Learn American Sign Language (ASL), a useful skill that can open up a new world of relationships and deeper understanding. These classes utilize a groundbreaking curriculum crafted by deaf ASL teachers. You’ll learn more than just signs—you’ll engage in real-world conversation. Level 1 (Beginner): In this in-person class for absolute beginners only, learn the ASL manual “alphabet” and hand shapes, basic grammar structure, and fingerspelling techniques. Explore the history of ASL while we cover pronouns, articles, numbers, yes/no questions, farewell rituals, introductions, and more. Level 2 (High Beginner): Further increase your vocabulary and get introduced to verb tenses in this in-person class for students who have completed Level 1. Learn how to engage in conversation about personal life events, family dynamics, friendships, and pets, as well as how to describe appearances and name North American cities, states, and provinces. Level 3 (Intermediate): This class is for students who have completed Level 2. Refine your skills as we cover more complex topics, including numeral incorporation, telling time, expressing frequency, daily routines, holidays and cultural observances, vacations, hobbies, and more. Note: For all levels students will be required to purchase this text book: Gallaudet Dictionary of American Sign Language

Levantine Arabic is one of the major spoken varieties of Arabic used along the eastern Mediterranean coast. More informal than Modern Standard Arabic, this dialect is commonly spoken at home, among friends, and in popular television series. Level 2: For those with some knowledge of the Arabic alphabet, we will continue to work on basic conversations related to greetings, nationalities, colors, food, and more. Level 5: For those with prior experience in Levantine Arabic. Expand your vocabulary, improve fluency, and explore more complex sentence structures through discussions on a variety of everyday topics.

Arabic, originating in the 6th century, is now one of the world’s most widely spoken and recognized languages. Modern Standard Arabic serves as the formal language of news, media, and literature. Level 1: This beginner class introduces the 28 Arabic letters and builds foundational reading and writing skills through interactive, practical instruction. You’ll also learn everyday vocabulary and simple conversational phrases, including greetings and polite expressions. Level 3: For those who are able to read and write simple words. Practice basic conversations that include nationalities, family members, describing neighborhoods and residences, food and drink, clothing and colors, weather, and more.

Prepare for the 128-question U.S. citizenship test. Gain a deeper understanding of how the government works and of your rights and responsibilities as a citizen. Review the answers to the civics and history questions, strengthen your English skills (if applicable), and build the confidence you need to pass the exam. Important: Requirements to apply for citizenship are a green card for five years (or married to an American citizen and green card for three years) and intermediate level English.

Spend time with fellow French language lovers, conversing in a warm and inviting setting. This class is designed for students who are proficient in present, imparfait, and passé composé, and who are able to use object pronouns. The instructor will offer exercises designed to increase fluency.

Spend time with fellow French language lovers, conversing in a warm and inviting setting. This class is designed for students who are proficient in present, imparfait, and passé composé, and who are able to use object pronouns. The instructor will offer exercises designed to increase fluency.

Winter Term Registration is Closed. Registration opens February 24 for Spring Term. Learn English and build your speaking and writing confidence. ACE is pleased to fully fund these classes for those who live or work in Arlington. The daytime class is co-sponsored by the Robbins Library. Level 2 (High Beginner): For students who have basic understanding of the simple sentence structure in English, and the following concepts: the alphabet, numbers 0–100, subject pronouns, the be verbs (am, is, are), and everyday verbs and adjectives. Learn the simple present, past, and future tenses while building real conversational confidence. Level 3 (Low Intermediate): For students who have taken the Level 2 course or who are familiar with those grammar concepts. Build your confidence, improve your speaking skills, and learn more advanced grammar, including modals (e.g., must, should), adverbs of frequency, first and second conditionals, and comparative and superlative adjectives. Level 4 (High Intermediate): For students who have completed ACE Level 3 or are familiar with its grammar concepts. Practice communicating on a wider range of topics with greater accuracy and fluency while learning advanced grammar, including passive voice, third conditionals, and future forms. Please note: Priority goes to Arlington residents. Register for one session only. If you live outside of Arlington, please add yourself to our “non-resident waitlist” class and we will contact you if we have space. Attendance Policy: Limited to one class per person per term. Students are expected to attend regularly. If you have to miss a class, you must notify the instructor in advance. Students who do not show up for the first class without notifying the instructor will be removed from the roster and will not be allowed to register for the following term. Students who miss more than three classes in a term will not be allowed to register for the following term.

