Evening language courses in Chicago
May 20, 2009 12:26 PM   Subscribe

Recommendations for foreign language evening classes in Chicago?

I'm looking into taking a foreign language class in Chicago. It'll most likely be French, but I'm also looking into the possibility of a Russian class. So far, I've narrowed things down to Harry S Truman College, Harold Washington College, and Alliance Francaise but I'm also open to suggestions for other institutions. I'm looking for any recommendations or experiences you may have with these (or other) language instruction vanues.

My highest priorities are:

1. Close to public transportation (preferably the train lines)
2. Classes rosters that trend toward a younger crowd
3. Evening classes, since I do work full-time

The social aspect of the classes is more important to me than the quality of education. Your personal experiences, anecdotes, and recommendations will be very much appreciated!
posted by C^3 to Education (3 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm a member/occasional class-taker at Alliance-Française and it's great. It's very near the Red Line, has plenty of bus and taxi access as well. The classes have been uniformly excellent, with several different instructors, and the classes can be very social. The ages of people in the classes vary, but mostly the ones I've taken, all weekday evenings, have been 20/30/40-something working professionals with the odd retired person or high schooler thrown in here and there. I would think you'd have much more luck being social at a place like A-F or the Goethe Institut, where people are there to learn for fun and not for grades, like City Colleges. (Also the classes are shorter than a full 16-week semester so it's not quite as much of a commitment.)
posted by sldownard at 12:44 PM on May 20, 2009


Response by poster: Thanks for the reply! One thing that I was wondering about A-F though, do they provide access to French culture / Francophile events in the city? Their website makes it seem like they do, and if it's true it'd be a big point in their favor.
posted by C^3 at 9:43 PM on May 20, 2009


I would recommend Language Loop, where I've been taking Russian classes for the last nine months. They're located at 117 N Jefferson, which is close to the Clinton stop on the Green/Pink Lines and walking distance from the loop. The other students I've met have mostly been in their 20s & 30s and the class sizes are usually small. I do a lesson one night a week from 6-8PM and they have been very flexible with rescheduling, even on short notice. They host occasional social events for folks taking all languages, which provides opportunities to interact with other students and teachers. I've found the lessons to be well-taught and a good value.
posted by bolonium at 11:20 AM on July 14, 2009


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