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!

My son started classes at SF Spanish and he absolutely love it. He enjoys the different topics…read moreevery week and the material that is provided. I will definitely recommend that classes and the teacher is amazing and very knowledgeable.

Unprofessional instructors, rude, expensive, and overall judgmental experience. Don't recommendread more

Sonia is wonderful. The classes are great and they are filled with great teachers from all over…read morethe 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.

I signed up for Casa Hispana post pandemic wanting something where i could learn from a teacher and…read morebe 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!

Sev is an incredible tutor. My brother and I both have been working with him for 6-8 months now and…read morehave experienced stellar results. His rates are very reasonable, especially considering how talented he is. He is very patient and tailors the format to your level, style, and preference. He is also very fun to work with, has a great sense of humor, and is extremely knowledgeable. I plan to continue working with Sev for years to come, and I recommend that anybody looking to learn or polish their French skills gives him a try.

Sev has been tutoring my daughter for three years now, since she was 10. He's a fantastic teacher…read moreand skilled at personalizing his lessons to the interests, abilities, and age of his clients. His lessons for my daughter have involved a combination of grammar and vocabulary, reading and writing, discussion, and fun things, depending on the mood. On a nice day they might walk around the neighborhood talking about things as they go. Or (more when she was younger) they might watch silly videos and talk about them--in French of course. He's incredibly good at figuring out what will get her interested and talking. Now that she's older they converse like adults. It's been fabulous to watch her progression with him. With Sev you will get not only a very skilled teacher, but one sensitive to the needs of his client and the needs of the moment. Whatever you are looking for in your French lessons I am absolutely sure that he can provide. And he's a fabulous person to boot. Do yourself a favor and contact him! You will be so glad you did.

We're in our second year at La Scuola's Dogpatch Preschool and couldn't be happier! The caliber of…read moreteachers and staff is outstanding - you can just feel the love and care emanating for each individual. The emphasis on on curiosity and community comes through every day in big and small ways, and the physical space itself - with lots of light, color and energy - reflects the spirit of the school. The outdoor space is some of the biggest and best I saw in my tours of SF preschools. While our family doesn't have any connection to Italy/Italian, it's been amazing to see how quickly she picked up a new language and it gives her a chance to teach us something, which is a fun role reversal. And man, is Italian a beautiful language to listen to :) I love that my daughter is served healthy, homemade food (some of which is grown at the garden) and it's a huge bonus that I don't have to prep meals! They also learn meal etiquette - the students set the table, wait until every is served to eat, and wait to leave until they're finished. At pickup time, it's a challenge to get my daughter to leave she's having so much fun and loves her friends. You won't regret enrolling your child here!

Our almost 8 year old son has been attending to La Scuola since he was 5. He's currently in second…read moregrade. We have been having a great experience. We are a bilingual family (I'm from Italy) and it has been a highlight to be able to be closer to the Italian culture through the staff and other families. The school has a thoughtful approach to social emotional learning, has proactive communication, an enrichment program during after care, a great music teacher, and organizes several events, many to foster inclusion of minorities, to educate parents about their learning approach, and to encourage social connections among parents. Families here are very friendly, down to earth, and kind. They have a large outdoor area for kids to play and a garden. And our son loves their food and goes often for a second round!

Canaan Tutoring Center is a great place for kids to learn and grow. I came here starting 6th grade,…read moreand I started to tutor here around my sophmore year in high school. Teachers here are very friendly and intelligent, the manager Ken is one of the nicest people you'll meet and he genuinely cares for each kid. Teachers can help you on a range of subjects specializing in math and English. The center is great, with a lot of computers here for research and board games make you think and use your brain. The price here is also relatively low. Definitely recommend this place.

Canaan Tutoring is great. It offers a good atmosphere for kids to socialize while still working on…read moreschool. There are regular school days which provide kids with help for homework and studying and then there are summer sessions which are day camps, but still do some education exercises so kids don't forget everything they've learned. The manager (Ken) is very friendly. He's nice and he's great with the kids.

¡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.

We chose La Scuola three years ago for its combination of warmth and strong academics. I toured a…read morelot of K-8 schools and the warmth and personality of La Scuola stood out. Dig a little further and I was impressed by the International Baccalaureate program and language immersion. I have to say we haven't been disappointed. Our child loves the school and is always happy. I have been hugely impressed by the teaching standards and communication. Just fyi, we have no Italian at home and love that our child is learning the language and will take on Spanish in the coming years. I can't recommend the school enough.

My kid is in 1st grade and we have loved La Scuola since she started in Kindergarten. We were drawn…read moreto the school for the international community, the IB system, and the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Also, my daughter came in with no Italian language skills in K and the teachers did a great job of making sure she was following what was happening until she picked up the Italian. There were a few others like her and they did an awesome job integrating them into the language having other kids help with translation when needed.) We are thrilled to be able to be part of this community for a whole 9 years!