San Jose Learning Center

Relaxed atmosphere! There’s no feeling of dread in the air.

San Jose Learning Center is undeniably an awesome place to enrich your language skills. I have attended just three classes of ESL, and was pretty impressed, hence the review.
Tom, the teacher of English lessons, is outstanding! He is very approachable. He is willing to communicate with students treating them all as valuable individuals.
Alicia never fails to greet everyone pleasantly. I met her just once, and was quite amazed by her cordial demeanor. She exudes warmth and positivity.
I might share more of my experience once I complete the whole session.

I’m taking private Spanish lessons from Patricia. She is very laid back and easy to get along with. She teaches from a Spanish grammar book that is fairly comprehensive. We start out with a conversation about what has happened in the past week and then go over my homework in the grammar book. I like the flexibility of a private lesson, it helps to focus on my personal problem areas. The lessons are a fair price. I would definitely recommend Patricia to help you up your language skills and stay accountable.

I’m learning Japanese here and I’m very happy with the teachers and the setting. I took intensive for level 1 and I’m going to be taking a regular course for level 2. So far my experiences in terms of calling for clarifications and guidance and tips with the center have all been very helpful.

Cute place! :-)
So far I’ve done 2 rounds of Korean Intermediate here and 1 round of Beginner Mandarin. I would call the environment on the more friendly and cheerful side than strictly academic (myself coming from a strict school), although you learn at the same time. Great teachers, I enjoy both my Korean and Mandarin teacher. The group class sizes are small, which you can use to your advantage to get more out of them. Also the owner is really nice and ties everything together. There’s cookies and coffee in the kitchen as snacks, no problems with parking, not too hot or cold, good location. Try it!

This is a great place to learn a new language or further your studies. I have taken both Korean and Japanese classes here and both helped me significantly improve my speaking and writing skills. Since I work in a Japanese-​based company, I chose to focus on Japanese and my teacher Haejin-​sensei has had a lot of experience with teaching both casual and business Japanese. I was at an intermediate level when I first began with Haejin, and had struggled with speaking to Japanese coworkers, writing formal business emails etc but after a year learning with her, I am much more confident in my Japanese communication skills and many of my Japanese coworkers have commented that I sound like a native speaker.
Haejin is really good at customizing her lessons to fit your goals. When I wanted to learn how to speak in business level Japanese, she designed an entire curriculum to get me up to speed and feel comfortable using it in my daily vocabulary. When I wanted to aim for passing the JLPT (Japanese language proficiency test), she prepared countless training materials to prepare me for the exam and on test day, I felt very confident.
For anyone who’s serious about becoming fluent in Korean or Japanese, Haejin is one of the best teachers at SJLC to help you.

SJLC is the place to go if you want to learn a language. They have so many to choose from. I have been taking French for several years now. Alicia was very responsive and helpful in placing me at the right level.
While I should practice more as 1.5 hours, once a week is not enough to gain proficiency, these classes are geared towards the class’ needs. For our class it is always more practice on speaking and comprehending and all of our instructors over the years have structured their classes to meet these needs. We had Margaret who was fun, Celine who taught using a lot of art, cultural history and literature and Gabrielle taught similarly and also added in impromptu conversation about random topics. This session we have Houcine who is equally great. We learn so much, off-​the-​cuff French idioms and vocabulary as we go that my head is spinning when I leave the class. Additionally, if we do not understand a saying or word, he will try and explain using alternate French words.
The classes are small — 3 to 4 students usually in our advanced sessions. The beginning classes may have more. Small classes mean lots of attention. You will find like minded students that you enjoy meeting each week.

If you’re looking to brush up on your Spanish, improve your French, or learn a completely new language, you won’t be disappointed with the San Jose Learning Center. Reasonable prices. Friendly instructors and office staff. Alicia is amazing! And the Center is located close to downtown San Jose. My daughter enjoyed her Japanese I and II courses so much that now I’m thinking about taking some language courses there myself. Highly recommended!

The San Jose Learning Center (SJLC) is an outstanding language institute with diverse instructors and a wealth of resources for those seeking to truly expand their language knowledge base. The cost of language courses are extremely reasonable and competitive. So long as the student puts genuine forth effort, of course. And and, hours are flexible for working people.
Personally, I have been a student of the French language instructor, Gabrielle A. Her natural ability to think and sensibility towards student expectations and needs is impressive. She is truly a devoted instructor who does not take no for an answer and is professional in all her interactions. Gabrielle brings and carries out every single instruction with energy, enthusiasm, genuine french insight and helpful learning methods to french and all its intricacies (she is actually a french native), and does her utmost best to answer to student questions and help propel student engagement and learning. Gabrielle actually develops student to student and instructor course outlines and materials which are inclusive of cultural (past & present) French insight and idiosyncrasies.
On another note, Alicia Forbrich, overseer of all the languages and operations of the SJLC has only shown to be a helpful and resourceful manager. She helped me get on board with classes and expedited the whole process. Not only that, but she actually helped me connect with some of her career recruitment connections. Big thanks to both Alicia and Gabrielle.
I am thankful to have an institute in the San Jose community that caters to a diverse audience, is cost competitive and employs competent instructors who demonstrate their professionalism via their work.
Surly, I would consider further classes and exploration of other useful language acquisition.

