I've studied Spanish with a couple of schools and various tutors and WLS is by far the best. The class sizes are small (less than 10 people) and facilitate the learning of Spanish across speaking, watching videos, reading, and learning new vocabulary. This is quite a contrast with other schools that focus solely on conversation. Conversation is great for a discussion-focused class, but when you're still learning grammar and vocabulary, it's important to teach these subjects using different techniques (e.g. videos, reading out loud as a class). Both styles of Spanish are studied (Spain and Latin America), which prepares you to speak when traveling to the motherland or any other country in the world. As someone who worked in education as a high school teacher, I've been very impressed with the instructors. They're all talented, patient, professional, and really know how to keep everyone engaged in the class. You can tell there is a rigorous process for teacher selection as the instructors I've interacted with have been top notch (big shout out to Paula and Juan!). The director Tara is very organized and responsive. Right after signing up for a class, you receive automated calendar invites for each class session with all the logistical details. The class price is affordable and there are usually discounts for students who sign up early for future classes after enrolling. Classes are split across two convenient locations: 9th St NW DC (a block away from the Chinatown Metro) and Washington Blvd. in Arlington. I've taken classes in both locations and getting to/from were easy with a car (parking available in Arlington) or riding Metro. I'm now in the Upper Intermediate courses and plan to continue through the advanced levels. Whether you're a beginner or advanced speaker, I highly recommend WLS. read more

I am about to finish my second semester of classes with work-life spanish. I have had two different teachers and loved both of them. The classes are fun and engaging. I learn a lot each class and the homework is not hard to get done in time before the next class. Classes are interactive and gets every student to participate!! They also have social clubs and other fun activities to get you experiencing culture and using your spanish skills!! read more

I'm finishing up my first group course, Exploring the Future (B1). I minored in Spanish in college, but have been out of practice for many years. I anticipated this course would be a nice "review," but instead, I found myself learning things I had never been taught before! My professor, Sandy Muchacho, is incredibly engaging and makes the content come alive. Class is interactive, a great balance of learning grammar/vocabulary and then utilizing it in real time to practice and converse with classmates. The small group format was perfect for my learning style! read more

Literally, one of the best. The classes also incorporate culture, which is essential to language learning. I really enjoy the advanced topics that you won't get in other classes. I love that my instructors were from different Spanish speaking countries, this helped me to learn about the different countries, customs and accents as well. The news and film classes are the absolute best. This is where you really get to learn more and increase your vocabulary. You'll have a chance to learn and use advanced vocabulary to talk about different topics. read more

This was my very first Spanish class (ever) and it was very enjoyable. I learned so much! The virtual classroom was convenient for me and the course resources (book, activities, visual presentations) were engaging. I highly recommend Work-Life Spanish. read more

I just took the introductory class for absolute beginners at the Arlington location near Court House metro, and it exceeded my expectations. Based on my experience with learning French, I have found that apps like Duolingo, while useful, are no replacement for actual classes with an effective instructor. At Work-Life Spanish, our instructor gave us a thorough introduction to the Spanish language, but also kept the class accessible for a room full of beginners. The instructor also made the class fun and engaging, which kept us focused after a long day at work. I plan to take more classes at Work-Life Spanish, and that, of course, is the most fundamental positive review that one can give. read more

I had no Spanish experience prior to starting starting classes and have learned so much with Work-Life Spanish. I took two classes and now am doing online tutoring because of my work schedule. The classes were well organized, supportive and fun while also maximizing learning. I am currently doing online tutoring with Leopoldo Díaz who is a wonderful instructor and tailors the sessions so I can maximize my speaking skills. I highly recommend Work-Life Spanish! read more

I have tried a number of Spanish classes in the area, and while some of them were better than others, Work-Life Spanish is the best. It is obvious in every single class that Tara enjoys teaching, loves the Spanish language, is enthusiastic about Spanish and Latin American cultures, and genuinely cares about the learning experience of her students. Her teaching methods are incredibly creative and engaging, and she finds ways to activate multiple areas of the brain rather than simply focusing on rote exercises. I am currently enrolled in two classes per week: one grammar class, and one more advanced class that focuses on conversation and culture. They are both fabulous. I look forward to each of them each week, and when I leave, I only want to speak in Spanish. Tara has also helped me in a handful of private tutoring sessions, and she has been fabulous there as well. I would wholeheartedly recommend Work-Life Spanish to a student of Spanish at any level. These classes are worth every penny, and your Spanish will noticeably improve. Sign up! :) read more

I can't recommend Tara highly enough! I've taken a non-corporate group class at Work-Life Spanish, and I had her as a teacher previously. She's a fabulous instructor who comes up with all her own awesome materials. She really listens to students and incorporates their interests and needs into the class. She uses interesting authentic materials (video clips, poetry, stories, articles, movies, etc.) and gets students talking about interesting topics. And she really teaches you the grammar- not just how to conjugate a verb and fill in a blank! Tara is super knowledgeable about Spanish grammar and actually helps you really practice it by coming up with her own activities to get you using the grammar in a meaningful way. I've taken so many language classes, including Spanish classes at five, yes FIVE, different programs in the area since moving to DC, and I've been pretty underwhelmed by a lot of them. The teachers are smart, proficient speakers, but they don't really know how to teach a second language and they neither prepare much outside of class or get support/lesson plans from the school where they teach. Tara is always very well-prepared and knows how to teach a language, and it shows in class! read more

Great combination of useful material and a supportive, relaxed atmosphere. I loved that Susana spoke Spanish with us 90% of the time and that she supplemented the written materials with pop songs, Spanish language TV programs, and more. read more

Work-Life Spanish is the perfect program for people trying to learn Spanish. The instructors are smart, knowledgable and great communicators. The course material is relevant, innovative and comprehensive. An overall great experience! read more

We're on class 8 of 10 of Spanish for Absolute Beginners. I speak some French but no Spanish. My wife speaks some Spanish. We both agree that this class is awesome. My wife keeps telling people she has learned more in 8 classes with W-Ls than she learned in three years of high school Spanish. We were a little leery of the setting, in the basement break room of a hotel in Courthouse, but by the end of the first class we knew the location was far less important than the course and instructor. And our instructor Javier has been awesome. He has so much patience and has such an incredibly positive and energetic approach to teaching his native language. We'll for sure be back for more once this session is over! read more

I took a group class and two private classes with Tara. She is one of the best language teachers I've had. She takes teaching seriously but makes it fun so that it doesn't seem like work. Multiple methods of learning are used during class, with lots of opportunities to practice speaking. I highly recommend her! read more

I couldn't be happier with this school and the two instructors I have had. Susana has been my primary instructor, and I have been impressed with her professionalism, punctuality, flexibility, and work ethics. Her instructor materials are the best I have seen and she has been attuned to my needs as a student and navigating the material aptly to address my weak spots. My back-up instructor is Leo, and I am most impressed with his as well. Love his approach to teaching by speaking and immersion. Tara has shown excellent communication, professionalism, and flexibility. I highly recommend this school. read more

I took an intermediate Spanish course with Tara and I liked her from the minute I met her! The class was total immersion with only Spanish spoken, which was very helpful. I can't even remember how many times I went off on tangents during the class, but Tara was very patient and would always creatively turn it into a teaching moment. The class always had a basic structure but Tara was very flexible with the content. I could tell she spent a lot of time on her presentations and materials (we learned words related to clothing/shopping by dressing up Obama paper dolls; we translated a Bon Jovi song written from the viewpoint of a guy lamenting the loss of his love and then we had to write a response back from the fictional woman's standpoint) and she is definitely the most creative teacher I've had so far. For our final project, we got to pick a topic of our choice and present it in any format we wanted (pictures, slideshow, article, comic book). I did a presentation on a recent trip I took and afterward, we corrected any grammatical mistakes and talked about how the sentences could have been worded differently. If I had taken this class with anyone else, it definitely wouldn't have been as enjoyable. Tara is very friendly, approachable, and engaging. As far as Spanish teachers go, she's as good as it gets. read more

Took my second class and so enjoyed it. First with Susanna on the future and with Paula on the past. The materials were thorough and clear but the best part is the instructors. They were cheerful and helpful and made us feel more confident about speaking. Looking forward to my third class. read more

Small classroom setting with instructors who are extremely passionate about the language and culture set you up for success! Took 2 years of Spanish in high school and would say I definitely learned more in this 10 week 'Spanish for Absolute Beginners Course'. read more

Tara is an amazing teacher and friend! I am interested in Spanish about a years ago. It is very hard to start learning by yourself without know any basics. I just finished my A1 level class in which I learned pronunciation, how to introduce myself and some basic grammar and structure of simple sentences. Tara is very experienced and got many ways to make the class interesting, engaging and easy to digest. I feel this is a great start for learning Spanish. I encourage everyone who's interested in learning Spanish to sign up for the class. read more

Signed up for the A2 Spanish class titled Ser or estar. Wonderful class and the instructor Javier is great...

I just finished the beginner Spanish class and was very happy with all that I've learned so far. Tara offers creative, fun, engaging lesson plans that make all the difference in distinguishing her from other run of the mill competing foreign language programs. I have confidence in her abilities to teach us Spanish because of her higher education in Spanish, real life experience living and working in Spanish speaking countries as well as my personal interactions with her teaching style and knowledge in class and private tutor sessions. I like learning from someone who's native tongue isn't Spanish, as I think she can relate to our struggles and how to get through them. read more

Tara is an amazing Spanish teacher! Her classes are focus on practical language uses and she finds a way to get everyone talking. I've taken many Spanish classes in my life and she is by far one of my best teachers. I highly recommend her! read more

I'm now in my second class with Tara and have also taken a private lesson with her. She is a gifted instructor because she not only knows the language, but also finds ways to engage students in using it and building confidence all at the same time! Many classes divorce grammar and actual usage in conversation, but not this one. You apply your understanding of grammar and verb tenses in context of conversations on a variety of interesting and timely topics. We were challenged to write poems, engage in debates, interact with native speakers, watch movie and tv clips, and so much more to get practice writing, speaking, and listening to the language. We also did a super fun cooking class and made empanadas and learned the words for tablespoon, teaspoon, and all the ingredients we used -- will come in handy when eating out or grocery shopping! Plus it was delicious. Like other reviewers, I've tried other companies in DC -- two others -- and Work-Life Spanish is numero uno in my book. read more