Beverly Hills Lingual Institute

I spent over the last 2 years learning Japanese at BHLI in order to be able to travel more easily within Japan, where I have family. My teacher always did a great job at getting me extra prepared for each trip, and whatever I learned in class served me well in real situations. Prior to this, I only knew the word for «thank you». It is so much better being able to ask questions or say something half-​way intelligent! Starting this month, I just started beginner Hebrew, and I love the class. The teacher is not only very skilled in teaching such a difficult language, but he makes it quite fun as well. Since I started learning languages at BHLI in 2009, it has been a joyful and rewarding part of my life.

I have attended the French classes with Marie-​Christine for 1.5 year and couldn’t speak more highly of an effective and engaging teacher. 5 starts to her! I finally decided to sign my 5 year for a language class as well. Although I tried multiple times to have a trial class, given his young age, wanting to make sure he is ready and that the teacher/​level are a fit, the owner said in a very rigid way that it’s not possible for him to attend even a single class, as a trial, without paying for the whole term in advance. I gave in, hoping for the best. My son came out crying from the class. Lets just say the teacher was not a teacher for kids. I asked the owner if I could be refunded given that I had to pay for a whole term. No! Ok, I asked if the balance could be applied to my classes, since I am a repeat customer, interested in continuing. The answer was «no». I swallowed the bitter pill, or rather bill. On my next class the owner was present at the front desk and noticed me. I tried to slip into my class as I was not wanting to interact with her much after feeling that I was already treated poorly for taking a full term’s money without any service rendered. I was now paying for my classes and the classes my son will not attend. The owner shrieked after me: «Are you going to say hello or not»?! I proceeded into my classroom, pretending i didn’t hear, hoping to avoid contact. She came after me and said: «you will either say «good day» or you never come back to my school. I stared in astonishment. She said «get out of my school!» Hence the story of how I was kicked out of BHLI.

I’ve taken classes for the last 2 years. I love the school the students your interacting with are great. I entered the French class with no background at all and now I can speak pretty well. I take classes with Marie Christine she’s the best!

I highly recommend the French classes here. This place is convenient, learning is made to be fun, and fellow students are interesting. My teacher, Pascal, gives an approachable and kind tenor to proceedings.
It is true that one class a week won’t lead to fluency, perhaps. But I supplement this with the free Duolingo app every day, and I am reviewing the textbook beyond homework assignments. I think if a person really wants to make progress and do extra work, these classes can supply the conversational dimension that is otherwise very hard to find.
If you’re interested, it is very much worth a try.

After just two terms at BHLI learning Greek, I was able to easily and proficiently read Greek and converse in basic greetings and informational information while on vacation in Greece this summer. Most importantly I am learning an in-​depth foundation of the language that will help me build on what I learn for years to come. The instructor, Stefania, is extremely knowledgable in the Greek language/​grammar and she has a very supportive manner of teaching. She instills positive encouragement to her students and truly enjoys teaching us. Initially I planned to only take one or two terms, however I am so impressed and pleased with Stefania, I plan to continue.

I have been taking Greek for the past 11 months and it’s truly been my teacher that keeps me coming back. Stefania’s energy and patience make Greek fun and attainable. As daunting as the language is, her teaching methods help me take it all in. The class sizes are small and I’ve made a great group of friends.
Update: The administration has done an excellent job of accommodating our needs and listening to our concerns.

I’m taking a Greek language course taught by Stefania and would highly recommend her class for anyone interested in learning the language. Her lessons are fantastic and the small class is the perfect environment for learning and comprehending difficult concepts. She’s the real deal — a teacher who can navigate the complexities of grammar in both English and Greek. How could this get any better? Well, she’s also a total sweetheart and you’re going to want to keep coming back for that reason alone.

Around 2011 I took their Beginning French courses for about 8 months. The time flew. As far as I remember I got to about level 4. I really enjoyed all of the teachers there and the crowd that shows up to be students there are a very amiable and delightful group. We felt like friends and our teacher was the cheerful leader of the pack. The space is nothing fancy but it’s nice enough and gets the job done. I thought the prices were reasonable. It was around $ 225 per 8 week course.

First off the teachers that I met at the school were all very kind and great teachers. I was enjoying my Spanish classes and the teacher was a lot of fun and tried very hard to help you learn.
But with all that said, it all ended badly. I had finished 1^st term, I was feeling comfortable with my progress. I travel a lot with my work and explained that to the lady that was running the school in the evenings. I signed up for the next term, but told her not to process the Visa card as my company may be sending me out of town, I would not know till the following week. The company I work for indeed need me to travel so I called her just as soon as I knew about the change in my schedule, that I would unfortunately have to start the following term so not to run my card. She stated that she turned the form in and that I was already charged for the term that I could not attend!
I was told I need to speak to Karin (owner) which I called for him 3 times and left messages, before finally reaching him on my fourth call. Karin informed me that they offer NO refunds on charges, keep in mind these charges were made three weeks before the term was to start. I could see if it was days maybe a week before the term was to start, as they have to get the teaches in place and have some work to do. But the prior term still had two weeks left. I called and talk with him three separate times, and he stuck fast to no refund, even though I tried to explain that I gave that form to her with the understanding that I might not be able to attend, this made no change to his stands NO refund, he was really rude and pompous on the phone.
No offer was made to apply the charges to the next term. He told me that I could apply it to a different class time in the term I was being charged for? I could not attend because I was working in Canada? I don’t think the time would help much.
I really would not recommend this place, as when life changes a little they will not accommodate you at all! I guess being a human and having compassion is not in Karin ability. Seems it’s all about the money. Wish I could give less than a star.
Micky