Join this lively French book group to read and discuss Le Sabotage Amoureux, a semi-autobiographical novel by Belgian author Amélie Nothomb. Set in 1970s Beijing, China, the book draws on Nothomb’s childhood as the daughter of a diplomat, blending childhood fantasy with adult observations on love, power, and expatriate life in a witty, deadpan style.

Continue your journey in becoming a more confident French speaker. Learn pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and verbs with a focus on describing the world around you. Level 3: Upon completion of this course, you can expect to converse on a broad range of topics with greater confidence and precision. Building upon the skills already acquired, you will learn direct and indirect object pronouns and start the imperfect verb tense. Level 4: Refine your use of passé composé and the imperfect tense, and incorporate object pronouns and adverbs in both simple and compound forms. Continue to develop listening, speaking, and reading skills while exploring aspects of French culture and history Please note: For Levels 3 and 4 you will need Contacts edition 8 or 9 textbook, easily found used or downloadable.

Bonjour! Join this welcoming and lively French conversation class led by an enthusiastic near-native speaker. This is your chance to learn, practice, and improve your conversational French in a relaxed, fun, yet structured setting. For those who have taken French: Levels 1–3 and/or have strong skills in speaking and listening. We will review advanced grammar topics, including object pronouns, compound tenses, and subjunctive, with assignments to practice your skills throughout the week. Please note: You will need a free downloadable copy of the Grammaire Progressive du Francais Intermediaire (edition 3 by Maia Gregory). If you miss a class, you may view the recording.

Bonjour! Join this welcoming and lively French conversation class led by an enthusiastic near-native speaker. This is your chance to learn, practice, and improve your conversational French in a relaxed, fun, yet structured setting. For those who have taken French: Levels 1–3 and/or have strong skills in speaking and listening. We will review advanced grammar topics, including object pronouns, compound tenses, and subjunctive, with assignments to practice your skills throughout the week. Please note: You will need a free downloadable copy of the Grammaire Progressive du Francais Intermediaire (edition 3 by Maia Gregory). If you miss a class, you may view the recording.

Lay the foundation to become a confident French speaker. Learn pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and verbs with a focus on describing the world around you. Level 1: Learn basic vocabulary, present-tense verbs, and useful everyday words and phrases. Part of each class will be spent practicing oral dialogue to gain comfort in speaking. Level 2: Focus on improving conversational precision by developing vocabulary and learning present and immediate future tenses. Practice oral dialogue and learn common and irregular verbs, possessive and demonstrative adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, and imperatives.

Lay the foundation to become a confident French speaker. Learn pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and verbs with a focus on describing the world around you. Level 3: Upon completion of this course, you can expect to converse on a broad range of topics with greater confidence and precision. Building upon the skills already acquired, you will learn direct and indirect object pronouns and start the imperfect verb tense. Level 4: Refine your use of passé composé and the imperfect tense, and incorporate object pronouns and adverbs in both simple and compound forms. Continue to develop listening, speaking, and reading skills while exploring aspects of French culture and history Please note: For Levels 3 and 4 you will need Contacts edition 8 or 9 textbook, easily found used or downloadable.

Learn to speak and think auf Deutsch, the language of Thomas Mann, Goethe, Rilke, Brecht, and Remarque. Los geht’s! Level 1: Learn the basics of German grammar and vocabulary to prepare for basic conversations. Get a feel for the rhythm, sound, and structure of the language. Level 2: Improve your listening, reading, and speaking skills. This course is designed for students who have completed Level 1 or an equivalent level. Continue to learn common words from your immediate, concrete surroundings, read simple sentences, ask and answer simple questions on very familiar topics, and write short, simple notes. Level 3: Deepen your knowledge and expand your vocabulary through everyday conversations and examples from art and literature. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to describe experiences in the present and past tenses, advise others, and much more. This course is designed for students who have completed Level 2 or an equivalent level. Please note: Students will be required to purchase this text book online, or through the Harvard Coop. Please don't purchase until we confirm the class has enough students to run.

