“I have learned from Andrea in only 4 months far more about the Spanish language than I was able to learn from 2 years of countless larger classes, audio programs and study guides.
Each lesson with Andrea has improved my vocabulary, conversational skills, comprehension and comfort with the language. No two classes are the same, and I am certain no other instructor brings more experience, knowledge of the Spanish language and culture, and positive energy to her teaching. I am a better student and lawyer for having been under her wings.”
Dan A. Womac
Attorney/Social Worker
“I have studied Spanish for approximately 8 years. This study included 4 years in high school, 3 years in college, 3 years of private classes in NYC and 3 months of intensive Spanish study in Latin America. Throughout these years of study, I have learned Spanish from at least 15 different teachers. Without question, Andrea Cukier is the best Spanish teacher that I have had.
I believe that the high caliber of her teaching skill stems from two main sources. One source is her thorough and highly accurate knowledge of both the Spanish and English languages. Because she is able to understand both languages so well, she is able to quickly and effectively explain differences in the languages, determine the source of a student’s confusion with regards to the Spanish language and use logic and precision to clarify grammatical rules. The second source of Andrea’s teaching skill relates to Andrea’s creativity. Andrea constantly thinks of new and fun ways for her students to learn Spanish. In addition, her methods almost always include an opportunity to learn something about the culture of a Spanish speaking country. I find this added learning opportunity fascinating and it works to enhance my motivation to continue learning Spanish.
My Spanish has improved greatly with Andrea and I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone interested in learning this beautiful language.”
Karen Dockery
Human Resources Manager, Council on Accreditation
“In my four years with Andrea, my confidence and ability as a Spanish speaker have improved tremendously! Andrea is well-versed in teaching strategies, particularly for the adult learner. She uses diverse methods to make learning and speaking Spanish, both fun and easy. Thanks to her patience, creativity, encouragement and keen ability to detect my strengths and areas that needed improvement, I can now confidently say, “¡Yo soy bilingüe!
¡Muchísimas gracias, Andrea!”
Stephanie Penceal
President
PJB Consulting Services
2388 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10030
212-926-2039
www.pjb-consulting.com
“I began taking lessons with Andrea Cukier both because of my love of Spanish literature (which, frustratingly, I had always read in translation) and because of my work as a union lawyer. The unions I work with do more and more organizing among workers who speak only Spanish. My reliance on translators in addressing their legal problems was costly and inefficient.
I admit to having been skeptical when I began with Andrea. I am sort of a poster-child for the futility of a variety of so-called teaching methods, including large university classes, Rosetta Stone-type computer programs and audio tapes. It was only when I began studying with Andrea that I started to make progress in leaps and bounds.
Andrea avoids dry, rote drills. Rather, she employs a combination of lively conversation, imaginative written exercises and essays and engaging oral exercises, all of which are oriented precisely around the framework of vocabulary and grammar I need to interact with Spanish-speaking workers in my field of law.
Andrea teaches with humor and compassion. She has a pleasant but firm manner, which inspires me to apply myself seriously to study without being fearful of making errors.
In short, I highly recommend Andrea Cukier as a Spanish instructor.”
William Anspach
Attorney
“I was a complete beginner when I started taking lessons with Andrea Cukier.
My learning experience has been fantastic; Andrea has a lot patience and keeps the lessons lively and interesting. She is very encouraging and supportive of my efforts and spends time ensuring my pronunciation is correct.”
Maria Allen – A Brit in NY
“Learning a second language as an adult presents difficulties enough, but doing so with a constantly changing schedule and a typical chaotic NYC life makes it even more of a challenge. Therefore, I truly appreciate the care and attention I receive from Andrea Cukier. Having taken both group and private lessons with her, I have been fortunate to move along at a pace I never dreamed possible. I truly look forward to class every week.
Andrea Cukier has helped me move along at a pace that is challenging, but not overwhelming. She is demanding while at the same time understanding. I am motivated to learn; otherwise I would not have decided to study Spanish at this stage of my life. However, having someone who enjoys my progress as much as I do, who keeps the lessons interesting and who clearly enjoys teaching has made a huge difference.”
Shelley Simpson
Attorney
“Andrea is a fantastic teacher. You will learn rapidly with her colorful and interesting methods.”
Andy Leventhal
Medical Student, Columbia University
“I am both a novelist/translator and a businessman who is involved in Latin American dot.com internet marketing. Andrea has helped me in both endeavors. She assisted me in the Spanish dialog I had written for a film script about the great Argentine tango singer Carlos Gardel, a script that is now in production development in Los Angeles. And she polished my skills as a negotiator of dot.com business in Spanish. Andrea is an incomparable teacher.”
Terence Clarke
“I have been studying Spanish with Andrea Cukier for over a year. She is able to work well with a wide range of students who come to her with an equally diverse array of needs and interests. Not only has her creative and energetic teaching style enabled me to gain a command of the language in a relatively short amount of time, it has also made the process fun.”
Joanna D’Afflitti, MD
“Andrea’s fine method reaches beyond the technical and into the Culture of the language. She is a tremendous asset to me and my career.”
Rick Miramontez,
Singer
“Andrea makes the difficult and challenging work of learning a foreign language fun and enjoyable. Her teaching is uniquely effective and personalized.”
Alexander M. Covan,
Graphic Designer
“In the Fall of 2009, I was given the nearly impossible task of translating two long, poorly written, and grammatically flawed essays for my final language requirement for my graduate program. At first I tried working alone, spending night after night working through them word by word. It was to no avail. After putting in at least 100 hours of endless study, I believed I had translated them, only to learn from one of my native Spanish-speaking friends, that I had failed to grasp the meanings of the two essays. She encouraged me to seek out professional tutoring, because she informed me that the form of Spanish written in the articles was extremely formal, difficult for even her to understand.
That is when I turned to Andrea Cukier. I found her website online and contacted her. She was quick to reply to my desperate appeal for help. She immediately put me at ease by reassuring me that all would be all right. And it was. We met for several sessions with her helping me to better understand what I was trying to make sense of in these art-based articles. Her background as an artist helped tremendously when it came to the technical artistic terms in her native language. In the end I not only felt confident in the language, but I also truly grasped the meaning of the articles.”
Lizzie Switzer