Spanish Immersion Programs in Panama | Immersion Course

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'll practice your Spanish in a relaxed and authentic environment.

Being able to listen and speak Spanish even when you're not in your Spanish lessons is definitely 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 in the language at your host family's house, students will also be totally immersed by Spanish everywhere else: it's 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 hairdresser, and basically everywhere the student goes to: a true Spanish Total Immersion!

Family life in Panama is informal and the people of Boquete (mountains), Panama City and Bocas del Toro (Caribbean islands) are welcoming, friendly, light hearted and very talkative. In no time at all you'll be picking up common idiomatic phrases and everyday expressions. You'll have plenty of opportunities to get to know 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 introduce you to other members of their extended family that do not live with them, as well as to 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.

What make Boquete (mountain town), Panama City and Bocas del Toro (beach village) ideal places in Latin America for a Total Spanish Immersion Program? The answer is simple: their people and their natural beauty.

Both Bocas del Toro and Boquete, besides being intimate, quaint and safe rural towns, are blessed with natural beauty and a combination of elements that make its inhabitants happy people. And learning a language with the help of happy people is such an enjoyable experience. Panama City on the other hand, is one of the most dynamic urban centers of Latin America, and our Spanish school's neighborhood is very cosmopolitan allowing you to experience cultures from all over the world.

What makes Boquete's people happy? Boquete enjoys a fresh mountain climate, is full of eco-adventure opportunities, and is blessed with stunning natural beauty. Boquete's land is fertile (famous producer of the best coffee in the world!) and due to 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 mountain town in Latin America to learn Spanish.

Bocas del Toro's islands on the other hand have 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 it's no wonder that visitors just keep extending 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 beach location in Central America to learn Spanish.

And if you're looking for a vibrant city with an eclectic nightlife, abundant cultural attractions and a cosmopolitan vibe, then Panama City is for you. Our school in the city is right on the border of El Cangrejo and El Carmen neighborhoods, only a block away from Via España (the heart of Panama City) and the Via Argentina Metro (subway) Station, allowing you to easily commute to other parts of the city, close to restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, host families, parks, casinos, gyms, etc. Panama City has always been a great melting pot of people and cultures from all over the world, and in this part of the city that is exactly what you get. You can easily walk everywhere and there are plenty of bars, casual shops and restaurants where you can interact with the locals and meet people from very different walks of life. Please click here if you would like to know even more about Panama City, Panama (maps, weather charts, things to do, its neighborhood, history, people) and about why it's the best city to learn Spanish.

Boquete, Panama's eco-adventure capital is the perfect place for a Spanish learning vacation:

• Whitewater River Rafting
• Ziplining in the Cloudforest
• Island Hopping & Beach Trips
• Rock Climbing
• Coffee Tours
• Hot Springs
• Horseback Riding
• First Class Hiking Trails

In Bocas del Toro, Panama's top beach destination in the Caribbean, there are plenty of outdoor opportunities:

• Surfing
• Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
• Ziplining in the Rainforest
• Boat Tours
• Catamaran Sailing Tours
• Island Cycling
• Horseback Riding
• Cacao Plantation Tours
• Caving Tours
• Turtle Nesting/Hatching Tours
• Bird Watching Tours
• Beach & Island Hopping

And Panama City, Latin America's trendiest capital, is much more than a Canal:

• Central America's most sophisticated nightlife scene
• First class restaurants
• Colonial & Historical Tours
• Museums
• Jungle Tours
• Shopping
• Casinos

Habla Ya Spanish students have access to special discounts off many eco-adventure tours. For more information about tours in Panama, and complete pricing info click here.

At Habla Ya Spanish Schools we simply love to have fun! We start off the week with several chilled out activities and then we move on to more party style entertainment:

• Tuesdays - Panamanian Traditional Dinner
• Wednesdays - Movie Nights
• Thursdays - Dinner Parties
• Fridays - Nights Out & Get-Togethers (only adults)
• Saturdays - Salsa Lessons & Conversational Sessions
• Daily - Yoga Classes

Several extra activities are free of charge, such as our movie nights, salsa lessons and conversational sessions. Panamanian dinners cost $5 - $7 USD per person. Yoga classes in Boquete cost $6 - $10 USD per person. Yoga classes in Bocas del Toro cost $5 - $10 USD per class. Yoga classes in Panama City cost from $10 - $15 USD per class and they also have monthly packages of unlimited classes. Eco-Adventure Tours have their own fees and students pay what they consume at bars, Dinner Parties and Get-Togethers. For more information about our extra activities please click here.

Students looking to volunteer or to work on a service project can collaborate with several local organizations such as:

• Casa Esperanza Day Care Center
• Hogar Trisker Orphanage
• REAL Boquete Recycling Center
• Boquete Handicap Foundation
• English Volunteering Program

In order to organize and coordinate all of the volunteering activities there is a $5 USD per person per day volunteering fee. 100% of this fee goes as a direct donation to each Non Profit Organization.

For even more info about volunteering in Panama please click here...

There are two costs (FULL PRICE LIST is below) to consider for your 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)
• DELE Exam Preparation Course (get your command of the Spanish language certified)
• Specialized Spanish Courses: sometimes a student may require something particularly specific and needs to focus on a topic of a very specialized nature. It could be Medical Spanish, Legal Spanish, Business Spanish, Spanish for Teachers, or simply vocabulary or a Spanish language skill related to a specific field.
• Other Personalized Spanish Solutions: Intensive Spanish Course, Spanish for couples or friends traveling together, etc.

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.

In the following table you'll find TOTAL COSTS for a Spanish Immersion Program considering different types of Spanish Courses with Accommodation included at a Local Host Family with 2 meals per day (for other accommodation options please click here).

Please note: prices are in US Dollars. For home stays in Bocas del Toro please add a supplement of $50 USD per person per week and of $75 USD for Panama City.

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'll 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 breakdown 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'll know the cost of each item on their own (Spanish course and accommodation separately).