TALK is a wonderful school that helps international students learn English and engage in activities…read morearound the bay area. As a previous teacher here, I can truly say it was the best job I ever had. I loved working with the students from many different countries and participating in activities. I always think about the memories I made here and helping students learn English. My boss Molly was wonderful and the teachers there were all very helpful, supportive, and nice. It is a great school to be a part of! Come study here you will enjoy it and remember the experience for the rest of your life.

I would recommend this school for sure! The welcome is very warm and the atmosphere really nice! I…read morelearned a lot during the classes. We talked about very interesting topics, about the news, the exercices are varied! I really appreciate this time in Talk English School, it's like a family! Thank you for organizing activities and discoveries SF!

Teacher Fanny is a wonderful Cantonese instructor. I work in the healthcare field and have a…read moreMandarin speaking background with some elementary school Chinese reading skills, but was looking to pick up Cantonese as most of my patients are Cantonese speakers. I had taken lessons on weekdays after work for one year at CCLC and my coworkers (who haven't heard me speak to patients often) have been shocked at my progress and ability to communicate with monolingual Cantonese speakers. I can confidently communicate conversational Cantonese, and am constantly learning new vocabulary through conversations. I of course still consider myself a beginner/intermediate Cantonese student. For the Cantonese classes, I found that I have had mostly one on one or 1 teacher to 2 student ratios for most of my lessons, allowing me to maximize my learning. Fanny is very flexible and adapts to her students' learning styles and is able to adjust lessons based on your learning goals. She is also good at balancing textbook lessons with a good dose of Cantonese conversations so that you have the opportunity to practice and learn sentences and vocabulary based on natural conversation topics! Aside from the quality learning, times were also very flexible and I could easily schedule later/earlier or different days for lessons, so it was more like private tutoring really. The only caveat is that most of the texts used are Chinese character based with Jyutyin pin yin for learning Cantonese, and so the Cantonese lessons are more geared to current Mandarin speakers or those with the ability to read Chinese characters. Of course, Mandarin language or Chinese reading is not a requirement, but it does make the learning process easier. Fanny is able to supplement her texts, wit helpful apps for Cantonese translations. Finally I have to also add that the school principal, Celine, is an overall wonderful person and a pleasure to work with as well. She is someone who is very passionate about teaching language and culture, as well as agreat person to have general life lesson conversations with. She is also very welcoming and very accommodating. For an adult learner, CCLC is a great place to learn Cantonese and get some one on time with instructors. I have not partaken or seen the Mandarin lessons, but I do know there are children groups during the day time and I have seen other instructors plan for song/dance lessons, meal prep lessons, and other creative ways to engage younger child learners. This is a great overall language and cultural teaching facility and I highly recommend them.

Professor Lee (Lee laoshi) was a great teacher for me and other adult Chinese language learners…read more Thanks to her, I was able to communicate effectively with my wife's relatives and properly participate in funerals for extended family in China. Previously when working with her, I learned enough to travel on my own in Beijing and surroundings. I highly recommend working with her if you want an intensive, focused program of learning spoken or written Chinese.

Laia is a native of Barcelona. She's a dynamic instructor--overflowing with energy and enthusiasm…read more Her teaching style is clear and approachable. She offers flexible class times and online lessons to accommodate busy schedules. Spanish Vamos provides a unique opportunity to practice Spanish in a relaxed environment while tasting and learning about Spanish wines and culture. This would be a fun experience to do with your friends! Highly recommend!

From the owner: Spanish classes for adults and companies (Online & Onsite) …read more Dynamic classes, such as online wine tastings with Spanish wine and conversation in Spanish.

I have two kids at Russian Hill Academy - one is leaving for Kindergarten this fall 2026 (started…read moreat the tail-end of COVID) and the other just started last year in 2025. We had our son in the thick of COVID and were nervous about sending him to daycare. His interaction with people outside our home was limited, not to mention the fear of illness at the time. Jiali and her staff made sure we were totally comfortable with their practices, and they are super clean in general. It is a safe and clean space for kids to learn, explore, and remain healthy. When it came time to send our daughter to daycare, it was a no-brainer. We jumped at the available slot and she has been happy and thriving for the last 9 months. She is in her own class with kids in her age group and has made her own friends. The school does a good job of having the siblings find one another at select points in the day but she also has a strong independence which is important as we prepare for our son to leave RHA. If we could keep our son at RHA we 100% would but alas it is time for him to move on so we will hold onto the remaining time our daughter has there, dearly. The friends we've made will be with us for a lifetime, and we give so much credit to Jiali and her staff for all the heart (and sweat) they pour into creating a community for kids and parents alike.

We cannot say enough good things about Russian Hill Academy and the care we get with Jiali and her…read morestaff. Our daughter started at a year and a half and thrived around having children her age and older around. She always came home with new words and found her best friends at the daycare. She has since started kindergarten but misses the daycare and always wants to come in and give a hug to the teachers when we come to pick up my son. The children go to the playground, have a beautiful indoor area for play and learning. The food is home cooked by the staff (my children eat more vegetables there than I can introduce at home!). I love to see the combination of fun with education as well. Our son now attends and also started at the same age, he loves going in and is always excited to tell us about his day. The school is Mandarin immersion (we do not know/speak Mandarin at home) but both children love and speak the language well, always singing songs and teaching me words. My daughter has loved it so much that we continue to find opportunity to continue to learn Mandarin. They both are able to identify symbols and converse easily with the staff. The activities that are posted and shown to us through Brightwheel are always impressive with respect to the breadth of activities like learning about caterpillars and butterflies or doing motor coordination activities. The children are always enthusiastic about singing and dancing and my children's Mandarin proficiencies are demonstrated through the video as well. While we do not always get to communicate as thoroughly with some of the teachers, Jiali is always very responsive to questions and keeping us updated on our child's progress. We have not had issues despite not speaking Mandarin for our children and we have loved that another language is being developed with our children. The families in the community are also wonderful and we love attending the yearly event where the children learn dances and songs to present to the families. Jiali is second to none in expertise in care for children. I credit her for both of our children being potty trained at the daycare, and she had to use very different approaches for both of them which I know comes from her understanding there's different personalities and needs for children. She has the children's safety and growth both in mind. We moved away from the Russian Hill area but felt so strongly about our great care with Russian Hill Academy that we have continued to have our care with her despite moving further away.

