Orange County Lingual Institute

Experiencia fantástica: My advanced Italian class with Maria Oliveri Minney each week is the highlight of my week; a perfect balance of the 'nuts and bolts' of Italian grammar with rich conversation among a group of dear friends. Her 'superpower' is a deep, infectious passion for Italian culture that she weaves into every lesson. Whether we are tackling a complex verb tense or discussing modern life in Italy, her patience and her energy are always present. Over time, our lessons have evolved into something special… it feels less like a classroom and more like catching up with a group of dear friends and a passionate teacher. If you want to not only speak Italian but truly feel the language, I cannot recommend this class highly enough."

Experiencia fantástica: I’ve been attending the OC Lingual Institute for nearly two years, and it has been such a unique and rewarding experience to learn a new language at my age. It isn’t always easy, but I genuinely look forward to every class. Maria, my Italian teacher, has been incredibly patient, kind, and creative, always finding engaging ways to help us apply the beautiful lessons she designs. Along the way, I’ve formed truly meaningful friendships that I believe will last a lifetime. This experience has also broadened my perspective, opening me up to new interactions with people from different cultures and countries. I highly recommend learning a new language at any age!

Experiencia fantástica: I love all of my teachers at OCLI! They are professional and fun, and create a welcoming environment that allows all of us to let go and try to speak a new language. Valentina and Ilaria are helping me with Italian, and Virginia and Areli are teaching Spanish. I wholeheartedly recommend OCLI.

Experiencia fantástica: I've had a great experience learning Italian here. I started from zero and reached an intermediate level in about a year. The classes are small, engaging and fun, and the teachers are very knowledgeable and supportive. I've had the opportunity to learn from both Maria and Valentina, they have been wonderful teachers. Highly recommend!

Experiencia fantástica: I’m currently learning Italian with Valentina Dalan. I'm in my second 8-week course and I fully plan to continue. The class sizes are small, which makes it feel personal and engaging, and the homework is very manageable. Valentina is a fantastic teacher. She makes each class fun, keeps the pace engaging, and explains everything in a way that’s easy to follow. The class length is also perfect, it never feels too long, and the time goes by quickly. I’ve learned so much already and genuinely look forward to going each week. I highly recommend OC Lingual Institute to anyone looking to learn a new language in a supportive and enjoyable environment.

Experiencia fantástica: I have been taking language classes at Orange County Lingual Institute for some time, with multiple teachers, and I have enjoyed every one tremendously. But I do have to say that Valentina, who teaches Italian, is fantastic! She is a natural teacher, whether one is a beginner, an intermediate, or someone who has been speaking fluent Italian for years. She is committed to having her students learn how to speak the language, not just conjugate verbs (although she can do that as well!). She always has exercises -- whether of reading, of writing, or of grammar -- planned in advanced so that the class is not chained to the textbook. There are always references to contemporary issues in Italy, whether about art, or style, or politics, or history. And she definitely challenges her students, but in a way that makes a student want to keep learning, keep working, and keep trying. Plus, she is kind; she has a great sense of humor; and she's just a fun person with whom to spend a class period. I could not recommend her more!

Experiencia fantástica: I have been taking advanced italian with Valentina Dalan. Best teacher there is - always prepared, super knowledgeable, detailed, thoughtful, caring, engaging with relevant and diverse topics from culture, history - all in an interactive and fun way. I highly recommend Valentina Dalan.

Experiencia fantástica: I have always wanted to learn Italian. I want the ability to converse while traveling, learn more of the culture, and hopefully converse with family in Italy someday. The OC Lingual Institute, and in particular, Professor Valentina Dalan have been a pleasure to work with on this developing journey and recommend them highly. The class format is comfortable, yet challenging, encouraging review of written and audio material and encouraging conversation by each of us. Bravo!

Experiencia fantástica: I've been taking Italian for the last 2 sessions and it has been a great experience! The teachers are very motivated and conduct class in a fun way that keeps everyone engaged. They use a wide variety of activities and the time flys by. They also create a warm and affirming class culture and you end up making friends with your classmates. The teachers are expert in the fine points of the language and they also teach with a sense of humor. I made a lot of progress and it will definitely help during my next trip to Italy.

Experiencia fantástica: This is an easy way to learn a language! The teachers are engaging, the class size is small and the homework is manageable. I highly recommend OC Lingual Institute for people passionate about learning another language.

Experiencia fantástica: In Maria’s advanced Italian class on Monday nights, I’ve not only rekindled my extremely-rusty Italian, but I’ve made a group of dear friends through our shared love of, and struggles with, Italian. Maria is funny and kind and brings a passion for her native language, Italian culture and history to each class. I look forward to Monday nights!

Experiencia fantástica: Over the past year my Italian has expanded tremendously. Our professor Maria brings an incredible amount of energy to each lesson, keeping us engaged and challenged every week.

Experiencia fantástica: Dr Ali Bendaoud Rahma was my tutor for the last past 3 years. I really like her teaching style and she was very patient with me. Highly recommend !

Experiencia fantástica: I'm just getting ready to start my 3rd 8-week Italian session with Maria Oliveri Minney. The homework is very manageable, and I enjoy the combination of reading/writing/speaking opportunities. I will be going back to Sicily for the first time since starting this class so I'm sure I will need to use the translation app much less. After our class last week, Maria and I decided a few extra things I could do in order to prepare for my trip in a more strategic way.

Experiencia fantástica: Maria Oliveri Minney is a Fantastic Italian teacher! She makes learning Italian fun and inspiring — I’ve improved so much thanks to her! I would give 7 stars :) Grazie Maria!

Experiencia fantástica: My experience has been outstanding to date. I am currently taking my third set of Italian classes, and I could not be more pleased, especially with my teacher, Professoressa Maria, who is absolutely amazing. She is very organized, patient, helpful, and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend her and this organization to anyone interested in learning the Italian language at a comfortable pace. 5+ stars!

Experiencia positiva: Pros - knowledgeable, passionate teachers; nice facilities and ample/free parking Cons - disruption due to multiple teachers (had 3 different teachers in less than a year); no tuition refund policy (paid tuition for the next term early, but found out shortly thereafter that I could not attend classes due to childcare issues, and experienced refund push back even with quick and early notice prior to term start); no virtual class options

Experiencia fantástica: I've been really enjoying the 6pm Spanish 1 class with Diego. I enjoy how he covers various subjects, as well as the cultural pieces. Class seems to go by very quickly with all the real-time practice! I also like how the work is not too burdensome but manageable and I still feel that I am learning steadily.

Experiencia fantástica: I had a blast participating in the Italian Beg I session with Professoressa Maria. The class size was ideal, the instructor was very engaging and the pace was just about right for a beginner class. Based on other reviews, I'd say the group dynamic of your fellow classmates definitely has an impact on the quality of the course, but I was lucky to have a good crew. Can't wait for Beg II!

Experiencia fantástica: Excellent classes, small class sizes, great professor and great administration.

Experiencia negativa: Avoid this school!!! Do not provide them with your card information or allow them to keep it on file if you don't want them to steal your money. When they don't receive enough sign-ups for a class, they frequently cancel it without refunding the money. I have been studying here for a couple of terms, and I don't believe their teachers have enough experience or passion for teaching. The management is terrible. They persuaded me to sign up for a class and promised bonus classes, but after I signed up, they charged me both classes without my authorization. Fraud!!! I called them three days in a row, but there was no answer. I also emailed them twice, but they didn't bother to respond. It's unbelievable that you're running such an unethical business. Some of my classmates are facing the same problem. Trust me! They run a highly disorganized business. Don't be fooled just because of the location.

Experiencia negativa: Do not go to this school if you don’t want to waste money and time studying here. Try online class on Preply instead. The management is only interested in money but lack of providing even basic facilities to the student. They teach you nothing, very unprofessional. The class only 4 or 5 students, most of them give up in the middle of the term because the teacher embarrassed them infront of everyone when they didn’t do their homework. I left numerous messages and emails with no response regarding they canceled my class without give me back the refund. That’s ridiculous. I was not the only one they trying to steal money from, you can read other reviews on here and Yelp. When I was there, I believe the lady name Geta was so rude to one of the older teacher. The teacher she cried in tears. I felt so bad for her. I was so shock how they treated their teacher that way. Later, I found out she was the director of the school. You guys should not support this business, I believe the person who run this school is a fraud. I recommend the online class on Preply, it’s even better 1000x than this crapy place.

Experiencia negativa: Attended 1 class. It wasn’t what I expected. Not a full writing curriculum to accompany classes and no online support. I asked for a refund, but I was told No. Wouldn’t recommend to others because it’s expensive without providing the full curriculum. Plus the refund policy is poor.

Experiencia fantástica: I’m currently a student on my third consecutive class in Spanish. I’ve learned so much more than I expected, all due to my profesora Monica! She is wonderful, and has a unique was of delivering and explaining everything. She takes away all anxiety of learning a new language, I highly recommend taking her class if you’re considering learning Spanish.

Experiencia fantástica: We’ve been taking weekly virtual Spanish classes with Monica since the beginning of the year, and she has been an excellent instructor! She really takes the time to make sure you understand the pronunciation, grammar and unique colloquialisms in each session. There are typically only one or two other people in each class, so it feels like a private lesson with a casual, friendly atmosphere. I have struggled learning languages in the past, and so I have surprised myself with my growing proficiency in beginner Spanish throughout this accelerated weekly course. If I could provide one suggestion to the school, it would be to offer earlier virtual class times, as the 7:30-9 block is a little late. We will recommend this program to people interested in quickly grasping the basics of a new language!

Experiencia fantástica: I've been with mi maestra Monica since this January, starting with Beginning Spanish, and I am very happy with my progress. Monica is great at understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the class participants and she really makes the learning experience as stress free as possible while continuing to push us to improve every week. The classes are challenging, yet fun, and I appreciate the extra time Monica takes to prepare class presentations and other study material as supplements to the class textbook as they are extremely helpful as references outside the class. If my schedule permits I intend to complete the full Spanish curriculum at OCLI, and I credit Monica with helping in my belief that I can successfully get through it.

Experiencia fantástica: If you are looking to learn Spanish I will highly recommend to join Monica's class. She is very dedicated and teaching in a relax and fun way, with excellent PowerPoint slides that are being emailed to you at the end of each class. This in my second semester with Monica and I'm planning to continue with her classes!

Experiencia fantástica: My Spanish lessons with professor Monica have been and continue to be a great learning experience. Professor Monica is an excellent teacher who is an expert in the Spanish culture and all aspects of the Spanish language: vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. I recommend professor Monica to all those who want to learn and speak Spanish

Experiencia fantástica: Phenomenal

Experiencia fantástica: I'm taking the French class with prof Mary-Morgan. I'm really enjoying every sessions. The length of classes are perfect, the time is good for someone like me who is working full-time. The pace is also great! And last but not least, Mary-Morgan is a great teacher with a passion for teaching! She doesn't miss a second to teach something or remind us of the grammar/vocabs. I definitely recommend the French classes to anyone who wants to learn the language.

