Habla Ya Spanish Schools

Wish I could have stayed longer

I had a wonderful experience learning Spanish with Habla Ya in Bocas del Toro! It was a great way to get a feel for local life since I still worked a full 8 hours a day and then studied for an hour every day after work. I stayed with a host family who was absolutely wonderful, made absolutely delicious food, and they were also incredibly patient while I learned. I arrived in Bocas without speaking any Spanish and by the end of my 6 weeks, my teacher Iraida was explaining the upcoming election and Panamanian politics to me while we only spoke Spanish. Needless to say, my understanding of the language has grown immensely. So thanks Iraida and Habla Ya!

posted 5 years ago

Spanish classes in Boquete, Panama

Classes with HablaYa, were excellent as my instructor for the week(Alex C) made the classses a varied interactive experience. Learning in this environment insured success for all types of learners. Thanks Alex for an incredible week. S.Nelson

posted 5 years ago

Habla Ya Panama

I wanted to take a few minutes to compose a review of my experience in Boquete Panama and in particular, speak about Habla Ya, a world class Spanish immersion school that I keep returning to there.

Firstly, I’m a 63 year old Canadian and have lived in the U.S. for the last 28 years. During my formative years in Canada I had little interest in learning a second language and regrettably, while French was an option in the Canadian curriculum, taking it was not mandatory. After my relocation to the U.S. in 1991, I soon learned what a benefit it would be to learn another language. As almost half of the population of Phoenix and San Diego where I divide my time, are Spanish speaking, Spanish had to be my defacto choice.

Unfortunately, as an entrepreneur, my 30’s, 40’s and 50’s were dedicated to building my businesses and this left little time for anything, much less learning a second language. Secretly, during these 3 decades, I had a burning desire to learn the language and during the many trips my wife and I had taken to Mexico, I watched, listened and envied every non-native communicating in Spanish.

Now, fortunately I have an abundance of time and have diligently spent the last 3 years learning the language poco a poco! We’ve all heard metaphor, “slow and steady wins the race” and this is no more applicable than undertaking the exercise of learning another language. I’m completely dedicated and though I may be a little slower than the 20 somethings, I will achieve a level of mastery over this language. I can tell anyone who may be contemplating learning another language, the decision is not to be taken lightly. It’s grueling, frustrating and time consuming! So, why do it? Learning the language is no different than building blocks; you simply keep building on that which you’ve already learned. I’m by no means proficient but there’s very little that I can’t communicate to someone in a Spanish only speaking country. And this folks, is what keeps me going!

Now, to the school. I just completed my third trip to Habla Ya in Panama and each time keeps getting better. The first 3-week segment was in Bocas Del Toro, a quaint little beach town frequented by young and old from all over the world. The last 2 visits were to Boquete, a location I prefer due to its’ cooler climate, beautiful scenery and incredibly reasonable prices. Leidys was my profesora for levels A2 & B1 in Boquete. Leidys has been with the school for 10-years and I’ve found her to be excellent in her ability to teach new concepts and patient enough when certain concepts need to be re-explained. I’d recommend her highly!

The school is completely professional in every respect and there’s little wonder in my mind as to why they’ve earned their very favorable ratings year after year. From trying to accommodate the smallest request to meticulously organizing fun outings for the students, these people do it all!

YOU - QUIT PROCRASTINATING AND START LEARNING!

Sent from my iPad

posted 5 years ago

February 2019

I was so impressed by the staff at Habla Ya. What a great experience I had. Alex was the perfect teacher for me. Right away I felt comfortable, even though I had difficulty with my Spanish, Alex made me feel right at home. We hit it off right away. Spanish was hard, but I looked forward to my classes each day and I feel like I learned so much.

posted 5 years ago

One month private lessons

I completed a month of private lessons with Iraida. I had previously had two years of Spanish classes in highschool, but that was 10 years ago. Iraida was great at being flexible for what I needed to learn. I had some gaps in my knowledge and while she was always well prepared for the day's lesson, she was able to change topics on the fly when I needed more help in certain areas. I can tell I am way more comfortable with my Spanish thanks to the lessons. When I first came down here, I could order food and ask where the bathroom is. Now I can talk about things in the past, like telling stories or asking people more complex questions. The school also was very welcoming, and they have daily activities that any of the students can participate in. Bocas is beautiful.

posted 5 years ago

Group Classes with Kimberly

I had Kimberly for a group instructor in Bocas for the week of March 9th. She was wonderful. She had a great way of explaining concepts. She clarified topics for me that I have previously struggled with. I would recommend her to anyone.

posted 4 years ago

A Fine Experience

I appreciated the enrolment process - on line testing to see what class would be best for me - payment methods - attention to my on line requests and questions - setting up a homestay. They accommodated my change in plans without hesitation.
The teachers were very very good. There was lots of time for conversation as well as the specific learnings. Humour and laughter made the classes more enjoyable. I learned a lot.
My homestay was just fine. The host was very attentive and hospitable, taking me on outings of her own.
I only took advantage of the movie night and the Panamanian dinner which were fine but I can't comment on the other offerings.
I wholeheartedly recommend HablaYa.

posted 4 years ago

Profesor Erian

Aqui mi comentario de Erian que era mi profesor en Boquete por 2 semanas. Tenía 3 horas clases individuales cada dia.
Erian me gustaba mucho. El es muy inteligente y concentrado como profesor. El escuche bien y oie todas fallas y las mejora. A esta moda he aprendido mucho! También el sabe explicar la gramática muy claro y tenía muchas consejas que me ayudaba con comprender más de la idioma. Erian usaba también diferentes técnicas para enseñar. Preguntas, vídeos y conversaciones de diferentes temas.
Erian es el mejor profesor de mi vida ( tenía diferentes profesores antes in Argentina y una en Holanda). También el es tranquilo y paciente y está de buen humor todos dias. El me dio confianza para hablar español .
Quiero que sea posible continuar mi estudios de español con Erian. El es un profesor de muy alto calidad!
Joke Siraa de Holanda

posted 4 years ago

Spanish lessons at C1 level

an hour ago
I spent a month studying Spanish 20 hours/week in individual classes with the teacher Alex Cano. I'm a language teacher with 22 years of experience so I know what good teaching looks like. Alex was fantastic in every way, making classes varied and interesting. I learned a huge amount in a month.

posted 4 years ago

Trip to Panama

I spent 10 days travelling around Panama and decided to take the opportunity to formally learn Spanish while I was there. I enrolled for classes at Habla Ya and had an amazing time there. Because I was travelling around, I took private lessons which better suited my schedule. My first classes were in Boquete with Leidys. She helped me develop my "Spanish ear" by having lots of conversations. Next was Sergio and Sugeil in Bocas Del Toro. All the instructors are top class and I would definitely recommend attending Habla Ya.

posted 5 years ago