I have been improving my french now for many years, using classes and individual lessons both in…read moreSan Francisco and France (many locations). Arcene is the only french tutor I have used in SF, and would not switch to any other. For the price that Arcene charges, he is really unbeatable value for a very skilled teacher. I know all this sounds hyperbole, so some specifics may help; - A part of each lesson is conversation. Arcene is a good conversationalist, by which I mean that he draws out the student with leading questions, and gets the student to talk about themselves. e.g. on my very first lesson with him we went through the vocabulary for my 'life story' - how I was going to introduce myself to others during an upcoming visit to France. - Arcene listens well, takes notes, and corrects after the conversation, point by point, without breaking your flow at the time. He will suggest better ways of expressing things, and use your bad grammar usage as launching points for instructions in some point of grammar (pronouns, tenses, verbs etc). - Arcene would usually then go through a structured description of that point of grammar, whatever it might be, and write down the information at an appropriate level of difficulty, using examples. Sometimes the writing was a little untidy, but I would rewrite these later into my own book anyway. - There is a good mix of technically correct grammar and good daily phrases. - He's quite funny, does not take himself too seriously, and as I can see from the other reviews, many of his students also consider themselves to be friends with Arcene.

Arcene is great. I…read moremet him a few years ago while I was studying for law school classes at Maxfields cafe in the Mission. I overheard his lesson at the next table and immediately wanted in on it. I asked for his info, then I had a few lessons with him before I headed to Paris for a month. I felt like my lessons with Arcene really helped me communicate with Parisians, whether it be ordering breakfast, asking for directions, or exchanging something at a small hardware store (my biggest achievement thus far). Last year, my friend and I asked Arcene to lead our "French Club," which consisted of meeting at a French cafe for some coffee and conversation every other week. Arcene gave us little homework assignments, and was very flexible as far as just letting us do as much or as little as we wanted. I would recommend Arcene to anyone, whether as a supplement to a formal class or just for conversation. He is extremely intuitive at telling where each person is and what they need to know. Plus, he is super interesting so you actually want to figure out what he's saying!

I signed up for classes in February on whim after a deal popped up in an email. I researched it…read morebriefly and decided to go for it since it worked for my schedule and the price was quite reasonable for the number of classes. Fast forward a couple of months and I'm half way into my second session and I've learned quite a bit while having a lot of fun. Classes are conversational, so it's not a whole lot of note taking or just writing things down although we are supplied with a binder and every week we are given handouts for the classes. We do take some notes but it's more about learning a few basics and taking it from there building on the previous weeks lessons. Also, the classes are pretty small, about 12 or less from my experience, so if something is not clear, it's very easy to ask a question. I'm taking a trip to Italy this summer and I have no doubt that I'll ready to get there and put my skills to work.

Studying with Juztino was not what I expected! It is not a boring classroom experience, there are…read moreno desks! You will not learn from a teacher that is two lesson plans ahead of you, he seems to know everything about Italian having lived in Italy for years of his life! You will not simply learn to pass a test, there are no tests! Instead he will teach you a useful approach to speaking Italian! Along with his masterful approach to teaching a very difficult language he incorporates the local Italian businesses into a "culture" in which his students are invited to participate. He even works with Native Italians to introduce his students to the cooking skills and micro-cultures of the Italian way of life! He is not the most tech savvy, shiny classroom, lifeless computer module of an instructor; he is a face to face, etymologically gifted, guitar and flute playing song leader of an instructor (he teaches italian songs to his students). I am so glad to learn from him! It can't be easy to teach me a language but somehow he is making it happen, and in spite of all this learning I am even having a good time! Ciao bello!

Dominique makes learning a language fun. Her method of teaching is structured ,getting you adequate…read moreknowledge to somehow attain the goal of being able to speak French. She also teaches the proper pronunciation which is essential for locals to understand you. I would definitely encourage you to try her lessons.

I really enjoy working with Dominique. She is very supportive and patient in her approach to…read moreteaching french, and she always is willing to send me additional readings or articles in french to provide some helpful "homework" in between our lessons. I feel that both my pronunciation and my grammar have improved significantly while working with Dominique. I also appreciate how flexible she is with scheduling our lessons--I have had to reschedule a few times due to work constraints and she is very accommodating.

I pride myself on knowing the different pastas without asking the server when dining at an Italian…read morerestaurant. Agnolotti, cavatelli, bucatini -- the list goes on! my love for perfectly al dente pasta knows no bounds. Well, the problem became apparent when we booked our trip to Italy a couple of months ago. I freaked out because my Italian is non-existent and so... HOW THE HECK AM I GOING TO ORDER A COCKTAIL AT THE BAR?!?! * well, you speak English of course! * I wanted to be able to confidently order in their language and sure, I can Rosetta Stone my way into learning Italian, but why not learn it from a REAL live Italian? Idesli offers Italian classes twice a week, but it didn't work with my schedule. Carla, the director, was flexible and accommodating. She worked with me to find a schedule that would fit and answered emails promptly. I got six private, 1.5 hour sessions at a fair price. My instructor, Valentina, is patient, kind and engaging. I learned so much with the personalized attention and she always encouraged me to email her if I had any questions. Learning another language is hard! It's like learning how to walk all over again. I'm planning to continue where we left off when I get back from my trip to Italy. I can say that in the short time I've had with Valentina, she taught me the most valuable lesson one can ever learn: the difference of intonation. Did you know that in Italian, penne = pasta, but pene = penis? o_0 You can't exactly order "pene" at a restaurant, right?

