Hills Learning in New York

Review №1

2022-05-26

Maki, who answered my call, is exceptionally informed about the class options and summer programs. I was able to find the appropriate level class, convenient for my schedule. Classes are transferable for academic credit, if approved by your academic institution. I highly recommend Hills Learning for adults, teens and children.

Review №2

2021-12-14

I absolutely love taking Chinese classes with Jie! I was referred to Hills Learning by a friend and am so grateful. The teachers are enthusiastic and love what they do. I highly recommend taking Beg Chinese with Jie! Even though the courses have been full remote, I have not felt that I am at a disadvantage.

Review №3

2020-02-08

Note: Ive recently taken Korean language classes at 3 different institutions: Hills Learning, the Korea Society, and the Korean Culture Center. (Im writing reviews of all three in case anyone is comparing Korean class options.)Great language learning school, highly recommended! The teachers are all have a background in education and seem genuinely happy to be teaching. The classes themselves are really fun, and its a really good/friendly/open learning atmosphere--I feel like the students and teachers tend to joke around a lot and have a good time while they learn.The classes follow really sound language learning pedagogy, with a really good mix of speaking and coursework, all in Korean. I think most peoples language skills definitely improve significantly over the course of a semester. I do think the classes can be a little hit or miss depending on what level the other students are, but thats inevitable anywhere as an adult language learner.Hills Learning itself sometimes has social events or language practicing events that are a really lovely bonus. In addition to a really sound learning environment, more of a friendly-community vibe than you might expect from a language school.Hands down the best school for beginners or intermediate Korean learners.

Review №4

2018-05-26

I have had a fantastic experience at Hills taking Korean classes with a private tutor. The program is ambitious and serious but also flexible enough to accommodate a busy professional schedule. I am learning Korean mainly to communicate with my extended family, and even after the first few weeks they were impressed by the progress I had made. I would recommend this program in the most enthusiastic terms for anyone who is looking to learn a difficult language, even/especially if they are also juggling a busy job or personal life.

Review №5

2014-10-17

I absolutely love my Korean Classes! I have only taken two semesters so far but it is so worth it! Everything is fantastic from the building, to the class structure, the teachers, just everything! If you want to learn one of the languages this is the way to do it! I always struggled learning languages in school and never thought I could learn any other language. But hills learning center was amazing and so helpful! I highly recommend!!!Also if you have any questions or concerns contact Maki! She is absolutely wonderfully and is willing to help in whatever way she can.

Review №6

2014-03-13

I took one-on-one Mandarin classes with Emily, one of Hills Learning teachers and really enjoyed working with her as well as with the Hills Learning staff.The classes were tailored to my specific needs and learned a lot in quite a short time. Dealing with the Hills Learning staff was always swift and highly professional. It was a great experience working with the Hills Learning team and I can only recommend their language classes!

Review №7

2014-05-27

I have been studying Mandarin Chinese with Hills learning for a year now. During that time, learning has been slow and steady. Id say we completed about a college semesters worth of Chinese language in that time, which is a perfectly reasonable amount of progress given the limited time investment of just one 90 minute class each week (plus homework).Class sizes are small (my class has fluctuated between 2 to 5 people), which helps the teachers really focus on each students individual needs. Speaking of the teachers, they all seem to be native speakers, which is really important for a language like Chinese, where the pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers.Hills Learning has also been incredibly accommodating of both mine and my classmates schedules. Theyve been willing to reschedule classes (when none of us could make it) and also offered pro-rated private lessons as make-up classes when I have been unable to make a session.

Review №8

2018-08-08

I have been taking Japanese Lessons at Hills for two years now and have loved my time here. The entire staff is friendly, and courteous, and they want their students to succeed. They make learning a language, no matter how complicated, feel like an easy endeavor!

Review №9

2014-05-23

Being a learner in Cantonese for about three years, Ive mostly been doing self study, meetups, and learning from native speakers to pick up Cantonese. After awhile, I felt that I needed some structure and direction with my learning. So I reluctantly told myself to find a learning center that teaches Cantonese. In the past, Ive avoided finding language classes because I felt that the traditional classroom setting wasnt the best way to learn a language; taking notes, studying, and passing a test wasnt learning a language. Thankfully my leap of faith with Hills Learning removed those preconceptions. I found Hills Learning via a Google search for Cantonese classes. It wasnt the top search when I was looking, but I gave it a shot since finding cost efficient language classes in Cantonese are hard to come by. So I gave Hills Learning a try. I do not regret having made this choice. The class size was relatively small - which can be a good thing if you need more individualized attention. Since these classes were small, it felt more personal and it encouraged everyone to participate more in the class - whats the point of a language if you dont try speaking! There were lesson notes given at the start of each class, material to go over, and of course homework. But what Hills Learning does well is their approach to conducting the class. Theres a stress in role-playing and interacting with your fellow students. More time is devoted to practicing speaking the material for that days class, than just memorizing it. My teacher was very thorough and patient with all the students. My class had a curriculum, but it moved at a pace that tried to satisfy most of the students. Also the topics and material that were taught I felt were really relevant to how I would use Cantonese. Many books start you off with lessons that wouldnt seem relevant to your day-to-day use of Cantonese, or they would be very technical with little real-world examples and usage. The materials in the class taught me how to discuss weather, sickness, buying an apartment, going around town, etc. just to name a few, and coupled with technical points on grammar usage. Hills Learnings classes cover all bases well on teaching a language - grammar, speaking, memorizing.Oh wait, theres more! Private lessons!My initial exposure to Hills Learning was through private lessons. I didnt feel confident enough to partake in classes, and I wasnt sure on how good Hills Learning was so I tested the waters with private lessons. My Cantonese private lesson teacher conducted the first lesson to gauge my level, and tailored the rest of the lessons to how fast I picked up the material. The material that was taught was a mixture of what I wanted to learn along with stuff my teacher felt I needed to know. Just like the classes, the private lessons stressed speaking one-on-one after spending the first few minutes of class going over the material. Also the private lessons are very flexible because the time and place of each lesson is determined by the availability of both the teacher and student. I felt that taking private lessons well prepared me - in terms of knowledge and confidence - to take the classroom sessions.Overall, Hills Learning has been and still is my best source for learning Cantonese. Ive been with them for about 8 months, and I definitely feel a large improvement in my vocabulary, conversational skills, and confidence in speaking. I would highly recommend Hills Learning for any Cantonese learners out there who are considering taking their learning to the next level, and are on the fence about taking classes. The only thing youll regret is that you havent tried!

Review №10

2016-06-09

I self-studied Japanese for a while, but I realized that wasnt getting me very far. I had a trip to Japan planned soon and wanted to be able to hold at least a simple conversation. Given my time constraint and schedule, I opted for private lessons through Hills Learning to help push me to learn faster.Language lessons are not a magic bullet. You still have to try hard on your own, but its amazing how much a quality teacher/facilitator can help. I had been studying on my own for a while and not getting very far. After beginning classes, I could see myself improving. My teacher was Aya-sensei, and she was not only extremely nice and helpful, but a great instructor as well. I always felt comfortable asking any question, and she would enthusiastically answer. The way she structured the instructions was also very good, since the next thing would easily click from the last. Its great to have some structure to your learning with someone who is skilled at pedagogy and of whom you can ask any question you may have. Maybe you can learn on your own, but having a quality instructor, like Aya-sensei, made the process much quicker, smoother, and easier.