I went to this school for 3 months... went on a short break & even though a bit pricey... i sure came back for more! I've been to 2 other Spanish classes/schools before(plus multiple attempts to having some sorta discipline & trying to do it with a CD- ha~ ya right!) & found that the structure & style of teaching in this school is most effective. It is not the convetional type of class where you face the white board & it's "lesson-test-lesson-test" every meeting. I would say 90% of time is used conversing with the rest of the class & teacher. You'll be around a table just like you're having dinner or a meeting. All resources are right infront of you, open book & so it is never intimidating nor embarassing to make mistakes. It's a learning process not an interrogation! And since each class is very small, 3-7 people, the teacher can pay attention to each & everyone & really be able to help them out. Needless to say the teachers are very competent & cool. For those people who complain about their Spanish being mostly Castilian(from Spain)... well DUH!, what else is better to learn but the fundamentals from the country where the language originated from! Once you learn "proper" Spanish, i bet everyone else in Latin America would understand you. Vale?! read more

I took Spanish here over the summer. I started with Beginner, as I hadn't taken Spanish for some years and was concerned I'd be too behind. However, the instructor quickly asserted that I should try the next level up, saying I'd get more out of it, and I think it was a good suggestion. However, I did have to take a few recommended private classes (which were helpful, but cost a pretty penny), but they did help me adjust to the new level class. It was good advice, and I did walk away at the end of summer much further along than I would've been, had I stayed in the original class. The classes were well-structured and made the two hours fly! Being a teacher myself, I appreciated the nod to different learning styles, and the way the teachers mixed up whole-group and paired interaction. The pace was also good (although the audio taped activities were super fast!). Also, the classes were a cool way to get to know interesting people and learn how to converse with strangers, who you quickly get to know. It's nice though, since it's easy to make mistakes together. Overall, very comfortable environment, and the cookies and tea available are a plus! read more

Sonia and her teachers taught me how to speak Spanish, plain and simple. One of the best, and most enjoyable, learning experiences I've ever had. Terence Clarke read more

Best Spanish language school anywhere and with the most patient, friendly and professional team! Abrazos y besos! -- David Perry"

My beginner class was absolutely excellent, the professor was phenomenal, focused on immersion to the extent possible and very good at explaining words in Spanish or acting them out. My class was small and intimate, only 4 or 5 depending on the day so we were able to move very quickly. The coursework was very sensible, a lot of functional and conversational learning which is what I was looking for before an upcoming move to South America. A workbook comes with the class, homework is assigned, useful exercises. Generally very valuable and positive experience overall. read more

They can not keep an appointment! They also failed to mention that they are located in a woman's recovery center! I can't tell you about the classes because it is impossible to get in the front door unless someone answers it or the phone . Called from outside; after making an appointment a week ago ( and them calling to change the appointment) no one answered or called me back while I waited for a half hour ringing the bell and phoning a few more times. If their professionalism is any indicator of their classes, I'd say run to another school and save yourself a waste of time! AND this place is not in a safe part of Hayes Valley! read more

Although I must point out that my Spanish is still hopeless, I've been taking classes at Casa Hispana for about three months and am really happy with the progress I've made. It will take living in a Spanish speaking country for me to really get it down, but for now, this place has been a fine alternative with a great staff. The classes are also very small (maximum 6 to my knowldege) so you get a lot of practice and interaction. read more

The teachers are great. They make learning Spanish (and going back to school) fun and amazingly easy. I've tried a variety of Spanish language learning methods and this by far has worked the best! If you're a new student, try to get into Laura's class. She is so much fun! read more

I am currently taking two courses: grammar and conversation. We talk about the most absurd (read: amazing) subjects in conversation; Evita Peron's corpse has come up more than once in class discussion. Grammar is also a great class; I never thought subjunctive would be the highlight of my week (but it is). read more

Really liked taking Spanish there...we had lots of interesting activities in the class and homework wasn't boring. We had many conversations and didn't speak English at all. Nacho is a great teacher - always smiling with a great attitude! read more

