ILSC Education Group

Love this school! They have a lot of english courses, not only the static and boring grammar course.
In addition, the location is great, the walls in the school are very colorful and the staff is very nice and experienced. Love at first sight!

I have just finished an 8-​week foreign language course at ILSC and I am delighted at how much I have learned. The vibe in class was great, the glass of wine (and sometimes cheese and appetizers) were totally welcome and our teacher was very professional, well organized and fun. She made sure everybody was on the same page using fun activities, good grammar explanations and making the class always communicative and with a purpose. The staff at ILSC is very helpful and nice. They make you feel welcome and comfortable. If you would like to learn a new language and, at the same time, have fun and get away from the daily routine, ILSC is the place to go.

I have taken classes in two different languages at ILSC and they were very different but both stellar.
The first class that I took was French and my instructor, Lyla, was an American woman who been married to a French diplomat and had lived in Paris for many years. She was adorable! Her lessons were always thorough and useful while still being fun. We tended to split the time between grammar worksheets/​practice and games that allowed us to use the language in a fun, stress-​free way. I’d taken a few years of French in high school and college but I never really felt comfortable speaking until I took this class. Merci Lyla et ILSC!
The second class that I took was German. This time my teacher, Jutta, was a German woman so she brought a lot of German culture to the class. She pushed us hard in the class and spoke in German 99% of the time (despite it being just a high-​beginner class). But somehow we all caught on! I have never felt more in the zone with a language then in that class. Everything just started clicking. It was a great feeling. My classmates in the class were great as well and we still keep in touch for a Stammtisch now and then. Danke Schoen!
I like ILSC because the program is informal and communicative. The glass of wine with class really helps to bring down your nervousness about speaking and everyone there (teachers, staff, other students) are so supportive that even the shyest person can get a confidence boost. It’s not the kind of place that you go when you need to pass a test or prepare for a grad program in a foreign language. But if you wanna brush up on a language that you took in school, are planning a trip abroad, or have a friend or significant other who speaks a foreign language then this is the program for you. You won’t waste a lot of time doing bookwork and you will get soooo many chances to practice your speaking in a supportive environment.
As a language lover I can say it is totally worth the money and time commitment.

I started French classes in March. I was terribly disappointed in the beginning. My instructor was extremely smart, but lacked the confidence and organizational skills to teach a class. I reached out to Chelsea (the program coordinator) and Erin (program director) for a refund. They were really nice and wanted to discuss my concerns and disappointment. Erin came in and reviewed the class and decided to put a new teacher in place. My new instructor, Ben, is a great French teacher, and I am learning a lot from him. I love going to class.
I was really impressed that Chelsea and Erin took the time to listen and care about my concerns. They also reached out to the rest of the class and wanted to make sure we were all satisfied. This shows that this school really cares about their students and wants to make sure they are getting the best experience they can.

I signed up for two Spanish courses (beginner level) with ILSC and I am planning to come back.
The classes were fairly small (6 students in the first course, 11 in the second, but most of the time not all attended). The location (Embarcadero Center One) is perfect for those working in the Financial District.
I really enjoyed working with my teacher, Sonia — she was really attentive, helpful and tried to make classes interesting and enjoyable. We were not all at the same level, but everyone was learning something new and I could see both myself and other students progress throughout the course.
The price is very affordable and competitive, and I will be definitely coming back.

I really love the atmosphere this school has especially for the happy hour classes. I had tons of fun with my French class and gained so much vocabulary in such a short amount time. The staff was helpful and friendly, always greeting me when I came to class. The happy hour environment was very relaxing which balanced nicely with the intensity and stress that comes with learning a new language!

I’ve enrolled in a Happy Hour German Language Course here.
Pros:
Erin and Chelsea (front desk ladies) are super nice.
There’s free wine every class.
Cons:
There only ended up being 6 people who signed up for German, so we were all placed in the same class; none of us are total beginners, but I’m at CEF Level B2, and what we’re learning is not nearly as challenging as I’d like it to be. The woman who usually teaches the class, Ulrike, is on maternity leave, and her temporary replacement, Barbara, is a super nice lady, but her lesson plans are a bit boring and her teaching style is not clear.
Overall:
I won’t be returning after this course session ends. Some of the students are more serious about learning the language than others, but I’m glad I made the acquaintance of everyone in my class and we got to be pretty close by the end. If you’re looking for a good time and some light language learning, by all means, take a class here. If you’re a more serious student, however, I’d recommend going somewhere else, specifically the Goethe-​Institut if you’re looking to improve your German.