The San Jose Learning Center was the perfect place for me to continue studying Chinese（中文) after moving home from a few years living in Taiwan. Larry does a great job by incorporating stories, games, and technology to keep it fun and help us grasp the new lessons. The 1 year+ studying here helped me gain enough confidence to even propose in Mandarin to my Taiwanese fiancé! Alicia and her team are always super friendly and helpful. Great place!

When I go to the school for class I always feel that I am very welcomed. Both Alicia and the other works there are very warmhearted.
I took Japanese level 1 – 4 with Cheena for personal interest. The class size is just right, I got a lot of practice both oral and written in Japanese. There are some homework for the class, the amount is just right and very helpful, helped me keep learning & practice outside the class. The best thing of the Japanese is the instructor Cheena always have a good way to explain the hard to understand part of Japanese language, and teach us how the native speakers think and use this language.
When I join the level 1 class, I know basically nothing about Japanese. Now I can use a lot basic Japanese daily life. I know there are still a long way to go, but I can not wait to give it a shot for my next trip to Tokyo.

I have always wanted to learn Russian but due to time and work schedules, it was difficult to find classes after work. I’m taking the first Russian class here and have learned a lot just in the first week I can read and write the Cyrillic Russian alphabet and already have a few basics under my belt. I’m looking forward to mastering Russian for a summer trip to Eastern Europe. They also have free coffee, water and snacks for students which is a major plus. When I missed the first week of class they were very flexible on letting me catch up the second week.

I have already completed levels 2 — 5 of Mandarin. Prior to that, I was attending a more informal class in Austin, Texas, from which I obtained some of the basics. The instructor is incredibly well organized, which makes the class (1.5 hours per week) fly past you. We begin by reviewing homework from the week before (just knowing that homework will be reviewed really helps creating a sense of responsibility not easily obtained with self-​learning), then pronunciation, followed by grammar and vocabulary, practice dialogue and then a quick character review (speaking Mandarin is a lot easier than reading Chinese, so this is very useful). As you start learning more vocabulary and grammar, interaction during class shifts to Mandarin (greeting, asking a question, receiving instructions from the teacher, etc.) which is very useful. There is no text book, the class includes all relevant handouts (I have a huge foil with those). Now to the results: I’m currently able to go to my favorite Szechuan restaurant and order my food, beverages, additional rice, level of spiciness, etc., all in Mandarin. This may sound ludicrous, as you can order in English, but it does make a difference (particularly when convincing people that you REALLY like spicy food). I created a soft copy of all vocabulary that we have reviewed in class through levels 2 – 5, it comprises more than 400 different words. Note that Mandarin is a big departure from English or other Western languages, I cannot claim to have learned all 400+ words (that requires continuous practice outside of class). However, I do think that this vocabulary, combined with the grammar learned, is more than enough to get around in every day life. As stated in other reviews, the SJLC is relatively well located, the classrooms are nice, they have free coffee and tea plus delicious chocolate chip cookies, which are great if your are falling sleep /​starving at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. Learning a language requires a sizable amount of personal commitment and time, having a great class to help you consistently make progress really increases the likelihood of being successful in such endeavor.

I’ve been trying to learn Persian for years — I recently started 1:1 classes with Behzad at San Jose Learning Center and am so happy with the investment in my time and money.
Behzad is always on time, prepared, and a a pleasure to work with.
I have been most impressed with Behzad’s willingness and ability to hear my recommendations and specific requests and customize his teaching to those.
While I already own a whole bookshelf of Persian language books and CDs, I’m so pleased with how Behzad teaches that I’m willing to invest in 1 more to make out classes even better!
Apart from Behzad, I also want to mention that I’ve been going to SJLC for various classes throughout the past few years, and all the staff are great to work with. Alicia is especially good at hearing students’ requests and finding a way for you to have the class you want.
I plan to continue classes at SJLC! Thanks, Alicia :)

I’m taking private lessons to learn Italian so I can be more fluent of the language for my vacation coming up. The teacher is very knowledgeable, patient and most importantly, it’s nice to guide the lesson on the way I like to learn. Happy with the results so far. Grazie SJLC!

