Discover the Best Language Skills Classes in NYC
Language skills such as grammar, pronunciation, listening and reading comprehension, and understanding context are essential to becoming fluent in a foreign language. Taking a language class can be a fun and interesting pastime, a chance to make professional advancements, and an opportunity to understand and connect with a new community or culture. The best way to build your language skills is through classes led by a fluent instructor. New York City has one of the most diverse populations on the planet with over 200 languages spoken in the city, according to the city government. The city is also home to the General Assembly of the United Nations, which comprises nearly 200 countries, and is also home to consulates for more than 20 countries. For this reason and many others, those living and working in New York can benefit greatly by learning new languages. Read on to learn about the best language skills classes in NYC.
Why You Should Learn Language Skills in NYC
Learning language skills in NYC provides a variety of advantages, both personal and professional. Thanks to its diversity and being the home of multinational organizations and businesses, New York City is uniquely positioned to offer a large variety of language classes taught by outstanding instructors. Here are a few reasons you should learn language skills in NYC:
- Diversity: With more than 200 languages spoken, NYC is one of the most linguistically diverse cities on the planet. As a cultural melting pot, New York City is uniquely positioned to expose residents to a variety of cultures, traditions, and languages. Gaining a deeper understanding of and appreciation for a language and culture can lead to new friendships and contribute to the city’s multicultural community.
- Immersion: While normally you would need to travel internationally to become immersed in a language, NYC provides opportunities for language immersion with native speakers right here in the city. Many shops, restaurants, and events offer the opportunity to converse in the language you are learning.
- Language Schools: NYC is home to several language classes offered through language schools, community centers, universities, and businesses. This means that no matter what language you are interested in learning, you can find many suitable classes that fit your location, skill level, and schedule. Some schools and organizations specialize in one language, but many offer several languages to choose from.
- Cultural Experiences: New Your City hosts cultural events and festivals that can deepen your understanding of and appreciation for the history and culture behind the foreign language. These events also provide an opportunity for you to converse with fluent speakers, as well, so that you can improve your language skills.
- Networking Opportunities: Learning a new language can lead to new opportunities professionally by enabling you to converse with international clients, have an advantage when traveling abroad, enter new markets, and connect with diverse audiences. You can join language-specific meetups, gain a community through an in-person class, and discover other networking opportunities.
In-Person Language Skills Classes & Schools in NYC
Taking in-person language skills classes is often the most effective way to learn a new language. This is because a fluent instructor can answer your questions, provide feedback on your pronunciation, provide cultural context, and provide structured learning using proven methods. Taking an in-person class also affords the opportunity to practice your speaking skills by conversing with others. You can also socialize with classmates, make new friends, network professionally, and become part of a community. New York City’s in-person language classes have another advantage. When you take part in a NYC language class, you are often a short ways away from neighborhoods, restaurants, festivals, and events that provide immersion opportunities. Being surrounded by fluent speakers is an especially helpful way to gain listening and speaking language skills. In-person classes also help you develop discipline and routine which are essential to building vocabulary, learning language rules, and retaining the language skills you learn.
In-person language skills classes and schools in NYC include language-specific institutions and those that offer a wide range of languages to choose from. Learn Spanish New York and Learn French BK are examples of language-specific schools.
Learn Spanish New York has operated in Manhattan since opening in 2013. Their Spanish classes, such as Spanish 1.1 - Beginner Part 1, aim to deepen students’ understanding of the language and appreciation of Spanish culture. Classes are taught by native Spanish speakers that help students further their language skills through proven, effective teaching methods.
Learn French BK is a Brooklyn language school offering beginner and advanced French classes. French BK uses a full-immersion method in its classes, meaning that classes are conducted in French. This method is the fastest way to get students speaking like native Francophones. If you’re new to the language, Learn French BK’s Absolute Beginner French Level 1 is open to adult students interested in multi-session classes.
ABC Languages has been teaching languages in New York City for over 20 years. They offer a variety of beginner, intermediate, and advanced language classes in NYC. They offer language classes for beginners such as Russian Total Beginner, Italian Beginner 1, and Arabic - Total Beginner. They also offer private lessons for those who want to work one-on-one with an instructor to master the language. Students can book private Spanish lessons, private Chinese Mandarin lessons, and many more.
Virtual Language Skills Classes & Schools
While in-person language skills classes offer many benefits, if such classes don’t work for your schedule or you’d rather skip the commute to a physical location, online language skills classes offer many of the same benefits as in-person learning, plus the advantages that come with remote learning. Virtual classes enable you to take classes offered by NYC language schools or from instructors anywhere in the world. This maximizes your options for finding a class that fits your schedule, budget, and goals.
Here are a few reasons to consider live online language skills classes:
- Structured Learning: Virtual classes led by an expert instructor follow a schedule that helps you to gradually build your language skills. Meeting at a regular time also provides consistency and can help you stay focused, study regularly, and create routine.
- Real-time Feedback: A live online instructor can provide feedback on your pronunciation, answer your questions in real time, provide guidance, and tailor lessons to your needs. You also connect with your classmates in real time, allowing you to work on your listening and speaking skills with others. You can also join your classmates in real-time interactive activities that help you further your language skills.
- Motivation: Meeting with a virtual class can help to provide motivation and accountability as you overcome the challenges and experience the rewards of learning a new language.
You can explore different levels of classes depending on your interests and current language skills. ABC Languages offers “Intro to Crash Course” sessions that let you test if a language may be right for you before committing to an ongoing class. They offer “Intro to Crash Course” sessions in Spanish, Italian, French, German, and more. These classes cost between $50-55 for each single-session class. ABC Languages also offers several online language classes and private classes in languages like Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Persian, Japanese, and more.
Fluent City also offers classes for adult beginners. Upcoming Level 1 classes are available for Japanese, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin and many other languages. The cost for these ongoing classes is $399.
Virtual classes offer you maximum flexibility in choosing the class, language, and schedule that works for you. With remote language classes, you can learn from expert instructors from any part of the world, connect in real time to your teacher and classmates, and learn from the comfort of home. When considering online classes, look for classes that work for your budget, schedules, and goals. You will also need to make sure you have the necessary equipment, such as a stable internet connection and video conferencing capabilities, to ensure you can fully participate in the class.
Private Group Language Skills Classes in NYC
Learning language skills offers many benefits for businesses and organizations. Expanding language skills enables employees to communicate with diverse clients, expand into new markets, and more. Private group language skills classes in NYC are a great way for businesses and organizations to engage in a unique team-building activity, as well. Taking a group language class together can improve team collaboration and communication. Team members can get to know one another better and learn useful skills for their careers simultaneously. Live online language classes help remote teams connect in real time and bond over a shared experience.
CourseHorse supports private online group language classes on multiple platforms, allows you to change the number of participants as needed, sends confirmation of your booking within 24 hours, and doesn’t charge a booking fee. You can browse CourseHorse’s many private online group activities and reach out through their contact form to learn about custom options. CourseHorse can help you arrange a language skills class designed to meet the needs of your team.
