Learn Spanish in Bocas del Toro, Panama

I had an excellent experience learning Spanish in Books del Toro at Habla Ya. I took group classes for 3 weeks with Erian my first week and with Iraida the second and third weeks. The group class sizes were always very small with about 3-5 students in the class including me. The teachers were very qualified and prepared for class. The classes included many opportunities to practice speaking, which is what I wanted the most out of class. I had learned Spanish previously in high school and university but I felt I had forgotten many of the verb tenses I had learned. The pace of the classes at habla ya helped me to relearn what I had forgotten and the extensive practice using them in conversation helped me to use them more naturally in conversation. I feel much more confident in my speaking ability after taking these classes. Thank you so much!

Habla Ya is the 7th Spanish school I’ve studied at in Latin America. I’m happy I chose to study at the Boquete campus. The town itself is beautiful and I had a great walk to and from my homestay through the lush scenery every day. My teacher, Alex, made class fun and lively. I could tell the other teachers, like Laidys and Erian, were also effective teachers. I was most impressed with how helpful and lovely Giselle was in the front office. She helped arrange a great weekend trip for us with one of the many tour agencies in town. Julio, an Habla Ya Travel Consultant, helped us plan our weekend in Panama City even though we were not taking classes at that campus. The staff, other students, my homestay family - they all made my time in Panamá unforgettable!

Last week I studied Spanish in a small group (1 or 2 others) with an amazing teacher, Iraida. She was my age (23) and we were able to have many conversations (in Spanish of course) about her life and experiences and ours (also all from different cultures). I believe that in a week time I have improved my Spanish in a way that I am now able to make full sentences in numerous situations, and my vocabulary has improved a lot. Lastly I really enjoyed playing games in class to study Spanish in a fun way. Thanks Habla Ya and especially Iraida!!

I love these schools! I spent two weeks in beautiful Boquete with Leidys, and I can't say enough good things about her. She is a clear and concise teacher; you will grow leaps and bounds in a short amount of time! I also had my two sons, ages 12 and 7 in the program with Kimberley, Yeremy, and Alexander and they have very positive experiences.
We are currently in Bocas Del Toro and we are having excellent experiences here as well. We just finished our first week and have one week left. My teacher here is Sergio and he is also excellent. My sons have Jessica and Lynette and they both are growing and comprehending so much! We will have four weeks total in the program by the time we return home, and it will be difficult to say goodbye to the beautiful country and people of Panama. :)
If you want to learn a lot in a short amount of time come to Habla Ya! They do a wonderful job with their methodology and with their teacher training. I am planning on continuing with online lessons after I return home!

My wife and I attended this program for a month. We both had had previous Spanish courses in the US but had forgotten much of it. From day one it was all Spanish with the instructor (Iraida) who was very patient as I butchered the language especially trying to roll my rr's (which did get better). We used a mini group format for just my wife and I which worked best for us since we were at the same level (low ability). We also attended 2 hours of private instruction in the afternoon after a 3 hour break . My wife was focusing more on medical Spanish (with Sergio) and I was working on making the basics solid. We did finish our basic course and receive our first level certificates. We enjoyed Bocas and the school and hope to return for more instruction.

The office staff at the school in Bocas (Carlos, Cesear and Ludo) were always very helpful and very eager to assist us with anything we wanted to know about (such as places to tour in the area). I wanted to surf (surfed for many years) but getting a board and then transporting to the other island to surf was becoming a problem. The guys in the office put me in touch with Chapos (great beginner instructor and good surfer) so he and I went surfing one morning (I paid him as a guide service) and it was well worth it. The office guys can help out with private tours if you want too, since they are a great source of local knowledge.

Our only negative was our lodging (1 bedroom Bocas Condos) which was represented as quite and it was not. 2 dogs barked all hours of the night which made sleep difficult. Possibly the studio rooms on the opposite side of the building maybe ok. The building is secure and close to town. It seems that the staff in Panama City handles the lodging so there is no checking on the actual accommodations therefore the information about lodging may not be accurate. Muchas Gracias Iraida y Sergio.
Mike & Kaja

I spent 4 wonderful weeks at Habla Ya in Bocas del Toro. Erian was my professor in group classes and he is amazing. He’s patient, kind, and fun. I learned a ton in a beautiful place and I can’t wait to return. Many thanks to Habla Ya!

