Reviews
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Goethe-Institut New York
German, Tests, Bookstores/Libraries, Museums/Cultural, Classes/Conversation
The mission of the Goethe-Institut is to “promote the study of German abroad and encourage international cultural exchange,” as well as “foster knowledge about Germany by providing information on its culture, society and politics.” There are events, exchange programs, classes,…
German-American Steuben Parade
German, Fairs/Festivals/Parades, Kids
This annual September parade down Fifth Avenue is more than 50 years old. According to its website, it has “grown into the largest event of its kind in the United States.” The purpose is “to celebrate German-American culture and traditions, and…
The ING New York City Marathon
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Sports/Fitness
Yeah, I know, the marathon is supposedly about running 26.2 miles. I am a runner, so I can appreciate that. Still, for me, New York City’s annual marathon spectacular is more about culture and language. Because of the global obsession…
ConversationExchange.com
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Websites, Classes/Conversation
Even if you live in a remote area, you can use sites such as ConversationExchange.com to find a Skype partner overseas and start speaking, say, Finnish or Xhosa. The web is a fabulous thing. Through this language-exchange community, you…
Livemocha
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Websites, Classes/Conversation
“As the world’s largest online language learning community,” reads the Livemocha site, “Livemocha fuses traditional learning methods with online practice and interaction with native language speakers from around the world. Livemocha delivers an unparalleled learning experience that promises…
Myngle
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Websites, Classes/Conversation
Founded in 2007 and based in Amsterdam, Myngle bills itself as “the No. 1 multi-language online school.” I haven’t tried Myngle out, but some of my readers have. One described it as “a great way of getting some cheap lessons to…
Middlebury Language Schools
Arabic, French, General, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Classes/Conversation
I don’t normally include language schools here, but Middlebury is famous for its summer programs. While I have not experienced one myself, I have heard great things about them over many years from people I trust. The typical…
German Language Meetup Groups
German, Classes/Conversation, Social
There are Meetup groups on five continents dedicated to German language and culture. (If you are on Antarctica, you are out of luck!) People get together and speak German, or speak about German, or do whatever that particular group…
German Language Learning Club
German, Organizations, Classes/Conversation, Social, Kids
Yorkville historian Kathy Jolowicz founded this club in 1990, which, according to the website, is “keeping Yorkville/Kleindeutschland’s Heritage Alive.” Yorkville refers to a swathe of the Upper East Side once heavily populated with Germans, and Kleindeutschland…