I'd like to find some truly useful Spanish lessons in my part of NYC!

January 26, 2017 3:03 PM

I want to take serious steps to improve my Spanish, slow and steady, over the coming year. For me, I think this will look like a late-night weekly lesson on the upper east side. Can you help me find such a thing (or suggest a better option)?

I know that similar questions have been asked before, but I read them all and most of the answers weren't aimed at what I'm looking for. Making this anonymous because of geographical/life information.

My girlfriend is Mexican, and I'd really like to improve my Spanish to strengthen our relationship. I speak well enough to have light conversation (and mildly impress grandparents), but it's not good enough to truly keep up with normal conversations with her friends and family without having to constantly ask her what stuff means. I want to take lessons, at least for a few months but hopefully longer, to boost my conversational skills. Please don't suggest that I talk to her in Spanish more - it's not her job to teach me, but of course that will be a part of my continued learning.

What I'm looking for: 1 on 1 or group lessons, with a structured curriculum at a slow pace (once or at most twice per week). I've tried the "listen to podcasts/watch TV" suggestion, but I need something that will really force me to learn. I work long/late hours, so it would preferably be in my neighborhood (upper east side, close to Hunter college), late evening, 8-11pm. Less preferably it could be over the weekend and in other parts of the city. I've budgeted $1000 for the course of the project, but could pay more if it's really working. I am pretty serious about this - I'm willing to pay & put in time for something I believe is likely to finally help me learn. But it's really hard and I need help!

Thanks!

posted by anonymous to Writing & Language (5 answers total)

If you think you might be level "2", 92nd St Y has a class at that time for you: link. But if you're level 3, that's only offered once per week at 6:30 pm.
posted by xo at 4:31 PM on January 26, 2017

You might take a look at private Spanish tutors on craigslist.

I learned Spanish (in Los Angeles) from a tutor I found on craigslist and saw once a week.
posted by bertran at 4:53 PM on January 26, 2017

Insituto Cervantes
posted by the twistinside at 7:08 PM on January 26, 2017

Italki is cheaper and more flexible. I'd say get two different teachers on there for however many hours you can, and the real difference will be made if you can find people to practice with (like your girlfriend, though practice with SOs is always tricky), and doing vocab etc. In my experience, classes are a waste of time. They move slowly and you spend most of your time talking to people as bad at the language as you are.
posted by wooh at 8:18 PM on January 26, 2017

You mentioned that you're right by Hunter College -- they're a big education school, so they've got grad students who are already Spanish teachers or are training to be. I bet if you called the right department they could put you in touch with a grad student native speaker who wanted to make some money tutoring.

Because like wooh said, you sound like you'd be better off with something one-on one than a class.
posted by LizardBreath at 4:18 AM on January 27, 2017