Absolutely love this school. The staff is friendly, professional, and truly knows their stuff. They…read moremake you feel welcome from day one and go above and beyond to help you settle in. Highly recommend.

I transferred here from another school, and honestly, it was the best decision I made. This School…read moreis a really clean and welcoming place to learn English and the teachers are super friendly, and the classes actually make learning fun. The director, Henry is a really nice and cool guy who always supports his students and makes everyone feel welcome. I definitely recommend this school to anyone who wants to study and improve their English!

Intercultural Institute of California (IIC) is a gem for students and professionals of…read moreinternational background. Located at the heart of San Francisco, it offers an accredited English language program with TEFL certified teachers as well as GRE/GMAT and multi-level General English programs. It's unique in that all the teachers dedicate themselves to creating an engaging, respectful and practical communication environment. What is less known is that IIC has a valuable Business English program I enrolled in last summer. Each teacher brought his/her international experience and business skills, which made classroom discussions dynamic, meaningful and fun. The teachers facilitated discussions of environmental, social-cultural and economic issues through not only the textbook, but also newspaper articles, films, debates and field trips. Having been in this diverse community for a year, I become a new person who enjoys expressing myself and connecting with others. It's also worth mentioning that the administration and staff at IIC truly care about students and make themselves stepping-stones for students' success, from transferring into universities to life transitions to career advancement. The school has just expanded and now has an Oakland campus in addition to its San Francisco headquarters. The IIC community has changed my belief that I'm not good enough in English. Everyone can build great relationships and enjoy a successful life through proactive communication. Come to IIC if you desire the same transformation!

Accredited ESL school with friendly staff and fun students. Especially if you like to hang with…read moreThai people. And I do! Sa-wa-dee! That building on Post st. Is a really cool example of traditional San Francisco architecture too! Good memories.

Terra has felt like San Francisco's best kept secret for our family. The biggest thing we noticed…read moreearly on was how much our son genuinely looks forward to going to school. He comes home excited to talk about what he learned, what he built, and what he explored that day, which gave us confidence that we made the right choice. We visited a few public and private schools with a strong Mandarin immersion program. What stood out with Terra over time was how balanced the learning feels, both inside and outside the classroom. Academically, he has grown steadily in both English and Mandarin, and at the same time we have seen real growth in confidence, independence, and how he works through challenges. The outdoor program has been especially meaningful for him. Spending time learning outside each week has clearly shaped how he approaches learning. He often comes home talking about things he created or discovered in nature, and those experiences seem to stick with him in a way that traditional classroom lessons sometimes do not. The small class size has made a big difference for our family. His teachers really know him as an individual, including both his strengths and the areas where he needs more guidance. That level of attention has helped him grow academically and emotionally without feeling pressured to fit into a single mold. We have also appreciated how involved the parent community is. It feels collaborative, and communication between families and the school is very open. The after-school enrichment classes like engineering, cooking, and art have been another highlight because they give him more ways to explore interests he might not otherwise try. Terra is a smaller school, but for us that has created a strong sense of connection and support. Most importantly, our son feels happy, challenged, and excited to learn, which is ultimately what we were hoping to find in a school.

My son started in Kindergarten at Terra Schools and I have loved our experience. I've decided to…read moreswitch my younger son from his current pre-school to Terra Schools' pre-school program as well because of how strong I've found it to be. When I went through the Kindergarten application process, I toured a ton of schools across public, charter, and private (independent and parochial). I am the type of person that likes to dig deep and understand all of my options. The reason I ended up choosing to attend Terra is because: - Outdoor Nature: We came from a nature based pre-school and I saw the benefits of being able to regularly play outside. It was tough to find an elementary school that offered dedicated time in nature. Elementary grades at Terra have Earth Ed one full day per week, and pre-school has two full days. Earth Ed is led by Dylan, who has decades of experience and holds a PHD in environmental studies. He's great with the students. They love him. - Strong Academics: I asked every school I toured about differentiated learning, and they all gave an answer. However, Terra was the only one where the logistics made sense to me. They have banded classes for subjects like math and reading, which means that for those subjects, my son is grouped with students that are at the same level as him, not based on his grade or age. For example, he is in Kindergarten but he is in the 1st grade math group. - Quality of Teachers: The teachers go through a rigorous process before they are hired full time. They are highly qualified. They are also loving and caring. My son is excited to run to his teacher every morning (which was not the case at his prior schools). - Language Immersion: We are in the mandarin immersion program, but my son is naturally exposed to some Spanish as well and has enjoyed picking up some of the language. It's unique to be able to give him a multilingual experience in a fun, low pressure way. - Parent Community: There are multiple opportunities to connect with each other including coffee meetups, PTA meetings, mom's/dad's nights, and WhatsApp groups. I have met many awesome families at Terra that I now call my friends. My son is thriving here. I have seen noticeable improvements in his academic progress, his self confidence and his ability to advocate for himself.