Illustration by Dan Woodger

• Berlitz
  Global language-teaching authority.
  (40 W. 51st St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-765-1000)
  VS
  Idlewild
  Combo bookshop and language classroom.
  (249 Warren St., nr. Court St., Cobble Hill; 718-403-9600)

  ---

  Languages
  Berlitz: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Arabic; others upon request
  Idlewild: French, Italian, and Spanish

  Classes
  Berlitz: Language instruction (levels 1 to 9), business communication, leadership training
  Idlewild: Beginner and intermediate, “Comics and Conversation”

  Price
  Berlitz: $250 per month for 90-minute classes
  Idlewild: $210 to $285 for ten hourlong classes

  Décor
  Berlitz: Windowless classrooms with dry-erase boards
  Idlewild: Sunny storefront with a long table made from a repurposed bowling lane

  Instructors
  Berlitz: Patient but demanding native speakers
  Idlewild: Gregarious native speakers who stray from the syllabus for quips and “back home” stories

  The Vibe
  Berlitz: Sink or swim; classes conducted exclusively in the target language from day one
  Idlewild: Chatty and conversational; phrases are driven home through Q&A repetition

  Fellow Students
  Berlitz: Suits fresh from the office; multilingual translators; M.B.A. students
  Idlewild: Thirtyish Brooklynites brushing up on their semester-abroad skills before vacation

  Likelihood You’ll Be Hit On
  Berlitz: Low—classes are kept small (three to six students), and English is discouraged
  Idlewild: Recently overheard: “How do you say ‘I like your glasses’ in French?”

  Winner: If you need to express yourself at work in a foreign country—especially Russia or China—Berlitz remains unchallenged. But if you need to hold your own at a party in Paris, Idlewild takes the gâteau.

From the 2012 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine