Beyond Words
Language, culture, travel, and stories from the Speak! community
“Learning German has taught me that no matter how different a language is, we are all human. Being able to communicate with a person from a different culture or place shapes you as a person by allowing you to see other people’s points of view and giving you a greater understanding of the world.”
Join us for a lunchtime Speak! Salon as local birder and naturalist Allen Hale shares how a single birding trip to Panama grew into a lifelong passion.
Since first visiting Panama in 1998, Allen has returned more than 37 times, exploring the country's remarkable landscapes, birdlife, history, and culture. During this engaging presentation, he'll reflect on three decades of adventures, discoveries, and friendships formed through birdwatching in one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots.
The talk will be brought to life with beautiful photographs by Allen and local photographer Stephanie Gross, who accompanied him on one of his Panama expeditions in December 2024.
“We are excited to continue working with John and Christina and feel that they are on this journey with us!”
“These types of human connections that were the highlights of my trip would have been impossible without Stefanie and Speak!“
“It has been interesting learning about Franco’s home country and the various places he has lived while we worked together.”
“The regularity that Speak! offers has made the difference. It keeps me accountable and focused.”
“Studying on my own was easy to do passively. In-person lessons make it impossible to hide behind fear or doubt.”
“Our Spanish class is one of the highlights of my week. Nattachya’s joyful energy makes learning fun, even on my hardest days.”
“Speak! Is a treasure to me. The different Spanish classes and teachers and the German instructors are all excellent.”
Are you passionate about teaching languages and culture? Do you love helping adults and professionals gain the skills and confidence to connect across borders?
Speak! Language Center is growing, and we’re excited to invite local teachers in Charlottesville and Central Virginia to join our talented team.
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news: Speak! Language Center has been voted Best Learning Center in Charlottesville by C-VILLE Weekly’s Best of Cville Awards!
“The individualized attention from Franco in the one-on-one classes is really great; he is able to tailor the classes according to my needs.”
Speak! partnered with UVA’s Pipelines and Pathways Program and Human Resources to support four newly-hired international employees with tailored English language instruction, equipping them with the essential skills for success in their roles as Patient Safety Companions.
I’ll never forget a dinner I enjoyed in Paris with Allison Zinder. I was traveling with my best friend and our daughters, and on a hot summer evening in 2016, we met Allison for a classic French bistro meal at one of her then-favorite brasseries - Le Petit Lutetia.
“I like that I can ask a question about a topic I'm unclear about and instantly have it explained to me.”
“I plan on continuing lessons until I can speak Spanish fluently at a conversational level!”
“Hearing questions from classmates (and hopefully them hearing mine) helps us all learn and grow on our Spanish journey.”
The coaching sessions with Alexis have been incredibly beneficial to my preparation for the Darden MBA program and beyond.
What attracted me the most to this program was that everybody is rooting for your success.
“I really like the flexibility, because being an MBA student during the recruiting season, I don’t have the most predictable schedule.”
“Our classes are very dynamic. Dana always has something new and especially a lot of patience and didactics. It's an enjoyable environment, and everything flows well.“
“I think at the end of the day, if you talk with your coach and you really know what you need, B-Speak! Coaching will provide the session by tailoring your need to achieve results! For me it is a great remedy for my communication skill“
“AnnaMaria is a wonderful teacher, very patient, always in good spirit, never dull, and never condescending. She methodically advances through our Italian language text book and exercises, and effectively uses the whiteboard to review and summarize the important language and grammar details.“
“Marta was truly one of the best language instructors I’ve worked with. She had a knack for simplifying difficult concepts and illustrating her points with lots of examples culled from a variety of authentic sources (newspapers, music, videos, etc.), and she was also great about correcting my grammar and pronunciation without ever seeming overbearing…“
“The lessons really helped me elevate overall English communication skills, it also helped me enhance my enunciation, intonation, listening skills, and understating of common American phrases. The initial assessment by my coach helped me identify weak areas so that I could work on them and be clearly understood by professors and peers…“
The Languages we teach
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