This was school was good in the beginning, but towards the end I really felt like it was more obsure and text booky, and not as useful for everyday life. It really became about conjugating in very complicated verb tenses and less about communicating and getting the point across.
They moved locations, and I also did not like the new location as much. There was no longer much street parking, and the building and atmoshphere was much less welcoming. This place is probably still good for some levels and languages, it just wasn’t for me anymore and I left. On a side note, I still recommend my teacher, Eric. He was awesome.

After an almost 20 year break from studying Greek, I enrolled in classes to try and bring my language skills back to life. It has been an excellent choice. The class sizes are small which gives each student more time with the instructor and far more opportunities to practice speaking in a comfortable environment. The instructor, Stefania, is positive and supportive which instills confidence in the students. She is also precise and demanding, which makes the class challenging and stimulating. It is an excellent blend of conversation, instruction and encouragement. She is also responsive to questions from students outside of the lessons which is invaluable as a Greek-​learner in a place where it is difficult to absorb and practice the language outside of the classroom. Stefania clearly loves what she does and it is a pleasure to go to class each week.
With the goal of bringing my language skills to a point where I may be able to use it in a more professional setting, I feel that I am getting the best possible instruction with a dedicated instructor as a huge bonus. I would highly recommend these classes to anyone looking to begin, or improve their language skills.

I agree with Lucy. In fact her story is a common one. I have known many students who were told the same thing or not to come back. The only reason they are still in business is because of the teachers. The owner has no business sense or DOES NOT CaRE. In any case I have warned many of people about the disrespectful and hateful way I was treated. If I could rate 0 I would.

Since I started classes at BHLI, my Greek speaking, reading and writing skills have vastly improved. Stefania is methodical, reliable and extremely dedicated to teaching Greek. She also creates a strong sense of community among the students.
The focus on grammar is particularly helpful to me and classes are often supplemented by news articles, film recommendations and examples from the real world. It’s a wonderful investment which has connected me to my family in Greece like never before.

I have been enrolled as a student at this school twice now, two different languages. Where should I begin? The price is an amazing value. The class is once per week for 1 hour 20 mins. At once per week it’s pretty much up to you how quickly you learn. If you say you don’t have time to study and practice on your own… then you wouldn’t have time for more classes per week either, right? So with the affordable price in mind, I took two classes per week AND took the initiative to study on my own.
The classes are very small, limited to no more than 10 students per class. It’s a much better value than attending a 30+ student class at a local CC. (Which i’ve tried)
The atmosphere of the entire school is lovely and calming.
The teachers are wonderful and also very encouraging.
If you are an advanced student… don’t call. Come in. They will ask you a series of questions to determine which class will be most suitable. If you’re shy then may i suggest asking if you can see the text book first??? (BTW it’s the same one they use at SMCC) If you are placed in a class that you feel is beneath your level, it’s up to you to communicate this and move into a different class.
The reception and staff have always been kind and accommodating to me and my needs.
They do allow you to take a make up class when you miss a class!
If this is a habit or a potential problem for you… why not take it on a different day or at a different time? However we all get sick or have a flat tire now and then. The staff is very helpful and will call on the day of a missed class to give you your homework! How cool is that?!!
Make sure you understand the guidelines for makeup classes BEFORE you start attending. This will avoid any confusion later. If one constantly has attendance problems and asks for special treatment, the staff may eventually become annoyed. As a continuing student, I’ve never personally experienced this.
The classes that I have taken (so far): French morning classes for two years. Obviously I adored my teacher, she was fabulous. (Marie-​Christine D.) I traveled to France about 3 years after I had to stop taking my classes and was able to communicate quite effectively. I hope to resume French class soon.
I am now taking Italian. Morning classes again. I have yet another wonderful teacher who is kind as well as challenging. He really makes coming to class an absolute joy.(Enrico L.) I hope to continue in his class for at least two years if not more.
Perks: Generously having coffee, tea, cookies etc really help with a morning class!!!
Tables set up for students to study before and after class.
Free parking for up to two hours with an entrance to structure from two different streets.
One more thing: You will continue to advance to each level with your same teacher and on same day/​time. This is as convenient as it gets!

