"A wonderful program."
Sara Gómez, Madrid

Supercharge your English

Live online English courses via Zoom with expert teachers. A method built around language production, for adults who want real results.

A woman taking an English class via Zoom from her couch

How our English classes work

Step 1: You speak in every class

Production is the core of every session: conversation classes are almost entirely speaking, and even grammar classes end in real conversation.

Step 2: You get corrected in real time

A teacher listens to what you produce and corrects it on the spot, so mistakes don't settle in.

Step 3: Grammar backs you up

Our advanced grammar courses tighten the structures behind your speaking, for precision when it counts.

Step 4: Progress step by step

Each class builds on the previous one. No confusing jumps, no gaps.

A woman attending an English class on a laptop

Our conversation classes

Basic Conversation

For learners who understand English but freeze when it is their turn to speak. You can read, you can follow along, but the words get stuck.

This is an immersion course with no scripts and no textbook dialogues: just real conversation about real topics with a native teacher and a small group. No grammar drills, no worksheets.

The goal is simple: get you talking, get you comfortable with mistakes, and get you thinking in English instead of translating in your head.

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Intermediate Conversation

For learners who get by but want more. You can hold a conversation, but your sentences feel flat or repetitive; you run out of things to say, or you lose the thread when the topic shifts.

This course is all immersion and no filler: current events, culture, spontaneous debates. The focus is on expressing opinions naturally, using real connectors and idiomatic language, and keeping the conversation alive even when it takes an unexpected turn.

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Advanced Conversation

For those who already speak English well and want to speak it better. If you can communicate but feel the language still limits you when things get nuanced, this is the space to sharpen your edge.

Immersion sessions built around structured debates and complex discussions on real-world topics. The work here is precision: expanding your range of vocabulary, refining your accent, and mastering the subtleties that separate fluency from real command.

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Our advanced grammar courses

Advanced grammar I: Perfect tenses, conditionals and the passive

Past perfect, present perfect continuous, second conditional, relative clauses, the passive voice, gerunds and infinitives.

The structures most students never quite master. The ones that separate scraping by in English from really speaking it.

Ten units with demanding texts and plenty of practice. It isn't easy, but it's what you need.

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Advanced grammar II: Reported speech, the unreal past and formal writing

Reported speech, wish and if only, modal verbs for speculating about the past, the third conditional, mixed conditionals, and formal writing.

The hardest grammar in English, all in one course.

For advanced students who want to stop avoiding the structures they haven't mastered.

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Why this method works better for adults

Most apps train you to recognize English: tap the right answer, match the pairs, fill in the gap. But recognizing a sentence and producing one are different skills. And speaking is production.

The problem with apps and passive input:

  • Recognition isn't speaking: you can pass every quiz and still freeze mid-sentence
  • Series and podcasts train your ear, not your mouth
  • Nobody corrects the sentences you never say

Why our classes work better:

  • You speak in every class, until it comes out on its own
  • A teacher corrects what you produce, in the moment
  • When you need precision, advanced grammar courses tighten the structures behind it

Studies show that adults learn a language faster when they're taught its rules explicitly and use them speaking from day one.

Dan Berges

Why choose our online English school

Native teachers

All of our teachers are native speakers with teaching experience.

Small groups

A maximum of 10 students per class. Personal attention, and plenty of time to speak.

Flexible schedule

Several time slots available. Easily make up any class you can't attend.

A proven method

The Graf Method has helped thousands of adults learn a new language in the US and Europe.

Live online classes

Real-time interaction via Zoom. No pre-recorded videos.

A laptop at the Berges Institute office

Frequently asked questions

Do you have conversation-focused classes?

Yes. Our conversation classes are almost entirely dedicated to speaking, with your teacher and other students. They're ideal if you already have a base and want to build fluency.

I already speak English, but I want to get better. Is this for me?

Yes. We offer upper-intermediate and advanced levels, plus conversation classes. A short level test places you exactly where you belong, so you don't waste time reviewing what you already know.

How do unlimited classes work?

With the monthly subscription you can book as many classes as you want (conversation or grammar) and cancel anytime with one click. It's the plan we recommend for fast progress.

Will I be embarrassed speaking in class?

No. Our teachers create a relaxed environment where making mistakes is part of the process. Speaking is exactly what you're here to practice.

Do you teach British or American English?

English is one language with regional differences, mostly accent and a handful of everyday words, just like any other language. We teach standard English, with a slight lean toward American English.

Are classes recorded?

No. Classes are live and not recorded, for student privacy and to keep speaking practice pressure-free.

How old do I need to be to enroll?

Our classes are for adults. The one exception: if you're 16 or 17, you can enroll as long as a parent or legal guardian accepts our terms on your behalf.

Can I change levels?

Yes! Just send us a message through our Help Center.

Una alumna de Berges

You understand everything. Speaking is another story.

You follow meetings, watch shows without subtitles, read whatever you want. But when it's your turn to talk, the sentences don't come out the way you want them to. That gap has a name: comprehension versus production. Closing it is exactly what our classes are built for:

  • Advanced grammar explained properly, then used out loud in the same class
  • Conversation classes where you do most of the talking and get corrected
  • Small groups of adults, so there's real time for you to speak
  • Precision and confidence when it counts

Typical problems we solve:

  • "I understand everything but hesitate when I speak" → We train production until it's automatic
  • "I've studied English for years and still make the same mistakes" → A teacher corrects what you say, when you say it
  • "Apps feel easy, but nothing comes out in real conversations" → Recognition isn't speaking: here, you produce
  • "I know the grammar in theory" → Speaking practice turns theory into speech
A sign that reads BERGES INSTITUTE ACT 1 SCENE 1

The Graf Method

Most modern second-language (L2) teaching methods are inductive: students perform tasks in the target language and eventually acquire its patterns. The grammar-translation method, used in Europe from the 1840s to the 1940s for teaching foreign and classical languages (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p. 6), is deductive: students learn rules and then put them into practice by translating to and from the target language. It typically includes no speaking practice.

The Graf Method (Graf derives from the term "functional grammar") is a modified grammar-translation method for L2 instruction with a strong emphasis on oral practice.

While inductive methods imitate the natural language-acquisition process children experience when learning their first language (L1), studies show that deductive L2 instruction works better for adults (Gör et al., 2009). The Graf Method solves the limitations of the traditional approach by making practice active and conversational. The English series is fully monolingual: instead of translating, you build sentences directly in English and put them to work speaking.

References:

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Gör, Ö., Kolat, T., İstanbul, A., Üniversitesi, A., Meslek, Y., Okulu, B., & İnönü. (2009). Deductive vs. inductive approach on English grammar teaching for elementary students