International Language Institute

I took the beginner level classes a year ago. The classes were badly organized and happened in Spanglish, since the teacher refused to speak in Spanish and his English was bad. He also started to hit on me before the entire class which made me drop the class altogether. The materials were poorly chosen and the teacher had little respect or different accents or dialects of Spanish. He kept telling me things were wrong or nasty merely because I learnt them from Spanish speakers from a different country than he was from. The classes were terrible. I would never go back there again.

I took three French classes and three German classes at ILI with a mix of experiences.
I found the French classes inconsistent and not helpful for an in-​depth understanding of grammar. The focus of the classes is on speaking, not reading or writing. We never touched the books which were mandatory purchases when you registered.
I had a great experience with my first two German classes taught by Insa. During my third class, they combined multiple levels so the experience level drastically varied. I was on the lower end of the experience spectrum, so I probably understood 30% of the discussion any given class. I foolishly signed up for another German class which was cancelled last minute due to lack of enrollment.
The management at ILI is also frustrating. They barge into class with awkward announcements during the first and last lesson. Also, I approached the manager with a request to take class on a different day of the week because during my scheduled class I had a work conflict. They were not understanding of this request and said I could not make up the time.
I would recommend paying a little bit extra to take classes at a different school.

This institute is unfair I was an ESL student with ili they treat you like middle school and my friend is a current student his English level is good but they placed him in a lower level and I do believe that he should be in a higher level (even his teachers said that on many occasions), to make as much money as they can from you. He did not mind because he liked the teachers and the way they teached but I don’t recommend to be a student in this school at all, even the management is the worst ever also they’re not polite with students and not understanding to students situations … etc
I’m trying to be honest as much as I can so be carful from this school. ESL programs are suppose to be fun and stress-​free before you start college at the U.S.

I signed up for Japanese classes at ILI, but an employee emailed me a few days before the class start date to say that the class was cancelled due to low participation. This was really irritating, especially considering that I would have signed up for classes elsewhere had I known that ILI was unable to offer the class. At that point, the sign-​up periods for other organizations had already ended for the season.
Note to anyone interested in taking a less popular language: You cannot depend on ILI to actually offer the language classes they list on their website. If enough people do not sign up, they will cancel the class at short notice.

I was excited about the Korean class, but when I got there on the first day, they said the class was canceled. I did not know. They said they left a voice message, but I did not get any. There was no email or other follow ups. This made me feel that they were not serious. I was very disappointed. I already made my summer plans around the class! I guess my advise is that do not expect too much from this school like I did. They may cancel classes. Call them to confirm before you go there.

I didn’t find my class to be very interactive or engaging. It was mostly lecture and exercises that we did in silence for 2.5 hours. I felt it wasn’t worth the money ($ 360 + books that we didn’t use), but I’ve heard it all depends on the teacher you get.
On the other hand, the location is good and the class sizes are small (our class got smaller as it went, actually… a couple people stopped coming).

When deciding how many stars to give ILI I really had to think about my experience.
I started in fall in an intermediate Spanish class because it was recommended for people that «have taken Spanish in high school» boy, that was a mistake. I was constantly behind the other students and being put on the spot made me hate coming to class, that is until I transferred to professor Palma’s class
Professor Palma though, he is by far the most amazing man you will ever meet. He made class very much enjoyable while testing us in each and every way. I took an early morning SATURDAY class with him but he always kept us in good moods, he’d play upbeat Spanish music and tells us stories about his glory days at his old career… he did all this while teaching us higher level Spanish and actually helping us understand.
I was upset I could not attend another semester at this school, but Professor Palma made it all worth the while during my classes.
For the price, you can’t beat it… please try to get professor Palma for Spanish! He’s amazing and is the reason I even have the school a third star.
Thank you for everything professor Palma!

I signed up for classes for the second half of year 2 Mandarin Chinese in 2011. Turns out, they canceled the class because they didn’t have enough students enrolled. I never got a refund. I’m sure I could have followed up, but a close family member was dying at the time so I had other things that required my attention. I probably would have missed those classes anyway, but the way they basically just stole my money really makes me mad. I’m back in the area now, and I will NEVER give this school my money again.

This is a great resource for people who aspire to learn another language. They offer many different language classes and they are reasonably priced. The environment is laid back and comfortable, perfect for a young adult who just wants to brush up the skills they learned in high school and college. All of their programs are accredited by the ACCET and they serve a really important function by teaching thousands of people different languages. The only reason I wouldn’t give them five stars is because it is located in DC and parking is a nightmare. But otherwise great place to take class!

I researched a lot of language schools before choosing ILI. There are several to chose from in the Washington area. The fact that they had been in business since 1966 was a big plus to me. In today’s world it takes good roots to stay in business for that long. ILI teaches 85 different languages.
The classes are well organized and small. Smaller classes means more individual attention, which I think is one of the keys to success. The school also has a close working relationship with the Department of Defense, U, S. Agency for International Development and the World Bank, which I found very impressive.
The teacher I worked with provided me with a high level of personal attention, which helped me to meet my goals quickly and successfully! They also offer evening classes so I did not have to rearrange my schedule, which was a big relief.

After my university dropped the language, I searched and searched DC for a Portuguese class and found ILI was one of the few to offer them. Who knew it was such a hard language to find classes for? I was pretty shocked by the cost of some of the courses out there and found ILI’s price to be reasonable. I also liked that the courses were are rational times for a professional — who are these people going to class at 4:00 in the afternoon at some of the other places? The class was a good mix of people like me learning for fun, some to build off of speaking Spanish, and others for work, and everyone wanted to be there and learn, which makes a real difference. I’m putting Portuguese on hold for the moment but I’d certainly consider it again in the future if I continue.

