Latin American & Total Spanish Immersion Program in Panama

In Panama we currently offer our Spanish Immersion Program with a family home stay in Bocas del Toro (by the beach) and in Boquete (in the mountains). For those interested in an Intensive Spanish Program but that would rather stay somewhere else instead of at a local host family's house, please visit our Accommodation section for more information about other lodging options.

Spanish Language Immersion in Latin America with a Host Family in Panama

Speaking Spanish every day after each Spanish lesson is very important if you want to learn Spanish as fast as possible

Living with a local host family in Panama while you learn Spanish will put you in a privileged and unique position to practice Spanish outside of the classroom. Once you step through your family's door you will practice your Spanish in a relaxed and authentic environment.

Being able to listen and speak Spanish even when you are not in your Spanish lessons is definitively a plus and something you should seriously consider if you want to learn Spanish as fast as possible and in its most natural form.

Panamanian families are renowned for their hospitality, sense of humor and enjoyment of life. The intimate atmosphere that comes from living with a local family in Panama encourages the natural use of everyday Spanish outside of your Spanish course.

Total Immersion has been proven to be the most effective way of learning another language. Besides being immersed by the language in their host family's house, students will also be totally immersed by Spanish everywhere else: it is on the radio, it's in the shops, on the TV, on every road sign, in the restaurants, in the newspaper, in our cultural and social activities, in the street, at the hair dresser, and basically everywhere the student goes to: a true Spanish Total Immersion!

Students should be prepared for the fact that families will only speak Spanish. Even if some family members know some English, because they work in tourism, they are told to only communicate in Spanish. At the beginning it can be difficult to communicate, but it is totally worth it!

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Latin Cultural Immersion Living with a Host Family in Latin America

Host Families in Panama will make you feel at home

Family life in Panama is informal and the people of Boquete and Bocas del Toro are welcoming, friendly, light hearted and very talkative. In no time at all you will be picking up common idiomatic phrases and every day expressions. You will have plenty of opportunities to get to know about the Latin culture, cuisine and way of life. Daily contact with your host family will certainly and quickly enhance your understanding of the local customs and culture.

Families in Latin America tend to be larger than in most western countries and the concept of family is highly valued. Our host families will certainly introduce you to other members of their family that do not live with them, as well as close friends and neighbors.

Host families are the most important part of an Immersion Program. Selecting adequate families is the key for organizing a successful Immersion Program. This is why students are required to fill out a Pre-Program Interview before we choose their host family. In this way we are able to select the most adequate family for each student.

Living with a local family during your Spanish course is undoubtedly the best way to get a real feel of the Latin American culture, customs & way of life. Living with a local family in Bocas del Toro or in Boquete will give you a privileged opportunity to experience our culture and people as close as possible.

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Why are Boquete & Bocas del Toro perfect for a Total Spanish Immersion?

Our Spanish School is located in the valley of Boquete in the western higlands of Panama

What makes Boquete and Bocas del Toro in Panama ideal places in Latin America for a Total Spanish Immersion Program? The answer is simple: their people.

Both Bocas del Toro and Boquete, besides being intimate, quaint and safe rural towns, are blessed with a combination of elements that help its inhabitants be happy, and learning a language with the help of happy people is such an enjoyable experience.

What makes Boquete's people happy? Boquete enjoys a fresh mountain climate, is full of eco-adventure opportunities and is filled with stunning natural beauty. Boquete's land is fertile (famous producer of the best coffee in the world!) and in its stress free environment people live longer. Many of Boquete's citizens surpass the 100 year mark: no city stress, healthy food, gorgeous weather. On the other hand Boquete has a very low unemployment rate (people have the opportunity to provide for their family), and the list goes on and on. Click here if you would like to know even more about Boquete, Panama (maps, weather charts, activities) and about why it's the perfect place in Latin America to learn Spanish.

Bocas del Toro is Panama's #1 Beach Destination

Bocas del Toro on the other hand has that laid back Caribbean vibe that characterizes many beach towns in Central America. In Bocas del Toro people lead a simple way of life and don't have that much to worry about as the jungle and the ocean provides them with what their families need. Being able to practice your Spanish with friendly people that are not rushed by life and learning the language in a stress free environment certainly helps. And besides your daily Spanish lessons, Bocas del Toro provides its visitors with so many things to do that its no wonder that visitors just keep increasing the length of their stay. Please click here if you would like to know even more about Bocas del Toro, Panama (maps, weather charts, things to do, its islands, history, people) and about why it's an amazing place in Central America to learn Spanish.