Experiencia fantástica: This review is for the Beginner Tagalog classes at OC Lingual Institute. I wanted to study Tagalog to learn my native language. Both my parents are from the Philippines, and my mom speaks fluently, but we never spoke Tagalog at home, so I never picked it up. I was searching for local, Beginner Tagalog courses in Orange County (which was quite difficult to find), and found courses through the OC Lingual Institute. So far, I have taken 5 classes with a small cohort of 3 students, and our wonderful instructor, Kathryn. For anyone looking to learn Tagalog from scratch, Kathryn has been an amazing instructor. For reference, we practice through required textbooks/workbooks, which offer vocabulary word banks and grammatical structures. Kathryn walks us through the proper way to speak in Tagalog, teaches us pronunciation, and takes the time to answer our questions. My friend (who's also taking the course) and I are highly interested in continuing to higher level courses. No matter which institution/platform you decide to learn language, your ability to learn more slowly/quickly is highly dependent on your effort. Since the COVID-19 pandemic/the start of my new work schedule, the online courses have been extremely convenient/easy to learn from. I recommend the OC Lingual Institute to anyone looking to learn Tagalog in Orange County. Thank you, Jessica and Kathryn, for making the process to enroll and to learn Tagalog very smooth/fun!

Experiencia fantástica: This is such a great place to learn french. I decided to take french at the beginning of March 2020 and have learned so much so far. I started at Beginner II because I knew some french prior to coming to the institute. What I love most about the Institute is that the class is so small. There were about 4 other classmates in my class. (I am used to learning a language in a high school or college class of around 30+ people which is a tough learning environment for me.) Everyone was so sweet and made the class fun. I also had the BEST instructor... Laeticia!!!!! She is SO kind, funny, understanding, and extremely helpful. She pushed our class to practice and speak with one another. We also focused on reading/prononciation and translating. At times it was tough but it is so essential! Thank you Laeticia! 10/10 would recommend coming to this institute if you are looking to learn a new language or improve it! Just know - it doesn't come easy and you will have to "study" and do "homework" each week so you keep up with the class.

Experiencia fantástica: Great place to learn a foreign language. They have the right ideas, good class schedule, reasonable price, and perfect class size. Spent over a year learning Spanish here, had so much fun and made wonderful friends. I'm sure I will be back for more.

Experiencia positiva: I took French at OCLI as a summer course to broaden my communications skills. The 6:30pm Monday class was fantastic. I think we all learned from each other, in one way or another. WE all have different skills levels and that should be taken into consideration. My comments for now would be, if we are obligated to purchase a textbook for $100, we should stick with the text book and not go offline. As I have learned from my few years of taking French, learning the grammar and tenses is important when you are asked to write and communicate effectively. Especially for business purposes. I am currently enrolled in private classes and need to focus on my 2020 goals for professional development Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Experiencia positiva: Good place to learn foreign languages for adults. Class size is small, good instructor, and very friendly classmates. Tuition is a little pricy,but still acceptable. The class goes very slow due to the majority of the students are working and retired adults, this is the only down side to me.

Experiencia fantástica: Great teachers. Amazing staff supports. Best location in oc. Convenient and safe parking. Classes are rich in contents and appropriate. The private classes are reasonably priced and very very practical. Highly recommended.

Experiencia fantástica: Great place for busy adults to learn a foreign language! As a full time worker I was nervous I would find somewhere that worked for me, enter Orange County Lingual Institute. The classes are catered to adults and they offer evening hours. If you are taking a popular language such as French or Spanish they have many time/day options. They offer so many different languages from basic to advanced. My German teacher Doreen is extremely nice. And I notice most of the teachers including my own bring in food or specialty items from their home country to the students. Classes are once a week, but you buy your own book and do homework. If you miss a week, they allow you to sit in on another class another day to make it up. The front desk staff is always friendly and helpful. And the facility itself is in a very nice area (business center across from South Coast Plaza), with a gorgeous courtyard, clean, and well maintained. And they leave out coffee and tea for students before class, so appreciated!

Experiencia fantástica: Absolutely cosmopolitan selection of languages and people on offer with excellent service and wonderful teachers. I would recommend this place to anyone seeking to learn another language

Experiencia fantástica: Clean and luxury environment, very great, kind and professional teachers...I got the accent reduction class it was so useful.

