Spanish Lessons for Adults

Parent Q&A

Select any title to view the full question and replies.

  • Hello! We have been dreaming of moving to Spain for a few years now, and we may be closer to such a reality due to my husband's ability to transfer for work. The actual move, if it happens, would still be at least a year away. There are lots of questions I have about being the spouse that doesn't have the job lined up when moving abroad, but right now, my main concern is preparation and positioning myself to be a marketable professional in Spain. I currently work at a major US bank, and my ideal would be to first try and do a lateral move to the same industry in Spain. I understand there are many challenges in being able to find work abroad, visa sponsorship, etc., but right now, I just want to up my language skills. Can anyone recommend a course of action in my situation? Any language/job advice specific to the expat looking for job in Spain is welcome. Thank you!

    I have no experience with your situation, but come from a language education background and have taken Spanish classes in Spain. You may want to look into DELE which is a certification of Spanish knowledge through the Spanish government. I have seen groups on Instagram (e.g. @spanishclasseslive) that do language lessons and test prep. Buena suerte!

  • I'm trying to learn Spanish but Duo Lingo isn't cutting it anymore.  I know some people have tutors they work with on Zoom who help them practice conversationally.  I'd love recommendatoins!

    Megan is a fabulous online or in person teacher/tutor; responsible, and creative. She is passionate about her students…we highly recommend. Megan is professional and empathetic; we also know many other families who are grateful for Megan. Ms. Soberanes. comes from a long line of “California Mexicans” in the East Bay. 

    http://Bayareaspanish.com

    I work with a tutor via Zoom in Mexico. His name is Manuel and his email is manuelhreyeslle [at] gmail.com 

    I recommend an inexpensive, quality school Jabel Tinamit, located in Guatemala that provides zoom lessons in Spanish: 

    Gregorio Garcia - JABEL TINAMIT
    info [at] jabeltinamit.com (Email: info[at]jabeltinamit[dot]com)
    Phone: +502 4244 0047
     

    I've worked with Diego and he's a fantastic person to practice Spanish with! He's fascinating and personable, has travelled the world, and is an expert in opera.  I have the best time working with him, the time flies by in our sessions and my Spanish has improved a ton.  You can reach him at diecuru [at] gmail.com (diecuru[at]gmail[dot]com)

    At the beginning of the pandemic, our kids worked with a Spanish tutor in Guatemala through www.ixchelschool.com. The tutor was fun and engaging -- she had them doing games in order to get them talking more. It was very reasonable, too.

    Try italki.com

    cheap and convenient 

    Highly recommend Live Lingua - https://www.livelingua.com/.  Very affordable and excellent tutors.

    My adult daughter has been taking lessons virtually from Alejandra for a few months and it has really improved her speaking ability. Alejandra is a native Spanish speaker who lives in Mexico. She can be reached via text on WhatsApp: +52-222-580-2973 and does private lessons via Google Meet for $20/hour, paid digitally (Zelle or Venmo).  Alejandra is fun, kind, and has creative ideas to help one learn.

  • Does anyone have any Spanish class recs? Extreme beginner here. Looking for a great teacher, and a fair price. 

    I'm taking a beginning Spanish class now online thru Diablo Valley College. I chose it because it's asynchronous so doesn't interfere with my existing schedule. But it's a real class, moves at a quick pace, and is not terribly hard. The teacher I have is Kristin Osowski, who is really on top of things. It costs $264 [CC tuition for 5 unit class] and takes up about 8-10 hours a week. It's pretty fun.

    Try Centro Latino school in Berkeley.  Teresa is a great teacher.

    https://www.centrolatinoschool.net  

    If you want more one on one tutoring, check out schools in Antigua, Guatemala. Our kids who are in a Spanish immersion school in Berkeley were working with a tutor from Ixchel Spanish School once schools shut down last spring. Their teacher was engaging and made practicing their Spanish fun. What's really great about is that you get so much practice speaking Spanish that you probably would not with an online community college or similar class. ¡Buena suerte y diviértete!

  • Adult Spanish lessons

    Sep 5, 2018

    I am a 60 year old looking for beginning Spanish classes.  Any good recommendations?

    Try Piedmont Adult School. I attended the Spanish intermediate courses there and really liked. Also, it is inexpensive. The teacher for the beginning classes is not the same as the teacher for intermediate classes, so I can't comment on that. I have tried Berkeley Adult School too, but don't recommend it.

    If you are interested in Spanish conversation, my mother, from Venezuela, use to be a Spanish teacher, and is looking to socialized, this could be a win win situation... she is coming back from Venezuela in November. If interested please contact me.

    check la plazita preschool! they are offering weekly spanish classes to the parents and community starting this week. located in the laurel district. it’s a sweet community space and the director and teacher are wonderful! 

  • I'm looking for recommendations for Spanish language lessons for adults. I want to be comfortable traveling in Spanish-speaking countries, asking for directions and understanding the answers, and maybe even holding my own in a friendly conversation. Also learning a new language contributes to brain plasticity and a better old age, which I'm rapidly approaching. I live in West Berkeley. Thanks.

    I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but for about a year I have been taking weekly Skype lessons with a fantastic woman named Miriam, who lives in Guatemala.  She doesn't speak much English, so you'd need to be prepared to dive right into Spanish.  I was barely over beginner status when I started with her, and it was fine.  She only charges $10/hour, is incredibly friendly/funny/talkative, and she'll have you up and running in no time.  Her email is miriamdez [at] yahoo.es if you're interested!

    -Paula

    Hi, I would recommend Ilona Sturm.  She is a West Berkeley resident who has lived in Spanish-speaking countries, and has taught the Spanish Conversation class at Berkeley Adult School for many years.  Her email address is her name (all run together) at yahoo-dot-com.