I started taking classes at Casa Hispana about a year and a half ago, having never taken Spanish before. The classes are relatively small (typically 3-8 students) and meet for 1.5-2 hours twice a week. Instruction is entirely in Spanish so you definitely get to dive in right away. Both teachers that I have had (Nacho and Anna) have been excellent. The classes are a good mix of reading and writing exercises, conversation, and group discussions. I think the best part of the classes is interacting with the other students. I've learned a lot from the conversations with the other students, and I've met a lot of very interesting people there. I highly recommend Casa Hispana for anyone wanting to learn Spanish for the first time or brush up on their Spanish. read more

Loving my time so far at Casa Hispana! I'm learning a lot and Sonia, the instructor, really makes classes worth it for me. I attend in the evenings after work, so I'm usually pretty tired, but her energy makes the classroom doable after a full work day. Also I'm amazed at her ability to speak only in Spanish to novice speakers. I spoke 0 Spanish before this class but have had no trouble following her all-Spanish instruction. All in all after 6 weeks I feel like I'm understanding and speaking with so much more confidence. Obviously this course isn't magic and I'm not suddenly able to understand and speak Spanish all at once. But it's progress, and faster than some of my CH classmates report from their time at Spanish 101 City College and UCSF. Small classes, lots of practice, great instructor! Also, doable commute from anywhere in the city on Muni rail lines. read more

I have been looking for a school like this for many years in many different cities and was happy when I found this place in San Francisco (which is not all that surprising given how sophisticated the city is). It's a perfect place to sit down and study Spanish for as long as you feel motivated. I paid for two sessions (6 weeks each, so for 12 weeks) and my Spanish improved pretty dramatically. I already knew some Spanish, but learned the past and future tenses. The class was two hours every Tuesday and Thursday, so I had four hours a week in total immersion with a wonderful teacher who was extraordinarily patient with all of us. In terms of price, it's a bit on the expensive side but I do believe you get what you pay for. Your classmates tend to be pretty interesting (all of whom are obviously interested in Spanish, or at least they ought to be) and run the gamut from journalists to motivational speakers to lawyers. If you are serious about Spanish and do the homework (yes there is homework!) and come into class enthusiastic and prepared, your Spanish will improve dramatically. If you are lazy and entitled and think that by handing over cash you will be fluent in a week then you will not learn Spanish at Casa Hispana, but you probably won't learn Spanish anywhere either. read more

I took a couple brief classes at Casa Hispana before a couple trips to Latin America to brush up on my intermediate Spanish. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's clear they are very thoughtful and practical about language education. My teacher, Laura, was kind and patient. She only spoke in Spanish and used hand gestures and alternate phrasing to help us understand what she was saying. She gently corrected us in Spanish when we used the wrong tense or conjugation, etc. When conversing with her and the group, we used stories and words from our real lives, which was very helpful. It was also just a blast - Laura is hilarious. I can't wait to take more classes at Casa Hispana! read more

Love this school! Energetic , fun teachers! Sonia is fantastic and willing to work with you to achieve your own individual success.patient and understanding teachers whether you take a group class or individual tutoring.. I did both !!! Casa Hispana es muy fantastico read more

I began studying Spanish at Casa Hispana about nine years ago. After four years, I had to stop because of a new job with inconvenient hours. It's a measure of my appreciation of this school that when my employer outsourced my whole department to Nashville a year-and-a-half ago, almost my first thought was, "Great! Now I can get back to Casa Hispana!" Having completed a course in teaching ESL, I can appreciate the challenges of teaching a language using the immersion method. The teachers at CH do it very well. I've enjoyed having teachers from Mexico, Cuba, Spain, Peru, Nicaragua and Argentina, and getting used to their different accents. I visited a friend in Mexico City a few months ago and spoke Spanish with her and her friends. They were very impressed. Given that I'm not even a very diligent student, I think that speaks very well of the quality of teaching at Casa Hispana. read more