Whether your goal is to read the Hebrew Bible in its original language or follow along at synagogue services, these courses will provide you with a solid foundation in this unique language. Classes are conducted in English with a focus on biblical texts and grammar. Expect lively discussions and optional weekly homework assignments. Both levels will enjoy Hebrew in the wild. Level 4A: For students who know 150+ Hebrew words, can conjugate simple verbs in the past and future tenses, can compose a simple Hebrew sentence, are familiar with Hebrew demonstratives and adjectives, or have already taken Level 3D. Level 7: Discover the inner elegance of Hebrew grammar and become your own translator. We will focus on Biblical and prayerbook Hebrew, using examples drawn from the Bible, the Hebrew prayer book, and fairy tales rendered in Biblical Hebrew. You should be familiar with Hebrew verbs in the past, future, and present tenses in binyan Pa'al, binyan Pi'el, and binyan Hif’il. We will start in Chapter 26 of The First Hebrew Primer and also review previous chapters. Please note: Once the class reaches minimum enrollment, this text will be required for class The First Hebrew Primer: The Adult Beginner's Path to Biblical Hebrew, Third Edition 3rd Edition (if you don't already have it).

Buongiorno! Are you ready to learn Italian in a fun and interesting way? Through conversation about everyday life, we will learn vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar as we explore Italian culture and la dolce vita. Gain a solid knowledge of the language of music and love. Level 1: Get introduced to basic grammar topics including pronunciation, personal pronouns, indefinite and definite articles, singular and plural forms of nouns and adjectives, gender, and number agreement. Learn to describe everyday activities using the present tense of regular and irregular verbs. Level 2: Work on improving spoken Italian, mastering reflexive verbs, past tense of regular and irregular verbs, and possessive adjectives. Level 3: Further hone oral comprehension and expression of topics including travel, health, and time. We will also focus on imperfect tense, distinctive pronouns, simple future tense, and double object pronouns. Level 4: Focus on complex reading selections, opportunities for vocabulary development, and creative use of the language. Develop more grammar skills using indefinite adjectives and pronouns, imperative form, conditional tenses, and relative pronouns.

The Korean language offers a fascinating introduction to a rich culture and one of the world’s most logical writing systems, Hangeul. Build practical language skills, whether you’re learning for travel, work, or personal enrichment. Level 1: Learn the basics of spoken and written Korean while building practical communication skills for everyday situations. Designed for beginners with no prior experience, this class introduces Hangeul, essential vocabulary, foundational grammar, and elements of Korean culture to help you begin communicating with confidence. Level 2: Continue building your Korean language skills in this course for students who have completed Level 1 or have equivalent experience. Expand your vocabulary, strengthen your understanding of grammar, and gain confidence speaking about familiar everyday topics while continuing to develop your reading and writing skills in Hangeul.

Spanish is the most widely spoken Romance language in the world, with more than 480 million native speakers. Level 1: Learn beginning Spanish in a dynamic environment. Through engaging activities, you’ll practice the alphabet, numbers, greetings, gender agreement, simple present tense of regular verbs, basic vocabulary, and more. Designed for those with little to no experience. Level 2: For those who have completed Level 1 or equivalent, continue building conversation skills and explore new grammar concepts. Topics include ordinal numbers, simple present tense of irregular verbs, expressing likes and dislikes, travel phrases, ordering food, and giving directions. Level 3/4: You should already be comfortable with the present tense of regular and irregular verbs and the basic differences between ser and estar. Build confidence with more advanced grammar and verb forms, including reflexive verbs and expressing time, dates, and weather. Begin mastering the past preterite tense. For those comfortable describing surroundings in simple terms and familiar with present and past tense.

These convivial classes are taught by a native speaker and offer conversation and culture for those who want to refresh their Spanish, take it to the next level, or just miss speaking the language. Improve your spoken Spanish and vocabulary on a variety of topics, including art, literature, music, cuisine, travel, and current events. Intermediate: Students should have knowledge of the preterite, the past imperfect, and the future tense to join this class. We will review these as well as other grammatical structures, such as the conditional, the imperative, and the present subjunctive. Advanced: For students comfortable with an immersion (Spanish-only) experience. We will work with advanced topics that stimulate deeper conversations and debate and challenge us to further increase our vocabulary.