Reviews from our students
Jon Embry
For absolute beginners, this covered a lot of ground. My wife and I both took the course and got a lot out of it. We had a great professor who grew up in Spain, which was perfect for us.
Laura Miles
This has been a very good course. I like how they review the homework and we all have a chance to speak and are corrected appropriately. The feedback is very good. The pace is fast but they review everything each lesson which is helping this process.
Kate Pesin
Great program. I highly recommend these classes to anyone looking for a flexible, high-quality online Spanish program. The combination of excellent teachers, supportive learning environment, and convenient scheduling has made my learning experience both effective and enjoyable.
Bianca R.
María Chanamé is an absolutely awesome teacher! She explains everything in a way that makes it easy to understand and remember. I am so glad that I chose her as a teacher. I gave it 4 instead of 5 because I feel like class 4 should be broken into 2 classes.
Christopher Butler
I have been very pleased with the pacing and challenge of the material as aimed at adult beginners! Having each class build not just vocabulary but foundation blocks of grammar is exactly what I needed to help jumpstart my learning. And having the homework set up with multiple exercises intended to spread over the week between classes is perfect -- I space out the homework so that nearly every day I am getting review time by working through one or two exercises along with the flash cards I'm making for myself as I go. I expect I will continue on to the second level at this pace!
Sherrie Varner
Our instructor uses a combination of verbal, written, and modeling to guide use through beginner level conversations. She uses fun conversation topics, to help make our verbal practice entertaining. When I struggle, with verb conjugations, she redirects and uses modeling to correct. This class is enjoyable and appropriate for beginner level.
Jackie Lutz
The Berges Institute Level 1 class was the perfect way to get back into learning Spanish. I was having a very hard time finding a class that would be real-time, with a good teacher, at the right level, and not too expensive. I like the Berges Institue because of the flexibility of the program (e.g. it's easy to reschedule),the focus on basic conversational spanish, and the fact that there are many levels to accommodate my progression with the language. I was lucky to sign up with Nelson. His experience teaching with Berges is a benefit to his students. He moves quickly but makes time for questions, and he is able to adapt the content based on the time available and our skills. I have recommended Berges to friends, and would definitely encourage them to take a class with Nelson.
Chris Dodson
I have a basic understanding of Spanish, but upon taking the exam prior to class saw that I got only 5 out of 25 correct. I was shocked.
I signed up for the Beginners Class. It is reinforcing some of my knowledge and giving me an opportunity to practice correctly rather than just speaking to people who overlook my mistakes. The material is great for a one week at a time course, not too much or too little. The combination of grammar along with verbs and sentence structure is a great way to learn.
Our teacher is fantastic. He is patient and explains well the techniques of the language and grammar. He is funny, interesting, a great teacher, and a genuine, nice guy. He'd be a great friend if we lived in the same place.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn Spanish with this method?
Most students become conversational after completing 5 levels (about 12-15 months of regular classes).
I've never studied Spanish before. Is this right for me?
Yes! Most of our students are complete beginners. We designed our Beginners classes specifically for people with zero Spanish experience.
Will I be embarrassed in class as a beginner?
No. All Beginners students start at zero. Our teachers create a supportive environment where making mistakes is part of learning.
How is this different from Spanish apps?
We teach grammar rules first, then practice. Apps make you guess patterns. Our method is faster for adults.
Do you teach Castilian or Latin American Spanish?
Spanish is one language with regional differences, mostly accent and a handful of everyday words, just like any other language. We teach standard Spanish, so what you learn works wherever it's spoken.
Are classes recorded?
No. Classes are live and not recorded, for student privacy and to keep speaking practice pressure-free.
How old do I need to be to enroll?
Our classes are for adults. The one exception: if you're 16 or 17, you can enroll as long as a parent or legal guardian accepts our terms on your behalf.
Can I change levels?
Yes! Just send us a message through our Help Center.
