Meet Your Neighbor: Frank Alberti

I’ve lived in Kew Gardens all my life. My parents were German immigrants who moved to New York during the war. They spoke German and English with us children at home and French when they didn’t want us to understand. That’s what sparked my great love for languages. I took my first French class at Russell Sage Junior High School. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. I went on to Richmond Hill High School and then to Queens College where I earned my Masters in French. I also learned Russian in college, and I’ve picked up Spanish by osmosis living in Queens.

I joined the Kew Gardens Senior Center over twenty years ago when I was asked to teach a French class. Teaching helped me build a community around linguistics and keep my skills sharp. Everyone loved my class, and friends have asked me to start it up again. I’m still active in the center because it keeps me connected to the community I where I grew up.