Casa Hispana

loved the classes at Casa Hispana, really supportive great learning environment. I plan to take refresher courses, lots of instructions from different parts of the Spanish speaking world make for a really excellent learning experience.

Loving my time so far at Casa Hispana! I’m learning a lot and Sonia, the instructor, really makes classes worth it for me. I attend in the evenings after work, so I’m usually pretty tired, but her energy makes the classroom doable after a full work day. Also I’m amazed at her ability to speak only in Spanish to novice speakers. I spoke 0 Spanish before this class but have had no trouble following her all-​Spanish instruction.
All in all after 6 weeks I feel like I’m understanding and speaking with so much more confidence. Obviously this course isn’t magic and I’m not suddenly able to understand and speak Spanish all at once. But it’s progress, and faster than some of my CH classmates report from their time at Spanish 101 City College and UCSF. Small classes, lots of practice, great instructor!
Also, doable commute from anywhere in the city on Muni rail lines.

Sonia worked with our daughter in a small group of three and she was terrific! Sonia was always very responsive to emails when scheduling appointment times and was forthright with information on their progress. We had a great experience.

I took several private lessons at Casa Hispana. I found a very welcoming atmosphere. My two instructors were excellent. Patient and professional. I am looking forward to continuing my studies in the future at Casa Hispana!

I took a couple brief classes at Casa Hispana before a couple trips to Latin America to brush up on my intermediate Spanish. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s clear they are very thoughtful and practical about language education. My teacher, Laura, was kind and patient. She only spoke in Spanish and used hand gestures and alternate phrasing to help us understand what she was saying. She gently corrected us in Spanish when we used the wrong tense or conjugation, etc. When conversing with her and the group, we used stories and words from our real lives, which was very helpful. It was also just a blast — Laura is hilarious. I can’t wait to take more classes at Casa Hispana!

Sonia and her teachers taught me how to speak Spanish, plain and simple. One of the best, and most enjoyable, learning experiences I’ve ever had.
Terence Clarke

I can’t speak highly enough about Casa Hispana. As a former language teacher myself, I have strong opinions about how to teach adults a foreign language, and Casa Hispana consistently excels. I’ve had several different teachers, all of whom are thoughtful, patient and engaging. I’ve had both small group and private classes. They always maintain a good student: teacher ratio and sometimes in the group classes, someone brings a bottle of wine or other treat to share to go along with the language learning. It’s a real pleasure to take classes there. I’ve really learned a ton (and am still learning!), and I’ve always immensely enjoyed my time.

The classes I have attended at Casa Hispana were excellent. My teacher was Nacho and I was very impressed with his ability to manage different levels of knowledge and still keep me very interested. I am a curious person with lots of questions about meanings of words and how words are similar. Nacho was amazing at answering my questions and filling in on obscure words that one would not find in a standard Spanish class.

I have been part of this house/​school for over a decade now, and it is fabulous. Casa Hispana has facilitated my fluency in Spanish such that now I can provide fully bilingual services as a therapist. The people are wonderful, the teachers top notch. I have made lifelong friends and gained so much from the small classes offering individual attention. They have accommodated my scheduling needs and care deeply about their students. It does indeed feel like a family and home. Can’t say enough wonderful things! Come join us!

I took classes here a couple of years ago when I was new to SF and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. The teachers are great. I like that there is actually a book (it’s a spiral bound) so there is some structure to the class, but there is also time for free flowing conversation which is necessary to learning a language. It was also a good experience for me to meet new people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. I hope to take lessons again there at some point.

I started taking lessons at CH many years ago and I have been very happy with the qualify of teaching. I have had teachers from all over the world and they have all been great! What they all have in common is that they are all kind and patient. Most recently I have been taking private lessons with the owner of CH, Sonia, who is always upbeat and provides challenging material for me.

He sido estudiante de Casa Hispana desde hace más de 3 años. Recomiendo fuertemente la escuela.
Casa Hispana puede ser una parte bien útil de lograr sus metas de aprender el idioma, sean los que sean. Mi meta es hablar, escribir y leer el español con confianza, posiblemente para jubilarme a México. He tenido compañeros de clase que tenían metas más de plazo corto, como un rápido refresco antes de un viaje a México por ejemplo. Todos los profes, y he tenido varios a través el tiempo allí, han sido excelentes. Ni uno de ellos ha sido decepcionante.
El método de enseñar es bajo presión y divertido. Al mismo tiempo, sé que los maestros realmente desean que mejore mis habilidades continuamente.
Been a student at CH for more that 3 years. I recommend it strongly.
CH can be a helpful part of accomplishing your language goals whatever they are. My goal is to speak, write and read with confidence possibly to retire in Mexico. I’ve had classmates with short-​term goals, such as a fast refresh before a trip to Mexico. All of the professors, and I’ve had various over time, have been excellent. Not one a disappointment.
The teaching method is low pressure and fun. At the same time, I know the teachers really want me to continually improve my abilities.