Well, I’ve registered for an adult accent class and semi-​private Spanish classes for my 2 kids. I withdraw after 2 lessons and convert that for my kids. Didn’t think I’m getting what I want from the accent class. This place is not children-​friendly so if you’re thinking of letting your kids attend lessons here, think again. They are very particular/​calculative and do not like late pick up (I was late ONCE due to traffic jam caused by accident and I got a nasty email from the owner of the extra cost incurred! What? The kids were playing by themselves so am not sure what extra cost plus the email mentioned that they do not have time to mind the kids after classes as they’re BUSY!) Ok, so when the Spanish teacher was late for more than half an hour, they did not even offer an explanation for what happened and just let it slide. I was not bothered until I received that email from them. OMG! So it’s my duty to warn the Unilocal user as I read through the comments.
And I forgot to mention that on the last lesson, my 2 kids were not given a classroom but was sent to the empty, open reception area downstairs (no doors, space directly facing the main entrance) where people comes in and out of that entrance all the time and it was very distracting for the kids, let alone focus during the lesson. Reason given was that their activity needed a bigger space for games but the classrooms have bigger space and the desserted reception area was not a conducive area for classes. Legally, this is not allowed. Putting young students in the open reception area is protecting them?
So after I brought the case up and mentioned that the Unilocal members would love to hear about my reviews, I was offered a 1 hour extension. I still have another 30 mins outstanding so I emailed them and told them to use it to compensate for the ONE time we were late. Of course when I wrote this review, it didn’t go down well with the owner. As with any other reviews previously but not many people bother to take the time to write unless they feel it’s necessary.

I really had a nice experience here two years ago. Needing to learn the basics of graphic design, I signed up for their weekend courses.
I remember it being crazy cheap, just a couple hundred for a month’s worth of classes. And they were taught by a gal who taught graphic design at San Jose State. Vera, I think was her name. She was really great.
They’re a super small operation, but they really care about doing a good job, and it shows. Everyone I encountered there was really friendly and helpful.

Giving it three stars, but I never took any classes, so take that into consideration.
Went online to register for a class in Mandarin. Got to the very end of the registration pages on the web site, but was forced to check two boxes that basically indicated I give up all rights to any kind of litigation to anyone involved for the rest of my life, and the life of my family. Really! For taking a language class?
In any case I found out later that I could not register for a class that starts on the same day, so I didn’t continue. If I do attempt to take classes here I won’t be using the online registration with the hope that paying in person avoids giving up so many rights.

This place consistently gets 5-​star ratings and deserves no less. The laid-​back atmosphere allows for a no pressure learning environment, which also creates the only disadvantage I can think of. Without the pressure, students can ignore the course work and fall behind, but this is no fault of the program. If a student is serious about learning a language he/​she can learn it here.
My teacher, Celine, is amazing. She not only taught me basic French, but has helped me plan my upcoming trip to France, Morocco and possibly Niger. This attitude is common amongst the SJLC staff, everyone from the owner, Alicia, to the teachers go out of their way to help students. When I go to SJLC it feels more like I’m learning while hanging out with friends than a traditional class.

Look no further if you are planning on learning a new language. SJLC has some of the most enthusiastic language teachers. I’ve taken beginner Mandarin and Level 1&2 Spanish and was thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism and the teaching styles.
The class size itself is quite small, about 10 – 12 students which helps to bild a good relationship with the instructors.
Alicia the owner is always helpful and personable.
My Spanish classes were an absolute blast with Franko. He’s super fun and the hour and half long class passes by in a snap. He makes sure you understand the material and is always providing feedback and available for post class discussions.
Beginner Mandarin class was with Larry. I liked the way he went about the basics, especially stressing the various tones. I do feel I have a pretty good grasp of basic spoken Mandarin. I liked the repetitive practice in the class as well as in the form of light homework.
The class schedules are also scheduled keeping working adults in mind.
SJLC is definitely recommended for working adults looking to learn a new language. I’m hoping to find some more spare time to take a few more language classes soon!

I love taking classes here! I took German 2, Sign Language 1, hair & makeup, and ballroom dance. Both the language classes were very personal. I like having the smaller classes because you get more teacher interaction. The dance class was fun, the teacher was very energetic.
There is always coffee or tea available, and there are sometimes refreshments, like cookies, for the students.
There is also a world trip the teachers and students can take once a year. I missed it last year because I was on my own world trip that I had planned before I knew of SJLC trip. I would have much rather gone with SJLC, they planned it out, there is a group of people to go with, and it is a very reasonable cost.
It’s nice to go back to classes, and not be graded. I had nothing to do at night, so why not take a class or two?

Hola, me llamo Juan. Estoy dando clases de español en SJPL. Estudié español en la escuela secundaria, pero se me olvidó la mayor parte de lo que aprendí. Por lo tanto, me decidí a tomar la clase. El maestro es un peruano llamado Franko. Él es muy interesante. Aprendemos a hablar como un hablante nativo español. Sin embargo, la clase es demasiado corto. Tenemos clase una vez a la semana. Cada sesión es de noventa minutos de duración. Por desgracia, la clase es de sólo siete semanas. La matrícula no es cara y las clases son pequeñas. Por suerte, hay seis niveles, así que una vez que hayas terminado con las clases, puedes tomar la siguiente clase. Yo recomiendo tomar clases de idiomas extranjeros en SJPL. Gracias.