I took Tagalog 1 with Rhya in summer 2023 and Tagalog 2 with Nicky in summer 2025. Both times I…read moreopted for Hybrid courses, since I would be back in the Bay part of summer, and I definitely recommend adding that option if you learn better in-person. I was typically the only student who came in-person since most students take the class remote, but being able to be in the same room as the instructor helped my motivation during class immensely. Rhya and Nicky are both so kind and knowledgeable. You can tell that they are not only experts in the language (as native speakers from the Philippines) but in pedagogy. As a community college professor myself, I admire how organized the class was and how welcoming they are. The other students in my recent class were highly motivated and excited to learn Tagalog for various reasons. Some like me grew up with Filipino parents but never learned Tagalog, while others are in relationships with Filipinos/Filipino Americans and want to engage more deeply with the community through language. Overall, SJLC has been a positive experience, and I am excited to take the next (and last) level of Tagalog 3. The current rates for Tagalog (7 weeks, weekly meeting for small group) is $399 remote, $419 in person, and $449 hybrid -- note: this is a "Prime" class, so it is priced a bit higher since the instructor is a native speaker with 5+ years of teaching experience).

I've been wanting to learn Cantonese for a while now. I think there are very few places that offer…read morelessons in this language. I signed up for Cantonese 1, it's a 7 week, 1.5 hour hybrid class, and I went in person. I had another classmate in person, and two who joined online. I really enjoyed our classes, getting to practice speaking with the instructor and my classmates. The lessons are packed with a lot of vocabulary, grammar structure, and conversational phrases. There is limited writing exercises, and not much reading learning, but I am okay with this, and perhaps it is more emphasized in later levels. The instructor Dolphin is very supportive and patient. She would bring in photos and props to class to help us learn. She would also would tell anecdotes about Cantonese media that we could check out in our free time. I highly believe that this is worth the investment, it is more interactive than language learning apps, and you get real feedback. I am able to talk to my mother and some friends, and they can actually understand what I am trying to get across. I am planning to take Cantonese 2, and would suggest anyone who is interested in learning Cantonese, to check out this school!

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!

Janet is an outstanding teacher with extensive experience in coaching non-native speakers who want…read moreto improve their language skills. She is quick to identify and understand your challenges during the trial class and designs personalized modules that cater to your specific needs. Janet is patient when correcting repetitive mistakes and provides constructive, consistent feedback. She is also flexible with scheduling, making it easier for you to find time for lessons. Beyond language skills, Janet is someone you'll enjoy getting to know. She is friendly, approachable, and genuinely interested in your life story. As a kind, honest, and easy-going person, she creates a comfortable learning environment. Throughout my time learning with Janet, I've gained a much better understanding of native speaker intonation and effective communication. My pronunciation has significantly improved after just a few months of coaching. I now comprehend the reasons behind my accents and am actively working to avoid reverting to my old habits, ensuring I deliver my messages more clearly. You will achieve remarkable results and gain a friend and mentor through her class!

I highly recommend Janet to any non-native speakers who would like to improve their American…read moreEnglish pronunciation and delivery, and speak with confidence. I had worked with Janet for two and half years. Her sessions are highly customized to the client's needs and interest. I've learned a lot from Janet. I'm happy to say I can now speak English much more fluently and native-like. I will surely keep improving my spoken English by applying the techniques I learned from Janet, such as linking, reduction, inflection. Janet is very knowledgeable and has a keen curiosity and continual desire to expand the breadth of her knowledge. We read articles on history, culture, science, etc. Our conversations were always interesting and inspiring. I look forward to working with her again in the future.

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.

Working with Cynthia is an absolute pleasure! Cynthia is very professional, patient and supportive…read more I am a senior executive with 20 years of experience but I still felt like I needed to sharpen my business writing and communication skills. I reached out to Cynthia for help and right away she pointed out my skills, and weaknesses :) I've been working with Cynthia for the past 4 months and I am much more confident in my writing skills.

I like Cynthia's class since I improved a lot after taking the class with her. She will find…read moreproblems immediately and accurately while communicating with you and helping you practice accordingly. So I have become better at communication pretty fast. She is always very peaceful and ready to listen to others. I will recommend her class to everyone.

Both our kids went to LACS, and I highly recommend it to anyone else looking for a Mandarin…read moreimmersion program. Zhuang Laoshi has been there for years, and she is an incredibly thoughtful educator who is wonderful with kids. To this day, my older daughter still tells me she misses Zhuag Laoshi. Our younger daughter had Zhang Laoshi, who was the most kind, warm, and nurturing teacher who really helped her feel comfortable during the preschool transition. LACS plans thoughtful and creative projects, and they really help children grow independently. They foster an environment where young children can build their social skills, which was a priority for us. Another bonus is the extra-curricular activities that happen at the school, so you don't have to drive them somewhere on other days (ballet, drumming, music, etc). They also love English lessons with Miss Eleanor. The rest of the leadership are responsive and caring, and I appreciate the daily updates on how they ate/slept. It's a smaller community, so the teachers and staff really get to know the families well. It's also convenient because they run the afterschool Chinese program at the LASD schools, as well as the vacation/summer camps, so when students graduate from the preschool, they still have opportunities to interact with their old teachers. We are so happy to have LACS in our community.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Zhang Laoshi and Zhuang Laoshi. From the very beginning,…read moreit has been clear how much care, patience, and dedication they bring to the classroom every day. They create such a warm and nurturing environment where children feel safe, happy, and excited to learn. What really stands out is how thoughtfully Zhang Laoshi and Zhuang Laoshi support each child's development. They balance learning with play beautifully, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and confidence. My child often comes home talking about the fun activities, songs, and stories from class, and it's clear that Zhang Laoshi makes learning joyful and engaging for the children. Zhuang Laoshi and Zhang Laoshi also communicate very well with parents, sharing helpful updates and insights about how the children are growing socially, emotionally, and academically. It's reassuring to know that our child is in the hands of teachers who truly care about their well-being and development. We feel incredibly fortunate that our child is in a classroom led by Zhang Laoshi and Zhuang Laoshi. Great preschool teachers make a lifelong difference, and they are truly special educators who help children build confidence and a love of learning from the very start.

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.

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.