Experiencia fantástica: Since the very beginning of my French journey, everyone at the OCLI has been so helpful and personable. The warmth and positive energy of the staff, teachers, and students make you want to try your best. Mary Morgan truly cares about her students and in just a year, I’ve learned so much from her. All of her students agree that she is an amazing teacher that immerses you in the French culture and mannerisms. Way more than just a textbook! The classes are smaller so you definitely get to know each other without feeling pressured. I have a difficult schedule so they’ve been able to accommodate my needs by offering makeup bonus classes. Doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult, everyone is welcomed! Overall 10/10 and I recommend to anyone who wants to learn another language.

Experiencia negativa: This place is a joke, paid $250 and got a door shut in my face. We came one day and they were gone, vanished through the air. No calls, no emails, nothing. When I called and emailed, nobody answered. What a scam!!!! Stay away, these people are unresponsive and a joke

Experiencia fantástica: I have been going to OCLI for nearly a year, and I have enjoyed the experience of learning new languages with awesome, effective, and welcoming instructors and staff. Learning languages is important to me and I am so grateful this incredible resource is available to Orange County.

Experiencia fantástica: The teachers are excellent and the staff is efficient and friendly. The school is very well run and organized. My husband and I take classes there are we both impressed with the quality of instruction and the administration staff. The parking is convenient and the school validates the parking for the time in class. We would recommend this school for language students.

Experiencia negativa: Disappointing. I think many of the top reviews and 5 star reviews are plants. That is so tough for Google to manage. Classes can either be packed or empty. So you could have 20 classmates or 1. Very weird vibe. Teachers are hardly credentialed let alone qualified. Parking is difficult actually because the system is always broken. At least this term it has been that way. Management here a bit shady. You wont get a receipt right away, things like that. They are very pushy about paying early for the next term. The teachers have a sheet for each student, in each classroom and they walk around the room asking each individual if they will sign up again. It is an uncomfortable environment with sometimes poor instruction. I don't think I will return. Looking for university extension courses or to self teach.

Experiencia fantástica: It has been more than a year that I come to Oc language russian classes and it is such a wonderful place with Gita and Oleg and even Elena when oleg is on vacation . Oleg is the sweetest techer ever. I have so much fun all the time just laughing at his examples while teaching. I’m able to read and write and speak in russian now although grammar is challenging but the books and examples do the trick. I recommend this place . They serve you royal you get tea and biscuits whenever you want. I never have any stress at class it’s just a haven for me :) the other thing I like is that classes are not so busy and so the teacher can have a lot of attention on you and your questions. I don’t like very busy classes their style is just so nice. Gita is always smiling at you and she is all the time helpful if you need to do any makeup classes. They have flexible hours and timing is amazingly works with any schedule you like to do.hope this review helps you more. Cheers

Experiencia negativa: The star speaks for itself. Kevin D.

Experiencia fantástica: What a great decision it was to start taking Spanish for the first time at OC lingual. I started with Beg 1 Spanish since I had zero Spanish. Been going for 6 months now and I love it. I should probably be studying some more at home but regardless the classes are awesome. The teacher, Dianne, is great, super patient and really helpful. Classes range from 4 - 8 people so you get lots of attention which really helps when you are struggling. I highly recommend coming to OC Lingual Institute if you are thinking of learning a new language.

Experiencia fantástica: I really enjoyed taking French classes at this school. Marie Morgan made it fun and enjoyable and easy to learn. Great staff and I would recommend :)

Experiencia fantástica: I just took the an advanced Spanish class, and I loved it! Conversation is the best way to learn a language, and all of the teachers here teach their native language. I definitely recommend this location to anyone who wants to learn a new language or brush up on their language skills.

Experiencia fantástica: Wonderful place to learn a new language. They offer many language classes. Native speaking teachers with great experience of teaching. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Strongly recommend !!!

