Language Classes in NYC

Believe it or not, many people aren't quite sure why they should bother taking language classes in New York City.
Well we're here to give you a few good reasons, on top of the unmistakable urge we know you must already have to learn something new!
So why language classes, of all the different things you could be learning?

1. Learning languages connects you with people in New York City
There are over six billion people on the Earth, and an estimated 6700 languages. While of course we cannot connect with every one of those people for sheer volume and geographical issues, imagine how sad it is that we can't even speak to the person next to us on the subway because English is their second language or Spanish is something we've only studied once. Language is the most powerful medium of communication we have, and residents of New York City speak over 170 languages alone! Learning new languages opens the door for you to connect with new people, every single one of whom could enrich your life. Even if you were only taking NYC language classes to connect with residents of New York, it would be worth it.

2. Learning languages connects you with people abroad
I've been lucky enough to travel abroad several times, often to countries whose people speak foreign languages. I speak Spanish fairly well, especially when I'm surrounded by other Spanish speakers, and I can tell you two things about my experience. First of all, there's nothing more satisfying than hesitatingly speaking a foreign language, only to have the listener's ears prick up with understanding. Second of all, the residents of foreign countries absolutely love it when you've taken the time to learn a bit of their language - their eyes light up and they're far more enthusiastic about helping you on your way. Therefore, many New Yorkers take language classes in order to brush up on or learn the basics of a language that's spoken in a country they're going to visit.

3. Why take NYC classes instead of doing something like Rosetta Stone or Live Mocha?
Many people wonder why they shouldn't just learn a language on their own by taking online language classes or self-paced language courses. The same could be asked of one on one language tutelage - what makes a classroom better? The community of course! Learning languages is rather dull if you're just speaking into a microphone and hearing your own voice regurgitated back at you. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, to surround yourself by other students of the language, and to actually try communicating with them in real time. So don't sit at home learning languages by yourself in the dark! Get out there, join an NYC language community and become fluent!

We've done a lot of research to decide what the most popular language courses offered in New York City are teaching.
What are the languages that everyone wants to get together to learn? The answer may surprise you quite a bit!

The FIFTH Most Popular Language Class in New York City: ITALIAN CLASSES
That's right - apparently there's quite a demand for Italian classes in NYC - thousands of people are searching for these courses every month, and you just might be one of them! To find some awesome schools that teach Italian, be sure to check out our list of language schools in New York City below

The FOURTH Most Popular Language Class in New York City: ENGLISH CLASSES
That's right! There's a huge demand to learn the language that most New Yorkers speak! It's not surprising, I suppose because New York is home to so many immigrants from different parts of the world that of course many of them want to take NYC English language classes. This class may not be for you, but at least you can be sure that while you're learning other languages, the people you may want to communicate with are also taking language courses so they might one day speak to you!

The THIRD Most Popular Language Class in New York City: FRENCH CLASSES
I'm not sure about you, but when I was in third grade, I was offered two choices for the language class that I had to take: French and Spanish. I chose Spanish, but many many other students chose French, and I'm betting that lots of people searching for French Classes in New York City are trying to revive the language they learned while in school. Students taking French lessons might also be travelling to Paris, which is known for its disdain for foreigners who don't at least try to speak French. If you're going - definitely check out the French classes offered in New York.

The SECOND Most Popular Language Class in New York City: SPANISH CLASSES
As I said, I took Spanish when I was a kid, and so did more than half of my peers! Spanish is quickly becoming the primary other language spoken in the United States, and New York is a prime example of this. Students taking Spanish classes are most often those who have a solid background in it and who wish to become fluent Spanish speakers. Many students also take Spanish classes in order to add a key bullet to their resume - a solid knowledge of the Spanish can also put you a notch ahead of everyone else applying for a job!

AND FINALLY, the MOST Popular Language class in New York City: AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES
Shocking, I know! But our research doesn't lie - more people are looking for American Sign Language Classes in New York City than any other class out there. I think it may be because sign language isn't something you can really learn effectively online. You kind of have to have an instructor there to correct your hand movements and teach you more than just the basics. They say that sign language classes teach you the language as an art form - everyone has their own symbols, and largely the language is a study of interpretation of the symbols other people are using.

First of all - definitely take a look at that site - CourseHorse - we mentioned - soon, it'll be the best way to find language classes in NYC!

1. Google to find Language Classes in New York City
Please forgive me for not having more insight - there really aren't that many resources that can help you pinpoint the New York City language classes you're looking for! Using any search engine (Bing, Yahoo, etc.) will at least give you a decent starting point to find the language courses you're looking for. Quite naturally, they'll spam you with ads for all of the online resources out there, but if you can avert your eyes and stay focused on your goal, you'll definitely at least find a few good providers of local language lessons.

2. Providers often post classes on Craigslist
But be careful! Often, people will spam Craigslist with posts for language classes when they're really selling something else (sex).
The other thing about searching Craigslist for Language Classes is that you'll find a lot more individual providers (i.e. language tutors) then actual classes. Still, it can be a helpful resource, and often the cheapest classes are on Craigslist.

3. Local Institutions and organizations
Local institutions like NYU offer Language Classes, and you should definitely check out all continuing education programs for the language courses you're looking for. These can often be a bit expensive and sometimes formal, but on the other hand, they're also accredited which looks great on a resume. Local cultural organizations can also have great language classes. A great example is the French Institute Alliance Francaise which has some awesome French classes in New York City.

4. Here's a New One to Check Out - a Search Engine for Local Classes!
Find Classes in New York City