Before signing up with ILSC for foreign language classes, you should consider carefully whether you’re willing to risk a $ 50 registration fee with an organization that is clearly aimed at teaching ESL to foreign students. My experience may not be indicative of all, but given the way the company appears to work, it is surely a risk.
Basically, ILSC will not provide a class unless 6+ people sign up. What this means is that they may not have the minimum number of students until shortly before the class is set to begin. They will then need to scramble to find an instructor for the course. This is clearly what happened in my case — 6 people in the beginning Mandarin class, an instructor who didn’t know where she was supposed to park (and was therefore late for the first class), and one with no apparent idea of what her syllabus or learning materials would be. She spent the last 5 – 10 minutes of the first two classes (out of 90 minutes) asking the students what THEY thought should be the lesson plan. I inferred from ILSC staff that she had been interviewed and hired the week before, and had no previous relationship with ILSC. Despite this, and though it appeared they had never observed her teach an actual class, they assured me that she was a qualified instructor.
Hardly. Because her English was limited, she was unable to understand several basic questions we had about pronunciation and Chinese characters. Because she was also rather timid and nervous, she ended up giving the WRONG answer to a couple questions, rather than admit that she did not understand the question. She did not know the word «radical,» essential to learning Chinese characters. She also appeared unprepared, having us practice Chinese sounds to OURSELVES while she prepared flashcards that she used to show us how our mouths should look (while never explaining where our tongues were supposed to be – an important and basic consideration). In lieu of going from group to group while we were practicing in pairs — a practice that is fairly standard for foreign language instruction — she had us converse while the rest of the class was forced to listen, without doing much to correct our mistakes. She also spent an hour of the second lesson reviewing the first, which seems excessive for a 90 minute class.
Anyway, all of this would be fine with me if ILSC gave full refunds. But, they don’t. Instead, I had to pay $ 50 for the privilege of learning that, contrary to their website’s claims, ILSC is not always able to hire «Qualified, Experienced Teachers and Staff — Selected for their ability to inspire and motivate students.» Although I explained in some detail to ILSC staff why this promise was not met, their sole response was that I was the only student of 6 who complained. (I was also one of only two that had previously studied any Mandarin.)
In short, you would do well to consider other options before handing money over to ILSC. I have found UC Extension to be a fantastic alternative — although it costs a bit more and generally has larger classes, it is well worth it to have a prepared, experienced, and enthusiastic instructor.

I never thought that I would have time to take a language course with a full time job. ILSC has made my dreams come true! My teacher, Judith, is so kind and flexible. I am late to class everyday since I don’t get out of work until 5:30pm and she welcomes me with a smile and Hola!
The location of the school is VERY convenient and they offer tons of classes at various levels. The school is awesome and the staff is so lovely. I would give them 6 stars if I could, but don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself. Happy learning!

I have dabbled in Italian and German classes here and have been very pleased with both. The staff is excellent, the classrooms are really modern and clean, and the courses are very reasonably priced. There were only a handful of students in my classes and I felt like I really got to know the teachers and other students. It was better than one-​on-​one tutoring!

I am so glad I found this place! Affordable classes an great instructors. I will keep taking classes as long as I can. Highly recommended!

I enrolled in this course because I wanted to get a foundation in speaking Mandarin and the Happy Hour courses worked well with my schedule.
The facility is located in Embarcadero Center 1 and the classrooms are all very new and clean — probably a much better option than your local community college. The classes are small enough (around 11 students) so each student can get one-​on-​one with the teacher. My peers are all very nice and encouraging. In our beginner’s class, we are all at the same level and everyone is truly learning together. It’s very sweet and classes are actually fun!
My professor, Mei, is very friendly and helpful. She is also very encouraging and doesn’t put anyone on the spot. Learning from her and with her is very easy. The rest of the staff at ILSC is also very friendly; every Tuesday and Thursday when I get to school, I am always greeted with a bright smile and hello.
If you are interested in taking language courses, I would highly suggest ILSC. Everyone is very helpful, friendly, and encouraging. It is really a very healthy learning environment.

I love my evening Portuguese class! I hope to visit Brazil in the near future and the classes I’m taking are really helping me to better understand not only the language but also the culture! I really enjoy the classes — the teacher & the other students are great. I really look forward to attending my Portuguese classes on Tuesday & Thursday evenings — something fun to look forward to that breaks up the long work week e agora eu falo «um pouco» de Português! Obrigada!