Experiencia fantástica: Took German classes for several months. Classes are great and informative and teachers and fellow students are friendly.

Experiencia fantástica: After graduating college, I wanted to retain the French skills that I had worked so hard to develop during the past 2 years. I decided to take a summer session at OC Lingual Institute and I was very pleased with the quality of the instructors and the small and personalized course that I received here. I was given a placement exam over the phone and placed in French Intermediate VI+ which turned out to be a very good level for me, especially in helping to improve my speaking skills and vocabulary. The class was conducted entirely in French and it challenged me to practice my speaking and pronunciation. My instructor, Evelyn, was very positive and constructive through helping students pronounce words better, correcting our grammar structures, and encouraging us to help one other answer questions or find ways to express our thoughts in class without using English. The tuition was definitely worth the amount of attention and hands on learning that I received in each class. The only bummer is that textbooks are not included in tuition, but I was able to find a relatively inexpensive used copy on Amazon. I really enjoyed the course overall and would definitely recommend OC Lingual Institute to anyone looking to learn a new language or to retain and improve their speaking skills at higher levels.

Experiencia fantástica: I’ve been taking Spanish at Orange County Lingual Institute for over a year. I started at a beginning level and now I’m taking intermediate level classes. My experience at this school has been very positive and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn a foreign language. I’ve had several teachers and they have all been professional, knowledgeable and fun. One of my favorite things is that there is a variety of classes at different times of the day. It’s so great to be able to take a class at the time that works for your schedule, which is mid morning-lunch time for me. The classes are small. I don’t think I’ve ever had more than 6 students in my class. This gives you an opportunity to get to know your teacher and classmates pretty well and to learn in a nice and relaxed environment. I’m pleased to say that I understand someone speaking Spanish very well now. I can carry a decent every day conversation in Spanish, too. Just one year of classes has done that and I can’t wait to see my progress after another year or two.

Experiencia fantástica: I have been going to the OC Lingual Institute for a few months now and only have superb things to say about it. My french teacher Mary Morgan is absolutely wonderful -- she is organized, punctual, approachable and kind. Alongside Mary, the entire staff at the Lingual Institute is very friendly. I'd recommend this place to anyone who is interested in learning a new language!

Experiencia fantástica: If you want to learn a new language quickly and efficiently OC Lingual Institute is the right place. The teachers as well as the staff are both excellent. The are nice and professional people who want you to succeed. Last year I took Italian classes and was able to speak and understand well enough to travel around Italy without a phrasebook in hand. Thank you to my Italian teacher Paola Costa!!! This year I come back for Spanish classes because I am going to Spain and already know that this school can help me to learn the language quickly and efficiently.

Experiencia fantástica: My wife and I are finishing up Beg. French II. This is our second class and we have already enrolled for the next term. I did quite a bit of research and heard great things about OC Lingual. The classes are fun and in a relaxed environment. Our teacher is superb and we have really come a long way with our French. All the staff is welcoming and friendly. So if you're looking to learn a new language for fun, work or any other reason...look no further. Being an educator myself I can say that the quality of instruction is top-notch, but without the stress and pressure of a typical college level course. You learn because you want to, you practice with fellow students in class and the instructor reinforces key concepts without embarrassing or putting anyone down. We love it!!!

Experiencia fantástica: I loved the classes here! I felt like I was learning not only the language but also the grammar and why it worked the way it did. Everyone was very nice and helpful. My teacher was great! We could have full conversations without even realizing it by the end of the first session!

Experiencia fantástica: The OC Linguistics Institute has been remarkably helpful to me. I've taken various courses in German, French and Spanish over the last couple of years and found the instructors to be most excellent, helpful and understanding. I am a professional consultant and work on various international projects. They have been particularly helpful accommodating my schedule, something a traditional university could never accommodate. The prices for the courses are very affordable and I believe I've taken nearly 15 or more. I have found the more time and effort you put into a language course presented in this fashion, the more you get out of it.