Both Boquete and Bocas del Toro are very convenient towns for a Spanish Immersion Program: everything is close, within walking distance: within a 10 or 15 minute walk you can get from our Spanish Schools, to several local supermarkets, pass by most restaurants and bars, and even head towards hiking trails, beaches or surf breaks! Our students love the sense of community within each of our towns and our Spanish teachers truly embrace each and one of our students. Many of our students return to Boquete and to Bocas del Toro just to visit and yet others come back the following year to live their Spanish immersion experience all over again!

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Rates for a Total Spanish Immersion Program in Panama

There are two costs to consider for your Total Spanish Immersion Program (price list is below):

Cost for a Total Spanish Immersion Program

The cost of your Spanish Course
The cost to live with a Local Host Family

You can join our Total Spanish Immersion Program through our:

Group 4 Course (20 hours of lessons per week with a maximum of six students per class)
Private Lessons (20, 25 or 30 hours of lessons per week)
Group 4 PLUS, a combination of both private and group lessons (20 hours of Group Lessons + 5 or 10 hours of extra Private Lessons each week)

Most students tend to sign up for Group Lessons, some register for Private Lessons, and those looking for a really intense Spanish Immersion Course sign up for both group and private lessons.

With a family home stay you will be able to learn Spanish faster than usual

When considering for how many of hours to sign up for, take into account that each of our first three levels (A1, A2, B1) can be completed in an average of 60 hours each, our fourth and fifth levels (B2, C1) in 100 hours each, and our sixth level (C2) in an average of 400 hours more (to be just like a native).

When you join a Total Spanish Immersion Program you usually complete each level 10 to 25% faster. We will always make a professional suggestion based on your Spanish level, on how far you want to advance and on how fast you want to get there. To see what you will be able to do upon completing each level you can visit our level system section and if you know some Spanish, please remember to complete our Placement Test.

If you would like to view a break down of the cost for a Total Spanish Immersion Program you can visit our Spanish Courses section and checkout the prices of our Group 4 Course or Private Spanish Lessons, and then you can visit our Home Stay info page. In this way you will know the cost of each item on their own (Spanish course and accommodation separately).

In the following table you will find TOTAL COSTS for a Spanish Immersion Program considering different types of Spanish Courses with Accommodation included at a Local Host Family with two meals per day (for other accommodation options please click here).

At Habla Ya we know that it's not easy to pay for something that you haven't seen, in a far distant country, miles and miles away: that is why you can PAY UPON ARRIVAL! No deposit required. But please remember to Sign Up & Register!

2012 Rates - Total Spanish Immersion Program

	Amount of Weeks
Type of Course	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	each extra week
Group 4	$480	$875	$1270	$1625	$1920	$2275	$2630	$2975	$3300	$3625	$3950	$4275	$350
Group 4 PLUS 1	$570	$1055	$1510	$1945	$2300	$2735	$3170	$3575	$3980	$4375	$4770	$5175	$425
Group 4 PLUS 2	$660	$1195	$1730	$2225	$2680	$3175	$3670	$4145	$4620	$5075	$5500	$5945	$490
Private 20	$580	$1075	$1570	$2045	$2520	$2975	$3410	$3845	$4250	$4675	$5070	$5525	$460
Private 25	$660	$1235	$1800	$2345	$2875	$3375	$3840	$4325	$4790	$5295	$5770	$6275	$520
Private 30	$740	$1395	$2030	$2625	$3200	$3725	$4250	$4825	$5380	$5925	$6500	$7025	$585

Early Bird Special: get access to 2012 rates for your 2013 Spanish course when you sign up and pay by November 16th 2012. BOOK TODAY!

2013 Rates - Total Spanish Immersion Program

	Amount of Weeks
Type of Course	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	each extra week
Group 4	$500	$895	$1300	$1675	$1980	$2325	$2700	$3045	$3380	$3695	$4030	$4345	$350
Group 4 PLUS 1	$600	$1095	$1590	$2025	$2420	$2855	$3300	$3725	$4150	$4525	$4950	$5345	$440
Group 4 PLUS 2	$700	$1255	$1830	$2345	$2800	$3325	$3850	$4325	$4820	$5275	$5750	$6205	$510
Private 20	$620	$1155	$1670	$2175	$2680	$3175	$3630	$4045	$4450	$4895	$5330	$5745	$470
Private 25	$710	$1325	$1930	$2505	$3050	$3575	$4070	$4545	$5000	$5535	$6050	$6575	$540
Private 30	$800	$1495	$2170	$2825	$3400	$3925	$4500	$5045	$5640	$6225	$6800	$7405	$610

Included in the Spanish course fees: registration, level test, class material and handouts, certificates, wifi internet connection at the school, cultural & social activities and access to all the school's facilities. Included in the home stay fees: bed in your own private room, change of towel and bed linen once a week, and two meals per day.

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