Program Reviews

I have tried many different approaches to learning Spanish. I decided that even though some of the web based applications and college courses may be helpful, nothing beats a face to face conversation with a native Spanish Speaker. I signed up for 20 hours of online lessons with Habla Ya since i am currently unable to travel for a foreign based immersion program. I was assigned Eliana Alejandra as an instructor. She was wonderful! My goal was not to be hammered with grammar lessons, but instead to practice every day conversations. We went over things that I had questions about and she was able to explain the answers very clearly and provide exercises for homework for my weaknesses. I feel like this class was very helpful. We would converse about whatever was going on at the time, about what I did yesterday or what I wanted to do in the future. It was very practical and I also picked up some new vocabulary along the way. I think the price is appropriate and I can't wait until I am able to travel to Panama to learn in person, face to face instead of using an internet connection.
**I put a 10 for housing only because this site requires a response. I did not physically travel to Panama**

I spent four weeks at Habla Ya in Boquete and one week in Bocas Del Toro studying Spanish with Habla Ya. In Boquete, I took group classes with Yubal and he is excellent. He made class fun and was clear with the material so me and my classmate learned a lot! He also speaks very good English which was very helpful in times of confusion for clarification, and he was sure to review anything we weren't clear about. I looked forward to going to class every day.

Also in Boquete I took private classes with Kimberly and Jeremy. Kimberly is incredibly sweet and very good at creating conversation with her students which lets us help practice when we don't even realize it. I really enjoyed my time with her! I spent less time with Jeremy but he was also helpful in going over new vocabulary and helping me remember it. Both professors were sure to help reiterate what I had been learning in group classes.

I got to stay with the Miranda family in Boquete which was a complete gift! All were extremely kind and fun to talk to, and their house is like a garden oasis that is beyond peaceful.

For one week in Bocas del Toro I stayed with the Morales Campbell family, who were very hospitable and easy to talk to. Their house is right in the middle of town which made walking easy as well. My professor was Benita, who I loved so much! She treated me and my other classmate like daughters, and her direct teaching style helped us advance faster in the level we were in. Benita wanted to know how we learned best so that she could teach accordingly, which was also so cool. She made my short time in Bocas very fun and made me feel immediately welcome.

This is already my second time at Habla Ya in Bocas del Toro. The first time I came here to study Spanish in 2015 (for 5 weeks) and I liked it so much that I returned this year again :)
This time I took three weeks of group classes (level C1) with Benita. I would have loved to stay longer but it’s not possible because of work. I can only recommend this institution, the school offers a really good service, you feel very welcome, there is help whenever and with whatever you need, there is a lot group activities and it feels like being part of a big family.
Especially the lectures with Benita were definitely incredible. I would like to compliment her. She fills the lectures with various exercises like telling stories, reading, writing, grammar parts, interpreting texts, listening to songs, playing scrabble on a Friday. The content is put together in such a way that you won’t feel like sitting in a class room. It rather feels like sitting together for a coffee and discussing different topics but nevertheless you are learning a lot. Well... sometimes we were indeed drinking a coffee during class, Benita looks after her students in such a lovely way as a mama :)
Thank you a lot, Benita, for creating such a good atmosphere for learning!

I studied Spanish for a month in Bocas and Boquete. I spent 3 weeks in Bocas fell in love with the place and the people. My time in Boquete was tranquil and an amazing end to a incredible trip. I was lucky enough to have awesome teachers in both locations but in Boquete I had Leidys (also had Kimberly for private classes). Leidys was friendly and provided a variety of activities in class to enhance my skills. I recommend that if you'd like to learn Spanish - Panama is a great option. If you like to go out at night and enjoy beaches Bocas is certainly for you - or if you prefer a laid back hiking town you should check out Boquete.

I studied Spanish for a month in Bocas and Boquete. I spent 3 weeks in Bocas fell in love with the place and the people. Benita was my teacher in Bocas . I recommend that if you'd like to learn Spanish - Panama is a great option. If you like to go out at night and enjoy beaches Bocas is certainly for you. I would recommend you try Deep boarding, kayaking, visit Starfish beach, Isla Caranero, Mamallena hostel, try Captain Caribe for food - patacones anywhere and try and use the Spanish you learn as much as possible because you won't be in a position to use it like this again!