Pasé 4 semanas maravillosas a Habla Ya en Bocas del Toro. Erian fue mi profesor en las clases del grupo y el es increíble. El es paciente, amable, y divertido. Yo aprendí muchísimo en un lugar muy bonito y no puedo esperar a regresar. Muchas gracias a Habla Ya!

Estaba 4 semanas en Bocas del Toro en HablaYa y nunca voy a olvidar eso tiempo. Me quede en una familia y tome el curso del grupo y una hora de clase privada.
*I spent 4 weeks in Bocas del Toro in Habla Ya and I will never forget that time. I stayed with a family and took the group course and a private class.

Me quede en la familie Ortiz. La madre Maribel es muuuy amable y simpatico. Me sentia como si fuera su hija. Ella cocino todos los dias comida muy rica. Ella siempre estaba bailando y cantando y por eso teniamos siempre mucho para reirse en la casa.
*I stayed in the Ortiz family. Mother Maribel is very kind and friendly. I felt like I was her daughter. She cooked very rich food every day. She was always dancing and singing and so we always has lots of laughs at the house.

Yo tenia la suerte de tener clase con la prima de Maribel, Benita Georget. Ella es una profesora muy amable. La clase siempre era divertido y todos los días me alegre de ir a la escuela. En la clase aprendí mucho. Como yo estaba en un nivel bastante alto, hemos hecho muchos análisis y conversaciones. Mi hora de clase privada también tenia con Benita. Siempre hablábamos mucho y si tuve una pregunta ella trato de explicarme con mucho paciencia.
*I was fortunate to have a class with Maribel's cousin, Benita Georget. She is a very kind teacher. The class was always fun and every day I was glad to go to school. In the class I learned a lot. As I was at a fairly high level, we did a lot of analytics. My private class was also with Benita. We always talked a lot and if I had a question she tried to explain me with a lot of patience.

Pero no solo en la escuela nos vimos. Los profesores tambien salieron con los estudiantes. Pasábamos nuestro tiempo libre juntos y por eso podia hacer amistades muy buenas. En Bocas del Toro se puede haver muchos cosas. Tiene muchos actividades organizada de la escuela y todos las playas son increíbles.
*But we did not just meet at school. The teachers also went out with the students. We spent our free time together and that's why I could make very good friendships. In Bocas del Toro there are many things to do. It has many organized activities from the school and all the beaches are amazing.

Entonces, aconsejaría a todos de venir a Bocas y pasar un tiempo increíble.
*I would advise everyone to come to Bocas and have an amazing time.

I was a student at Habla Ya school in Boquete, Panama for two weeks. I loved it! The school is centrally located and there is a great coffee shop next door to help you stay on point! The office is well organized, the common space is comfortable, the schedule of extracurricular activities is diverse, and the classrooms are clean. I super enjoyed my time there! Leidys was my teacher and she is fantastic! She was always punctual, professional, positive, and flexible. My classmate and I had to spend part of one class at the doctor and Leidys made sure we spoke only Spanish with him. We learned so much and also made close friendships. I miss my time there so much! Thanks Habla Ya! Muchas gracias Leidys!

Yo era estudiante en la escuela Habla Ya en Boquete, Panamá por dos semanas. Me encanto! La escuela está en el centro y hay una buena café al lado para ayudarle a prestar atención! La oficina está bien organizada, el espacio común es cómodo, el horario de actividades extracurriculares es diverso, y las aulas están limpias. Me super disfruté de mi tiempo allí! Leidys fue mi profesora y ella es fantástica! Siempre fue puntual, profesional, positiva y flexible. Mi compañera de clase y yo tuvimos que pasar parte de una clase en el médico y Leidys se aseguró de que hablamos sólo español con él. Aprendimos mucho y también hicimos buenos amigos. Extraño tanto a Panamá! Gracias Habla Ya! Muchas gracias Leidys!