About Lingua Nova
A Santa Monica language academy with one belief: you learn a language by speaking it. For over fifteen years we've helped thousands of students find their voice in a new language — in small groups, with teachers who care.
From a single classroom, since 2009
Lingua Nova began in 2009 with one room, one teacher and a simple frustration: too many language courses spent years on grammar and left students unable to hold a real conversation. We set out to do the opposite — to get people speaking from the very first lesson.
Fifteen years on, that little classroom has grown into a full academy on Ocean Park Boulevard, with a team of certified teachers, courses from beginner to exam mastery, and thousands of students a year both on campus and online. What hasn't changed is the belief we started with.
Today we pair that human approach with a 24/7 AI assistant, so students get answers, materials and trial bookings the moment they need them — day or night.
Recognised & certified
Lingua Nova is an accredited language academy. Our teachers hold internationally recognised CELTA and DELTA qualifications, and our exam-prep tracks follow official IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge criteria.
- Accredited language academy
- CELTA / DELTA-certified teachers
- Official exam criteria for prep tracks
- Voted Top-Rated Language School 2023
Speaking first, always
Three principles behind every Lingua Nova lesson.
Speak From Lesson One
You learn a language by using it. Grammar and vocabulary are tools we pick up while communicating, not before.
Small Groups of 8
Capped at eight students, so everyone speaks in every lesson and no one hides at the back. It's why progress is fast.
Feedback That Guides
Weekly written progress notes and a free placement test keep you on the right level and moving toward your goal.
Because you can't learn to speak in a lecture
In a class of thirty, most students say almost nothing. In a group of eight, you speak constantly — and speaking is the whole point. Smaller groups also mean your teacher hears every mistake worth correcting and knows exactly where you are.
It costs us more to teach this way. We think the results — students who actually leave able to hold a conversation — make it the only way worth teaching.
- Real speaking time in every lesson
- Personal feedback, not one-size-fits-all
- Grouped by level after a free placement test
- The same small groups online or on campus
Come Find Your Voice
Book a free placement test and trial lesson. Ask the assistant — it's here 24/7.
Book Free Trial Lesson →This is a fictional demonstration page created by SLAtech to showcase the SLAtech Education AI assistant. “Lingua Nova” is not a real academy; the history, statistics and accreditation described here are illustrative only.