    Hi, I recommend to check out the Mesoamerica Institute. They have Spanish lessons for adults at different levels of proficiency. They are located by the Straberry Creek park. https://mesoamerica.org/

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Spanish for Adults Related Pages

Spanish for mom and baby?

April 2010

Are there any kind of play groups to learn Spanish? I am a beginning Spanish speaker and I have a nine month old. I would love for my child to be exposed to another language and I want to work on my Spanish skills. Any suggestions? Want to be bilingual


Please visit www.vivaelespanol.org. We have a wonderful parent/baby music class which would be the place to start. When you baby is a little older, you can do the parent/toddler art class. All are full-immersion, lots of fun, and you learn together. Margaret


Escuela Bilingue Internacional is starting free Spanish story time. The first one will be on May 1st at 10am and will continue on the 3rd Saturday of the month throughout the year. This is a great way to get exposure to Spanish for you and your child. We hope to see you there! 410 Alcatraz Ave. Oakland (between College and Telegraph) (510) 653-3324 www.ebinternacional.org Liza Sanchez lsanchez [at] ebinternacional.org


Hola! Two ideas: Our playgroup has Mom's and children of all ages (ranging from infants up) and we speak Spanish only during our playdates. Try posting to the BPN Announcements newsletter to join or start a Spanish-speaking playgroup.

I also take my son to a music class in Spanish at Viva el Espanol in Lafayette. They also have other locations. The website is www.vivaelespanol.org. The class is called Parent & Me 'Musica' and is fantastic! I know they give new families a free trial class, we attend on Thursdays 9:30am. I look forward to hearing from you. Hasta pronto, Allison


Lango has some great parent/child Spanish classes - and they are all over the Bay. You can check out the schedule and locations on thier website (www.langokids.com). You can also go to a trial class and see if it's what you're looking for. Cheryl


Hi~ I can highly recommend Viva El Espanol Learning Ctr. in Lafayette. My children had been attending the Lafayette campus for the past 5 years. We all attended the parent & me, La Musica class, with Jorge Liceaga, then my children later, were able to attend the Pre-K/Kinder class at the same time, so not only did my children get to have fun learning Spanish, acquiring a wonderful Spanish accent, but I got to brush up on my Spanish vocabulary too! Which has come in handy not only at work, but in our everyday lives.Check them out at www.LamorindaSpanish.com or call (925)962-9177 Hope this helps! Denise


My 10 month old son and I are currently enrolled in Lango Spanish classes in Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County). He is really enjoying these classes - he smiles a lot! Kendra, the instructor, is great at keeping his interest. I believe that you can come to one class free to try it out.


2008-2009 Recommendations


June 2009

I'm looking for beginning Spanish instruction with an experienced teacher in Oakland, ideally near Lakeshore, Grand Ave., Piedmont Ave., or downtown. It could be a group or individual arrangement. Thank you in advance.


You could try the Spanish classes at UC Berkeley Extension http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/languages/ .


Dec 2008

Re: Summer programs for Spanish in Spain
Recommendation for Spanish classes for teens or adults I highly recommend Instituto Mesoamerica in west Berkeley (near University and Bonita) as a great place to learn Spanish. Arturo Sosa, the director, is a wonderful teacher. He is a native speaker from Mexico, and is full of helpful explanations to make grammar stick! Besides his language teaching skills, Arturo has lots to share about the culture and history of latin america, and of latinos in the US. He is flexible with scheduling, and the classes are fun. His website is http://www.institutomesoamerica.com/index.html and phone # is (510) 849-3434 Sarah R


Earlier Recommendations

May 2002

I am interested in a group setting for Spanish lessons (not just a one-on-one tutor) where I could bring my infant son along. I thought I saw a posting about Spanish lessons for parents where they could bring their kids. I believe the lessons were in someone's home. I could not find it in the archive. Does anyone have info on that post? Or is someone willing to start that kind of a class? Is there any participant interest? Ann


I started taking beginning Spanish lessons from Liza Sanchez after reading her posting here a month ago. She is absolutely wonderful. I bring my 7 month-old son to her apartment in Albany, and she teaches me Spanish at a relaxed pace that allows us both to take care of our babies (she has a 1 year-old). Liza's an experienced teacher, and I'm amazed at how much I'm learning despite taking many breaks to feed or tend to my son. Right now she's tutoring me alone, but I think she'd like to get a group together. Her address is liza AT lamaravilla.com. Kathryn


Night-time Spanish class

January 2002

I am looking for a good Spanish class for me. Ideally, it would take place at night...but other times possible. Anyone with good experiences/teachers to recommend? Stevie


I have taken several spanish classes through Albany Adult School from both Norma West and her son Andrew. Norma is a native speaker, Andrew is almost a native speaker, having been raised speaking both English and Spanish, then living in Latin America for many years. They both teach with patience and humor, which are vital when learning a language! Albany offers a range of classes from rank beginner to Advanced Conversation and they change from semester to semester, so you'd have to call for a schedule. I don't have the number handy, but they're in the book. Classes are mostly in the evening at the new Albany Middle School. Buena suerte! Anne-Marie and Tim


I didn't see the original post, so please excuse me if my answer is not a propos. I'm a rank beginner in Spanish, and highly recommend Ana Ruiz who teaches Spanish 1A and 1B (and perhaps other levels?) through the Piedmont Adult School. The class is large because she has a fervent following, but she transforms a classroom of overtired, overstressed, tongue-tied adults into a lively, laughing, pack of jabberers very reliably once a week. She has more comedic talent in her little finger than you'd find in all of Hollywood, and a black belt in psychological jiu-jitsu. Her class is the high point of my week. The link is: http://www.piedmontadultschool.org/ Siobhan