I really enjoyed my lessons at Casa Hispana. Sonia and the entire staff are helpful, energetic and encouraging. At Casa Hispana, they are not only very professional and expert at providing instruction, but they are also very encouraging if you have an idea you want to explore or a region you want to focus on. I highly recommend Casa Hispana for all levels.

Affordable, great teachers, lots of different class times to fit my schedule. I took two classes and my Spanish improved greatly! Looking forward to more…

Great fun! I’ll be back. Besos a Anna y Sonia!

The teachers are great. They make learning Spanish (and going back to school) fun and amazingly easy. I’ve tried a variety of Spanish language learning methods and this by far has worked the best! If you’re a new student, try to get into Laura’s class. She is so much fun!

Sonia is wonderful. The classes are great and they are filled with great teachers from all over the place so oyu get exposure to Latin American spanish as well as from Spain. The classes are intense and fast paced, and thats wonderful it forces you to learn. It is sink or swim, if you arent doing well you can always add a couple of private lessons to help round out your skills in time for the next class.
I really like how immersive it is and how you’re not allowed to use english there, some people on here complain about that, but I htink thats important for learning a language in a timely manner.
Very personal yet professional attention is given to each student.

I started about 5 months ago and although its getting really tough (pinche irregular verbs y preteritos) I am still loving it and feel like I am learning and having fun. maybe it has to do with the two great teachers I have had (three if ya count a sub who was also awesome)
We started with Miguel, our first professor and about 12 people that eventually dropped down to two and then back up to its current 5. Miguel was awesome. super patient, great sense of humor and not intimidating at all. I learned so much from and had a great time.
I was worried when I found out we were getting a new permanent proffesora but Anna has been incredible. Supper nice and enthusiastic and just as patient. Her excitement about us learning is incentive enough but it also gets you excited about learning some thing new.
Do not listen to any of the posts about them teaching only Spanish from Spain. its a tiny little difference which you can chose to learn and remember or don’t. its not going to prevent you from ordering a burrito in the Mission or traveling around Mexico. that’s ridiculous. if anything it just gives you a more rounded understanding of the language.
if you dedicate you self and have the time you will pick up a good understanding of the language. of course studying and practice is highly recommended but even if like me you may not always have time you will still pick it up and be impressing native Spanish speakers, who all seem to love when we even try.

I just read all the reviews of CH and can say that I am pleased to see that the tradition continues. I went to CH in its original location in a house on 18^th street when the founder Tony (from Catalonia — now deceased) started the school. The approach then, from the reviews I’ve read seems to continue to this day. Smallish classes. Teachers from the full diaspora of Spanish speaking countries (when I went there they were from Argentina, Spain and elsewhere). And that people made friends. They used to throw dinners and parties where people mingled and I ate my first Paella there in 1989! It didn’t feel like school w tests. Just a cool environment to get the hang of things.
I don’t know if its the same people running it or whether its the just the same philosophy or vibe — but I can tell from the other reviews that its still the same general approach. I was a total beginner when I went there and there was enough to hinge on to. I never felt overwhelmed. There are lots of approaches to language learning. Our brains all work differently. I think CH had a great approach when founded and sounds like it continues on today. A friend mentioned just signing up and that got me curious so I came to see what people were saying.
I wish I could find a CH for French! But I would eagerly go back to CH after all these years from the sounds of things if I had the time.

