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Intensive Spanish

Spanish by the River - Boquete
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Course description

Just like the Standard Spanish course, our Intensive Spanish course is based on the internationally recognized CEFR framework for learning, teaching and assessment which is also the basis of DELE-Diplomas (Spanish as a Second Language). The levels are Basic User (A1, A2), Independent User (B1, B2) and Proficient User (C1, C2). The difference between the Intensive and Standard Spanish course is that you will advance more quickly since you will spend more hours per day studying and practicing Spanish.

6 levels: A1 (2 wks), A2 (2 wks), B1 (4 wks), B2 (4 wks), C1 (6 wks), C2 (6 wks)

Materials included: Workbook.
Others materials included: Introduction folder with Tourist information including area map & info about the course (levels, objectives, contents and evaluations) /placement test / coffee & tea during breaks / introduction talk on Sunday / Friday’s Happy Hour / certificate upon completion.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-52 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
30 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 55 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
25 Dec 2024

Spanish by the River does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class times

Morning session
08:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Afternoon session
01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Afternoon session
03:00 PM - 05:00 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Boquete.

Class size

Average 3 students
Maximum 6 students

Student age

Age range 4 years old and older
Average 25 years old

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school

School description

Study Spanish in the Chiriqui highlands of Panama at our Spanish school in Boquete! Spanish by the River is nestled in green settings, with a fruit garden, volcano view and lots of birds. Our Spanish school in Boquete has been teaching students Spanish since January 2006. The school located 5 kilometers outside Boquete at the entrance to the village Palmira. In Boquete, you find a lot of accommodations, restaurants, (pool) bars, coffee shops, banks, internet cafes, a discothèque and some open-air dance floors for special occasions.

The school is located at only 180 meters from the bus stop and the beautiful green fruit garden is a great place to be for relaxing and studying Spanish. From the garden, you have a great view of volcano Barú and its lush green surroundings. The hummingbirds like to visit the banana flowers and orange blossoms and many other birds can be seen here. The school is excellent for students who appreciate tranquillity and want to combine learning the Spanish language by exploring the outdoors. If you like to go out dancing every day, this is not really a suitable place. The only disco in town is open every evening but mostly visited on the weekends.

Year opened
2006
Number of classrooms
5

Accreditations

Facilities

  • Library
  • Social Activities
  • Cultural Trips
  • TV Room
  • Eating Area
  • Free Internet
  • Wireless Internet
  • Computers
  • Studying Area
  • Sports Activities

Teacher qualifications

Native Spanish speakers
All
Teachers with Spanish teaching certification
Over 50%
Teachers with college degrees
Over 50%

Nationality and age mix

The nationality and age mix at Spanish by the River - Boquete varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 25. In the summer, the average age is 25.

Spanish by the River teaches students from all over the world, including:

Switzerland
30%
Netherlands
20%
Other
50%

School holidays

Spanish by the River does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Open dates
Year round
School holidays
25 Dec 2024

School location

The school located 5 kilometers outside Boquete at the entrance to the village Palmira. The school is at only 180 meters from the bus stop and its a 10-minute ride into the city center. The ticket is 50 Cent.

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photos

Photos

  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 1/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 2/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 3/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 4/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 5/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 6/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 7/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 8/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 9/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 10/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 11/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 12/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 13/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 14/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 15/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 16/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 17/18
  • Spanish by the River - Boquete 18/18
reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 4 reviews
5 stars
2
4 stars
2
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Excellent Teacher"

Yvonne Gilpin, student from USA

The best thing about the school was my teacher. She zeroed in on what I needed. Her explanations were very clear and helpful.
I cannot speak on the housing, activities or facilities because I did not use any of those items. Location is a little out of the way if you wish to be in the center of Boquete. However buses and taxis are available.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
6 May 2024 - 17 May 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Two weeks of Spanish course well spent!"

Linus Scholz, student from Germany

Nice and very flexible staff. Spent one week in Boquete and then spontaneously spent the other week in Bocas del Toro because for me Boquete was a little to quite, especially during the rain season. However very cute hostel with a lot of hummingbirds and a nice garden. The teachers were all very nice and spoke English as well so there was no problem, even for beginners.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
7 Nov 2022 - 18 Nov 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Cozy hostel and very personal lessons"

Maaike van Schagen, student from Netherlands

Great experience! The hostel was very cozy and the staff friendly. The Spanish lessons were intense but we learned a lot, our Spanish teacher really pushed us in a good way!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Date of study
12 Sep 2022 - 16 Sep 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Richelle Lankhaar, Reservations manager at Spanish by the River - Boquete responded to this review.
23 November 2022

Thank you for taking the time to write a review.
We really appreciate it!

"A beautiful easy-going place to learn Spanish and enjoy nature"

Ingrid Sunde

I had a private room, which was super nice and clean, but I could never get the hot water in the shower to work.. maybe that was just me. The door was really hard to open; you should fix the lock if you haven't. I was with the Travelling Classroom, and for the week in Boquete my teacher was Mariel. She was the perfect teacher. I really enjoyed her classes, especially the conversations where she would share a lot about her own life experiences. In general, I found Boquete to be filled with possibilities when it came to activities, and I wish I would have had more time for these. We did try to do a scooter ride, but that was impossible because no scooters were working or something. Also we talked about other activities such as horses, but that also had to be scheduled several days ahead. It seemed to me like that was the case for most activities, which makes it hard when you are only staying for a few days.