I took 3 ESL Levels C2, D1 & D2 at ILI, the materials, class size, student’s cooperation, the time we spent (from 9 AM– 2:30 PM; around five and half hours everyday MON-​FRI), and their entertaining program were amazing in both reading and speaking. I highly recommend this place for a student who wants to practice speaking and learn grammar and vocabulary and apply them in his/​her speech because the teachers and the students provide an excellent environment you would not see at any other place (believe me I took classes after that at NOVA and did not benefit from them).
However, they are good in listening and fair in writing… Unfortunately we did only 2 writing practices in each level. Some teachers do not hesitate to take an extra paper from you and answer your questions after the class hours which is very helpful.
the DC location is commutable, very close to Dupont Circle metro station and walkable from Farragot North and west. Also, close to Panera bread, Starbucks, Moby dick and shake shack and lots of other great places.

I’m currently taking a Russian class at ILI, and I’m very satisfied. My class is well organized and the pace is perfect. This is definitely a situation where you get out only as much as you put into it (aka, do the homework!) and if you are well motivated you will definitely learn a lot. The class sizes are small and my instructor (I can’t speak for others) seems to really care about our learning.
I can understand how some people would be frustrated, without the motivation of earning a grade it can be difficult to keep up with the class, and if you’re not sure what your level of competency is you may end up in a class that’s either too difficult or not challenging enough. The cost is a steal compared to the thousands of $$ you would pay at a university.
I removed a star because you cannot attend even the first class without having to pay for the entire semester, with no refunds. Also, the walls are a bit thin so once in awhile your class will be blasted with foreign alphabets and bouts of laughter from the class next door.
If you’re considering taking a class here, I’d definitely suggest reading the filtered reviews below. After trying to learn Russian on my own for 6 months, I would have started at ILI semester earlier if I would have seen those reviews first.

I almost did not take a class here because of these reviews, but I’m glad I did.
I’m about halfway through an upper level Arabic class. There are only three of us in the class, so we get a lot of individual attention. The instructor does a very good job at balancing out our different skill levels, teaching new vocab, and following up from week to week about complex concepts.
Yes, the location is a bit shabby, but their pricing is a bargain compared to other places like Berlitz or MEI. Frankly, the biggest problem with the class is that no one bothers doing their homework or showing up to class prepared. That is not ILI’s fault.

I took advanced level courses for almost one year. My experience was nice and productive. I had a full immersion in academical English, under the TOEFL course. The teachers were professional and dedicated. The groups were around 5 – 6 people so I had enough opportunities to be corrected not just in pronunciation, but in advanced grammar foundations. I recommend ILI, the most convenient school on Dupont Circle area (with a English language courses in a University level). By the way, I got the expected TOEFL score and now I was accepted to the university to course a PhD. I want to say thank you for all ILI team.

I liked the teacher. I liked how easy it is to apply and get into a class. The location at Dupont Circle is very convenient.
The PROBLEM is that the classrooms are way to small. I took a course in the summer time in the evening and thought that I was going to pass out because the classroom was so small and congested! Everybody was sitting right up on each other. The desks are like the ones you find in a high school classroom and they are not condusive to full figured people. It is disruptive just to get up and go to the bathroom without tripping over someone’s foot or bag. They need a new building.

ILI is a very poorly run organization. I quit my Portuguese class half way through because I could learn more just watching YouTube videos. I actually bought Rosetta Stone, and have found that much more effective. Believe me, having paid for all the classes, I would have continued if there was any value, but I felt that I could easily learn more studying on my own.
For starters, the building is old and rundown and you usually have to wait at least 2 rounds to get a spot in the one elevator that takes you to the classrooms since it is old and small and all classes are scheduled at the same time. (There are no stairs.)
My class was based around a lousy text — Aquarela — that has no structure or organization. In fact, I believe it is only used because the author lives near by. I could hardly find a copy online, which should have been a warning sign.
The instructor would usually arrive late for classes, and the first 1.5 hours or so would be spent by each participant bringing one word to present. Conversation would devolve every time into some nonsense about the personal experiences of the instructor or the group and we would learn almost nothing during this part of the class. Finally, we would take a break and spend maybe one hour slowly reading through the text.
I very much regret having wasted $ 340 on such a sorry program. If you really want to learn language skills, shell out for a better program, or do what I did and work hard to teach yourself.

Rachel is right. ILI is $$$ and for what? My class lacked any semblance of structure (we did not use the book), the teacher prepared materials during the first 30 minutes of class, there was no direction whatsoever. For an advanced Arabic class she did not speak in Arabic as much as she should have.
Never going back.

I agree with rachel — my first class there was actually good — the teacher was an older lady from Spain, however now, sadly she is gone. The second class which was an intermediate conversation class I finally quit going because the mexican guy teaching it would jsut say ‘que haciste este fin de semana’ (what did you do this weekend, and then go around the room — not my idea of «conversation» and there was very little grammar either.

I took a Spanish class at ILI last fall. I found it pretty disappointing. It’s $ 340, plus a $ 30 textbook. I really didn’t get anything out of it. I took a few years of spanish in high school, and was hoping for a more grammar intensive program. I learned more spanish from my mexican co-​workers at a restaurant. Unless you have absolutely zero knowledge of a language, I don’t think it’s worth the money.