I just finished a 10 lesson Spanish package with IDESLI and had a great experience…read more A little background on me: I minored in Spanish and studied abroad in Chile during college but found myself a few years out and faltering in my language abilities. I was presented with the opportunity to travel to Bogota, Colombia for work and began taking lessons with IDESLI to get back up to speed. I can confidently say that after 9 lessons I felt so much more confident in my Spanish abilities. My instructor Monica gave me great feedback and mixed the classes up with conversation, practices, and lessons. She gave me some great resources I can use later on as well. After these lessons I have used my Spanish so much more, in my professional as well as personal life, than I would have prior. I highly recommend IDESLI to anyone looking to take private Spanish lessons in the Bay Area. The private attention I received rivaled any college class I took. This is truly a great value. If I ever find myself needing to freshen up my abilities or to advance my abilities I will be going back to IDESLI.

I really like it here. The teachers are very warm. The environment is gorgeous. The work is hard…read moreand there are a great many opportunities to practice. J'aime bien ici. Les enseignants sont les meilleurs.

You learn to speak french in a emersive environment. They also have an extensive library to…read moreexplore! Ils sont fantastiques!

Not the greatest french teacher, despite nice reviews when teaching at our high school, most…read morestudents didnt like her as she favorited others. this caused lots of students to leave her class. This made it hard to pass the class and not make me wanna take her french class sadly hers was the only option. She's not that flexible, and sometimes she's picky and choosy at times she would grade work. At times she likes to help, given my experience. Overall, better communication consistency in emailing and a more professional engaging attitude would be greatly improve the class atmosphere and experience.

Used the services for college level French 3 & 4. The services were provided via Zoom, and were…read moreVERY helpful. I am continuing to use the service now, as I take even more advanced course work in French at the college level. The group is professional and trustworthy. Highly recommended!

¡Dios Mio! There…read moreare the good things, then there are the bad things. Here's the good stuff: - Dino knows languages. Um, lots of the them. - His curriculum is as flexible as you need it to be. Not just from a course load, but maybe you got your ass kicked at work that day, and don't want to work super hard on verb tenses: He will adjust to your goals and your emotional needs that week, that day, that moment. - Homework is dependent on you, he can assign or not assign: it depends on what you want. - The schedule can be flexible. Travel a lot? Got personal stuff? He can work around it. - His teaching style is thorough, thoughtful, and useful. There isn't a single session that feels like fluff or wasted time. And even after an hour or so, your brain is still ready for more. I started at once a week. Then went to twice a week. And if I could've found the time, I would've done three times as week. The Bad: - Dino is a giant presence. Literally. People want to stare at him. It'll put you in the spotlight. You will meet people and interact. You may have to put your new skills to the test. Buen suerte, mijo. - Your friends will be jealous that you are kicking their ass with your new language. It's ok, you deserve the kudos. - You will go to every taqueria in SF and order in Spanish. Locals might hate you for that. Or love you. Kinda depends. I little knowledge is dangerous. - You may fall in love. Go find out why. Seriously, Dino is an animal with languages. A strong, understanding beast who will help you with a thoughtful program, designed for your needs. Get to it.

I went through three ho-hum Spanish teachers before finding Dino. First off, Dino loves language…read more It's infectious. The history of it, the semantics, the quirk, the slang. Which means your lesson isn't going to be some dry textbook-style drone. It's going to be as colorful as Dino himself. To top this off, Dino is kind of a language genius so his immense intelligence and understanding of the ins and outs will be gifted to you in the hour sessions. Bonus! He meets most students at Cafe Flore so you can have a glass of wine which loosens the tongue for those who find it tied. Dino has also started teaching Spanish classes for our restaurant employees which has been such a boon for an industry where language is what creates the gulf between front and back of the house. So whether you want individual lessons or a group class, Dino is the man.

I cannot say enough good things about this INCREDIBLE preschool. My eldest has attended APM since…read morehe was 2. We were looking for a French immersion school, but really what we found is an extended family and beautiful community. The teachers are phenomenal, every single staff emanates love for the children. You can tell that this is more than just a job for them. Not to mention they do so many creative activities, games, and even cooking regularly! My son is SO excited to read and learn to write and is doing so already very well before even starting preK. I am relieved that my second kid will be able to go to APM because we are not ready to say goodbye! I cannot recommend this wonderful school enough. Other huge (more logistical) perks - handmade, hot, healthy meals every day - breakfast, lunch and snack included. Hours that cover the entire work day, and coverage during summer.

Both of my children have attended preschool at Au P'tit Monde and it's truly been a home away from…read morehome. The teachers are the best, they have an amazing menu of food they prepare for the students (breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack), and not to mention the French language experience. There is so much love in this school, it's been such a wonderful experience for us as a family.