Specialized Spanish (10)

We were in Bocas for a week. Spanish classes were scheduling the morning, letting us the rest of the day to do some activities.

We were matched with another one student. Small group is interesting and facilitate conversations.

The school is well located and we were well greeted. We did not stay at the school.

Our teacher was professional and he emphasized on the subjonctive, which is pretty much used in current conversation in Spanish. He was funny and talk about Panama and Bocas.

I would have expected to converse more, to be prompted to speak more as my goal was to enhance conversation skills.

There were no planned activities in the afternoon nor proposed ones. I would have expected to have one or two in order to develop our skills.

Teachers were very good, location great, did not stay there but facilities looked good, kitchen, dorms etc. There was a daily activity planned. Staff very friendly and helpful.

I spent a week in Bocas and took 2 hour private lessons for one week. Briceno was my teacher, who spoke no English (or so he told me). I was interested in conversational Spanish more than getting into the nitty gritty of grammar and verb conjugations. And I didn't want to sit in a classroom either. So we went out and about in Bocas to various waterside bars and restaurants. My Spanish improved, and was able to converse while making tons of mistakes, but we chatted about politics (!), England, our families, travel, and more.

I didn't use housing offered by Spanish by the Sea, nor did I take part in any activities. Easy to get to once you're in Bocas

I liked the school very much. I stayed at an airbnb and wish I had stayed at the school instead. I also wish I had done the traveling classroom, which many of the students were in the process of doing (they were in the last week out of four weeks together... they were a very tight-knit group because of this) and seemed to love.

Actually the couple of us that were not in that felt a bit left out... it definitely seemed like a great way to bond and learn.

My morning teacher was excellent and my afternoon teacher was very good.

No one knew I was coming- I wasn't on the list and my payment didn't show- but eventually I was able to pull up the emails and we got it straightened out.

All in all, a good experience. :)

I had a very good experience at Spanish by the Sea. The teachers were very friendly, the dorm beds were comfortable, kitchen was very adequate, and bathrooms were nice enough. The owner Ingrid is a very impressive woman. To anyone who comes to the school, I hope for your sake you get to meet her.