Amazing! Fun, effective, friendly and deliciously educational! Let me preface this by saying that I have studied 5 languages at over a dozen different schools and programs, so I am not saying this out of the blue. But Casa Hispana manages to combine the most important parts of language learning: an energetic, professional and fun environment, a comfortable setting where classrooms also feel very homey, and an organic teaching style that is tremendously effective.
Courses are offered in three types: private tutoring, or group classes (90 minutes twice a week for 8 weeks, or 2 hours twice a week for 6 weeks. I prefer the latter, because the 2 hours zoom by). I’m just starting my 7^th week, meaning I have finished Spanish 1 and am seamlessly moving into Spanish 2. This is what I mean by organic: you don’t have to switch to a new teacher, new time or even a new classroom when you continue to the next level: you just keep coming back at the same time and, plus or minus a few students, you’re suddenly in Intermediate Spanish! That is, to my knowledge, a rarity in language schools… but it’s also amazing!
Now, in terms of the class itself, I can’t compare it to other Spanish classes, but I can say that in our Intro group we had people with a variety of backgrounds and a variety of skill levels. No one fell or felt behind, and yet everyone was challenged and involved. Our teacher, Ana, was fantastic. She kept us laughing and smiling, but also kept us talking. You didn’t get the feeling you were being put on the spot and judged, but more that everyone had a chance to talk, to try sentences or conjugations, etc. We felt comfortable enough to take risks and make inventive phrases, which is key to progressing in classes.
Personally, I love grammar and all that, but I know it bores many people. The good news is that you are exposed to every concept in two ways: structurally (as in, here is the conjugation chart in a grid) and practically (short dialogues, repeat after me, etc.). The book has everything we cover in class, plus extra exercises and explanations if you need them. I missed a week in the middle, but caught up pretty quickly (thanks to the help of classmates — everyone became pretty friendly pretty quickly!).
As for those who complain about «which» Spanish you learn, let me say this: I grew up in California, and Mexican Spanish is what I am used to, it’s what sounds «right» to my ears. But learning «Spainish» was really fun precisely because it was exotic, different, and frankly, a lot more dramatic. It’s always easier to learn more exaggerated dialects first and then to pull back to more conservative ones than the other way around, trust me. Plus, if you’ve studied French or Italian, the similarities stand out more when you look at Spain. I would not have had it any other way! Now, if you want to learn Spanish for immediate use here, or in South America, you can just let your instructor know, and they will emphasize the differences. When learning «vosotros» and other geo-​specific terms, the teacher will always let you know «This is only said in Spain» or whatever.
As other reviewers have said, the class sizes are small (but big enough to spread the teacher’s attention around and not be stressful). The teacher will learn your name and somehow always manages to know which errors you are prone to — corrections are always very gently pointed out. In fact, one of the only criticisms I have is that I think they should be pointed out more, to prevent recurrences, but that’s my absurdly nerdy point of view.
Like all classes, what you get out corresponds to what you put in. But really, at Casa Hispana, there is not a lot of homework, and I found that the teachers were so good that after leaving class, the lesson just sorta stuck in my head. Unlike Arabic, (which I took last summer) you don’t need to do 3 hours a day by yourself to supplement class! If you come to class, participate and enjoy yourself, you will be surprised at how much you learn, and how much fun you have doing it!
Also, since I drove in from Marin, I’ll mention that parking was really easy, especially in the evening classes. I almost always found a space directly in front of the building on Gough.
Oh, and their Facebook group is pretty sweet too!
Yay for Casa Hispana!!!

I agree with all of the positives people have mentioned: the teachers are super nice (encouraging, not critical), the classes are fun with a nice mix of written and listening practice with visual cues, the physical space is warm and cozy, the other students (mostly) seem motivated, and the teachers will only speak Spanish to you, not English, which is helpful.
As far as it being expensive, I agree with the person who pointed out that if you break it down, it isn’t very per class. I needed something at a certain time, so a City College class wasn’t an option. Also, the complaint that it was only European Spanish didn’t make sense to me… yes, Latin American Spanish is different, but you’ve got to start somewhere. I had one teacher with a strong Spanish accent, another who was also from Spain but spoke very slowly and clearly so it was hard to detect where she was from, and another from Mexico. So, I think they have a mix.
There is a system to it, clearly, but it is the methods you used in high school to learn language; even if the worksheets are funny with appealing cartoons, it’s still drill and hard to remember. I would feel like I «got» something in class, but then in the real world, it wouldn’t stick.
I went to Casa Hispana for 1 month before a trip to Spain, and was frustrated, feeling that we were going over «beginners» material without any real substance, even after I increased the frequency of classes. Then I thought that it wasn’t fair of me to judge after such a short time. A few months later, I tried again.
I had learned a bit while I was there, so I skipped a level and began again. I agree that the classes had different people in every class; it’s not the fault of Casa Hispana, but people are constantly dropping and adding, so you might have a class of 10 or a class of 2. I stayed from the end of January to the end of May.
I believe that at this point, I should be further along than I am. I finally have to give up and have to try something else, because even though I can read some Spanish and understand someone who is speaking v-​e-​r-​y slowly and clearly, I still feel uncomfortable with my speaking skills, in real life rather than a class setting, and when I went to Spain again this month it was still really hard!
I did do my homework (person who thought that all people who don’t do well here are lazy and entitled), but I think that to learn a language you have to be exposed more often than twice a week. I know that I need to focus more on the spoken than the written practice, IF I want to be able to really use it with native speakers. Or, yes, one could go to Guatemala to study… it is lovely there!

I don’t know what the low-​ballers here are thinking; I’m very happy with the Spanish classes here. Yeah yeah, whatever, they teach Spanish Spanish; not like it matters to you since you don’t speak Spanish anyway right? I mean… if you spoke Spanish you wouldn’t need this class right? It’s like, for you to complain about how particular the Spanish instructor is is like a picky, vegetarian bum.
The classes here are very structured; each session involves writing, speaking and listening. They use props, notecards, drawings, and other visuals which help you learn quicker. Homework assignments are helpful while they stay mindful of your life outside Spanish.
And all the people saying it’s too expensive… are you kidding? Considering I pay like…$ 15 – 18 per class on average? That’s like a China town hair-cut…c’mon people are you serious? Plus if you notify them that you’ll miss class they’ll let you make it up… dude…why do you live in SF and complain about stuff being expensive?
OK seriously, I’d recommend classes here; they’re fun, entertaining and a great distraction from my day job. If you want to learn conversational Spanish, you can come here, try out a class for a small fee — if you like it you can enroll full time. If you don’t, then you don’t have to come back. For the low ballers here, I hope you don’t come back: D