I started taking lessons at CH many years ago and I have been very happy with the qualify of teaching. I have had teachers from all over the world and they have all been great! What they all have in common is that they are all kind and patient. Most recently I have been taking private lessons with the owner of CH, Sonia, who is always upbeat and provides challenging material for me. read more

Tried to join one of their group classes but the person I talked to couldn't stop trying to upsell me to one of their private lessons which are WAY more expensive. Ended up spending almost 20 mins on the phone explaining I wasn't interested but she would continue pitching a private session. Really awkward experience. read more

Affordable, great teachers, lots of different class times to fit my schedule. I took two classes and my Spanish improved greatly! Looking forward to more.... read more

I can't speak highly enough about Casa Hispana. As a former language teacher myself, I have strong opinions about how to teach adults a foreign language, and Casa Hispana consistently excels. I've had several different teachers, all of whom are thoughtful, patient and engaging. I've had both small group and private classes. They always maintain a good student:teacher ratio and sometimes in the group classes, someone brings a bottle of wine or other treat to share to go along with the language learning. It's a real pleasure to take classes there. I've really learned a ton (and am still learning!), and I've always immensely enjoyed my time. read more

I've been studying Spanish at Casa Hispana on and off for the past 14 months or so. I started as an absolute beginner and have gotten to the point where I can more or less converse - of course, it also helped that I headed down to Argentina for a while this summer. :) I've always loved my classes at Casa Hispana - the class sizes are small, there's a good variety of classroom activities and the teachers are good at getting students to talk, unlike at some language schools I've attended in the past. The teacher I've had for most of the year is high-energy and fun and makes me laugh a lot. I'm currently in a conversation class which is going great. There's a good friendly vibe around the school and there are occasional gatherings for students outside of school such as sangria parties! Of course, learning a new language is always a ton of work. The classes at Casa Hispana are fast-paced and I've found myself studying a few hours outside of class every week to keep up. Another reason I needed to read outside of class is that the teaching philosophy at Casa Hispana is that the teachers speak only Spanish, even at the very beginning. That's a reasonable way of teaching (though certainly not the only possible way), but I wanted to see grammar explanations in English and so I read them on my own. I was happy to do that, but there were some students in my class who didn't have time to study independently and got lost. My only real gripe was that a couple of fundamental points were never explained at all in our class - for example, that the pronunciation of c and g is different before e and i than before other vowels. Perhaps the teacher hoped that if we just learned enough words then that rule would become obvious without our needing to think about it, but I sure was glad I read about that myself. In summary, if you're a motivated learner and can put in some time to study on your own, I think you'll have a great time at Casa Hispana. If you are looking for a class where the pace will be really gentle and you won't have to do much work outside of class, maybe you should look elsewhere - there are certainly cheaper schools in town. Another point which some reviewers have mentioned already: yes, most teachers at the school are from Spain. Personally that's fine with me since I want to be able to understand all kinds of Spanish and the differences aren't that huge. My teacher never ever asked us to pronounce c and z with a "th" like they do in Spain; most of us in the class just pronounced like "s" like in Latin America and we all understood each other. read more

loved taking the first and second spanish class here a few years ago. the class sizes are small and the teachers are upbeat and engaging and only speak spanish to you so it makes you really have to give an effort. they offer weekday and weekend courses... their texts teach you a spain spanish curriculum so you do the voz stuff... but my first teacher who was columbian would explain the varieties in the language from country to country... you do a lot of group activities and they really want you to practice using the language as much as possible. we also did some listening exercises and the first few times everyone was just clueless after the tape stopped since the voices were super fast and were super 'spanish' haha... i really wish i could have continued back then, but i was a poor college student at the time so i decided i couldn't 'afford' continuing.... but luckily i continued to be exposed to the spanish language so i think casa hispana definitely gave me some good basics muchas gracias! read more

Sonia worked with our daughter in a small group of three and she was terrific! Sonia was always very responsive to emails when scheduling appointment times and was forthright with information on their progress. We had a great experience. read more