Over the last year I have had occasion to work with Habla Ya language schools of Panama, first during a one-month series of on-site individual and group lessons with a variety of teachers in Panama City and subsequently via the web with my teacher Leidys in Boquete. My initial goal had been to take my basic command of Spanish to a higher level in working with patients (I am a physician), and I can confidently say that this goal has been more than amply met. Though I continue to use interpreters in some situations, their role has generally been to confirm my understanding or to assist in particularly complex communications.

While advancing my capacity to use the Spanish language was my initial goal, what I have also experienced has been the delight of exposure to a culture and history of which I had been at best peripherally aware as well as rich literary and musical traditions, and I credit this awakening in no small part to the enthusiasm and professionalism of my teachers at Habla Ya. I have worked with tutors and teachers in a variety of contexts in recent years trying to improve my skills, and I have made far more progress working with Habla Ya than anywhere else. The school has developed a very effective approach to teaching, maintains a very high standard of pedagogy, and adapts very effectively to individual needs.

I continue with my studies at Habla Ya, confident that my understanding of the Spanish language and its iinterwoven culture will continue to improve. Thanks, Habla Ya!

I was at the campus in Bocas del Toro for four weeks and took group lessons there.
The staff is super nice and competent, group sizes are comfortably small.
The group activities organized by the school were always fun, it is almost like a family feeling with the other students.
I want to specifically thank and recommend Eliana as a teacher, as she is a natural at teaching and motivating her students. By her loveable and cheerful nature she makes time fly as you learn more and more while having a great time.

In total I took 6 weeks of private lessons at the Boquete campus and could not be happier with the outcome! I took 6 hours of spanish a day and I was impressed with how effecient Habla Ya's lesson books are. Yubal, my professor, exceeded my expectations! He prepared interactive and interesting lessons. For 6 hours a day, I was impressed that Yubal always found ways to keep class focused on the subject and fun at the same time. It is helpful having a professor that is able to answer my questions in English, seeing that I am a beginner. I am so grateful to have Yubal as my professor!

I decided I wanted to learn Spanish overseas but didn't want to study in Spain, I researched a range of schools in Costa Rica, Cuba, DR and Ecuador. However, the best school I found taking into consideration price, instruction and the overall country, the best option was Habla Ya.

I spent two weeks at Habla Ya, with group lessons in the morning (8-12) with Nicole. I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with Nicole, she is a great teacher and she really challenges you and I was very pleased and surprised at the amount of progress I made in 2 weeks. Also, I had private lessons with Bendita in the afternoon, I loved my one-on-one lessons with Bendita during this time she helped me to review topics I was unsure about, work on my pronunciation and helped improved my ability to converse in Spanish.

Overall, Habla Ya is a great place to learn Spanish, meet other like minded individuals and you have the opportunity to explore a beautiful place.

My top tips are:
- Try to stay for at least 3 weeks - I only stayed for 2 weeks this was the moment I felt I was really making progress and would have benefited staying longer, even a week more.
- Home Stay - staying with a family really helped me improve my Spanish and the food was amazing!
- Take part in as many extra-circular activities as possible - they offer a range of activities including cave tours, salsa lessons etc.
- If you can invest in private lessons - my private lessons with Bendita really helped to improve my ability and confidence.

(This review applies to group classes)
Two years ago, I started an internet search for an affordable and well-reviewed Spanish School. I found Habla Ya and attended with my sister. I was so happy with the quality of my learning that I returned again in 2017.

Brief explanation of how it works: At Habla Ya's website, students take a language test for an initial placement. When students arrive at the school they're required to take an additional face-to-face language assessment. Then, students are placed in a specific group with other students of about the same ability. From there, each student receives a workbook and typically keeps the same instructor for the entirety of their study in Bocas.

I've been very pleased with the quality of my Spanish Education. My instructor this year, Eliana, made everyone in my class feel welcome, competent, and capable each day. She structured our lessons with the Habla Ya workbook, and we then applied our learning through various writing and speaking activities. Eliana defined unknown words/phrases/prepositions, and was very thorough with challenging concepts. In my group, we had students whose ages ranged from 22 to 59--she didn't teach to the highest, lowest, or middle level, she truly taught to each of us, attending to each of our differing needs.

I absolutely love this campus and the instructors and coordinators and los otros trabajadores que estan aqui. I read another reviewer writing from an educator's perspective and I, also an educator, can agree that this school is well stocked with caring coordinators who listen and well-trained professors who are creative and do their best to "tune in" to student needs. I love you, Habla Ya! Gracias por todos.