Ok so I need to update my review. I still love my Intermediate Italian class, but it’s because I have a really great teacher that pushes me to be better. Professoressa Silvia is top notch and I recommended her class to a friend who wanted to start Italian classes with the Beginner 1 level. But after talking non-​stop about great Silvia’s classes are and even taking her meet my class at a social event, I found out Silvia wasn’t teaching any beginning level classes! I find this very strange because Silvia has been working at the language school for years and really helped me gain confidence in my speaking ability when I was back in the beginner levels.
I believe a good teacher is needed, especially in the beginning, to help build a strong foundation with a language.
I’m disappointed my friend won’t have the chance to advance through the classes with a veteran teacher. She eventually decided to enroll in another school because I wasn’t able to recommend the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute for beginning level Italian. However, if you want to enroll in the upper level classes, I can’t recommend Silvia enough.

I’ve attended BHLI since Nov 2010 and chose this language Institute specifically because they use native speaking instructors. Learning native pronunciation is important to me, in addition to gaining insight into idioms and culture that only comes from natives.
The Institute staff has always been completely accommodating whenever I needed to reschedule any make-​up classes.
The school does try to lock in continuing students early (with payments 4 weeks in advance) in order to determine if any classes are in danger of being cut. I’ve had a couple classes cut due to low enrollment and was switched to a new one. It’s not fun when this happens, so I appreciate why they have this policy.
The instructors I’ve had at BHLI over the years are consistently, with few exceptions, well qualified and chosen for adult language learners. I can personally recommend my two most recent equally-​excellent German teachers, Barbara who is absolutely delightful and animated, and Matthias who is quite simply, ‘Der Hammer’!

I can’t comment on the classes per se, as I was not even able to get the class I wanted!
Story: I always see the fliers outside the parking structure on Canon and finally they had a Spanish class at a time that suited me.
I called and left a message to sign up. I received a call back from Vera on Monday morning while I was away on vacation. (⁴⁄₂₁) Vera assured me that the class wouldn’t fill up and that I could sign up upon my return from vacation on Thursday. I got home last night, got my kids off to school today, went to the website to sign up, and lo and behold my class is gone!
I immediately call and speak with Carin and tell her my story and she says: «oh yeah, we moved the class yesterday (Wed) as the teacher had a conflict and since no one had signed up yet, we just moved it». And I explain that I spoke to Vera, she knew I wanted this class, and that she assured me there would be no problem waiting to sign up on Thursday. And Carin just did not get it! She even went on to say that had I signed up before yesterday (WHEN I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WAITING)…that they wouldn’t have cancelled the class even though I was the only student. I am so upset! If Vera knew I was interested in the class, why didn’t she call me and say, «sign up». GRR!
And, Carin, suggesting all the other available class times wasn’t helpful since I had just explained my conflict with my baby’s schedule. SO! I’m on the hunt for a new class. Berlitz anyone!!!

I have been attending classes at BHLI for over a year and now have a much stronger grasp on the Spanish language. While the price is high for 8 classes (around $ 240 for Spanish and French and almost $ 300 for other languages) the classes are small and intimate. I’ve had the same instructor the entire time and even though I’ve switched classes, everyone is friendly and wants to be there. Easy and free parking down the street even though it’s in the middle of Beverly Hills.
As a high school teacher, I can vouch for the quality of instruction. New content is explained (in the target language once possible) and then we whip around to quiz ourselves and instantly practice the new vocabulary and grammar. Each person speaks many times during every session. There’s pretty much always homework and if you don’t do it, it’s not a big deal. Just be ready to answer the homework questions on your feet.
So, great instruction but very pricey. You also have to buy the book which was another $ 200 but that’s all I’ve had to spend on class materials. The more you put into it the more you’ll get out but I just keep signing up for more classes. ¡Buena suerte!

Took some French classes from BHLI a little while back. Really liked the class sizes and the teacher. She was really fantastic. The problem is that I can’t see a situation where taking one class per week would ever be enough to become truly familiar with a language. It seems that from my experience, and from the experiences of language teachers I’ve known, that classes need to be more extensive, especially for the price of the course.
The bigger issue I had was that because the BHLI is a BUSINESS more than a SCHOOL students simply don’t fail and aren’t held back. I was in a situation in a third semester French class where there was a 13 year-​old girl in the class who had literally NO interest in learning the language. Her father was forcing her to do it. Because she wasn’t being graded, she never did the homework, never studied and never tried. The teacher spent more time with her trying to teach her rudimentary sounds and concept she should have learned in the first few weeks of the class than she did trying to teach those students who were keeping up and trying to learn. It became very frustrating and was enough to make me drop out of BHLI.
Whenever this student would be asked to read aloud and the word «Voila!» appeared in the text, she would read it as «Viola.» To this day, each time I see Voila, I annoyingly say Viola. That’s pretty much all I remember from the courses I took there.

Bonjour! J’mapelle Brittany. Je suis de Los Angeles. J’etudie Beverly Hills Lingual Institute!
I have been enrolled in the french class for about 10 weeks and am really enjoying it. As another student here mentioned, it’s what you make of it. They give you the tools and resources you need, but a language is one of those things that takes time and dedication.
They have complimentary tea and coffee available and little snacks too.
Class sizes are small with no more than 10 students. Highly recommended if you are looking into picking up a language!