The tree trek was fun and I also hiked the El Pianista. It was super wet - lots of rain and filled rivers, but Feliciano was a great guide and we made it to the top in good spirits!

What I did not like that much were the kitchen facility, because it was really small and a bit messy when everyone where cooking. I also felt like some equipment were missing.

I liked the fixed fee for taxis and they were easy to get a hold of during daytime. I also liked that there was a little supermarket in walking distance.

Ruby was a great host, and she seemed to know Boquete pretty well, gave good advice for activities, and made excellent pancakes. :)

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
9 weeks
Date of study
9 Mar 2015 - 15 May 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
Richelle Lankhaar, Reservations Manager at Spanish by the River - Boquete responded to this review.
09 December 2017

Thank you for your feedback, really appreciate it!
Come back one day and we'll schedule all the activities for you upfront!

housing

Housing

Spanish by the River offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast

176 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Boquete
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, and garden
Distance to school: 3 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
176 €
Our homestay in Boquete, Panama gives you the opportunity to live with a host family. Living with a local family is a unique experience that will provide you with the opportunity to not only learn the language but also explore the culture. Our host families have been carefully selected. The rooms are private and have shared bathrooms. Home stays include breakfast, dinner and laundry. Food is typical Panamanian, nevertheless most families can adapt a little upon request (e.g. considering people’s diets). If you don’t use our pick-up service, you need to call the school to let us know at what time you will arrive in Boquete so your host family can welcome you at the school or at the bus station.

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

197 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Boquete
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, telephone, and garden
Distance to school: 3 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
197 €
Our homestay in Boquete, Panama gives you the opportunity to live with a host family. Living with a local family is a unique experience that will provide you with the opportunity to not only learn the language but also explore the culture. Our host families have been carefully selected. The rooms are private and have shared bathrooms. Home stays include breakfast, dinner and laundry. Food is typical Panamanian, nevertheless most families can adapt a little upon request (e.g. considering people’s diets). If you don’t use our pick-up service, you need to call the school to let us know at what time you will arrive in Boquete so your host family can welcome you at the school or at the bus station.

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

225 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Boquete
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (21 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, and garden
Distance to school: 3 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
225 €
Our homestay in Boquete, Panama gives you the opportunity to live with a host family. Living with a local family is a unique experience that will provide you with the opportunity to not only learn the language but also explore the culture. Our host families have been carefully selected. The rooms are private and have shared bathrooms. Home stays include breakfast, dinner and laundry. Food is typical Panamanian, nevertheless most families can adapt a little upon request (e.g. considering people’s diets). If you don’t use our pick-up service, you need to call the school to let us know at what time you will arrive in Boquete so your host family can welcome you at the school or at the bus station.
student-residence

Student residence (on-campus) - 2-person shared room - No meals

113 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Address: Alto Boquete, Entrada a Palmira, 180mts a mano izquierda, Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama
Location: Spanish by the River
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, and garden
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
113 €
If you like to be independent, yet share with fellow students, we recommend staying in our hostel at our Spanish school in Boquete whilst you study Spanish in Panama. We have 4 bedrooms with a shared bathroom. Each room can be shared by up to 2 students, but you if you don’t mind paying a little more you can have your own private room. There is also one private room with a private bathroom. A kitchen is available to everybody staying in the hostel. There is Cable TV at the school, so lots of movies, music and information in Spanish (and English) is available. We also offer a continental breakfast in the morning.

Our hostel in Boquete, Panama has the following amenities:

8 beds (1, 2 beds per room)
private rooms and shared rooms (optional private bathroom)
fully equipped kitchen
free coffee and tea in the morning
laundry service ($5 per load)
stereo system
CABLE TV
DVD player
free Internet use – WIFI
lots of hammocks
sheets and towels included
daily cleaning service
book exchange
tourist information and booking service
taxi transfers through the whole country
safe for valuables and free luggage storage

Student residence (on-campus) - Single-person room - No meals

169 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Address: Alto Boquete, Entrada a Palmira, 180mts a mano izquierda, Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama
Location: Spanish by the River
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, and garden
Distance to school: 1 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
169 €
If you like to be independent, yet share with fellow students, we recommend staying in our hostel at our Spanish school in Boquete whilst you study Spanish in Panama. We have 4 bedrooms with a shared bathroom. Each room can be shared by up to 2 students, but you if you don’t mind paying a little more you can have your own private room. There is also one private room with a private bathroom. A kitchen is available to everybody staying in the hostel. There is Cable TV at the school, so lots of movies, music and information in Spanish (and English) is available. We also offer a continental breakfast in the morning.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. The school is also not authorized to issue documents to support your visa application. If you need a visa, you have to apply for a visitor or tourist visa on your own.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Boquete based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from Spanish by the River - Boquete staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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