Intensive Spanish Semi-Private

Cabarete Language Institute

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Course description

The Semi-Private Intensive Spanish Course is an immersion course designed to provide two family members or friends with the opportunity to study together. The course is similar to a private course in that it is custom designed to fit the needs, interests, and schedule of the duo. This course is only available to students enrolling together.

The Semi-Private Intensive Spanish Course balances theory with practice and places emphasis on oral communication. Our certified language teachers are experts in customizing courses for everyone, and use a variety of innovative instructional techniques to meet students' needs. Ranging from interactive games to creative homework, these techniques are based on the best methods of language acquisition and have been refined in-house by CLI over the years.

Course topics

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

Class schedule

Course duration
1-20 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
5 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 180 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday

Class times

Morning session
10:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Afternoon session
02:00 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 Cabarete.

Class size

Average 2 students
Maximum 2 students

Student age

Age range 18 years old and older
Average 32 years old

Certificate

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

Photos

  • Street 1/16
  • Entrance to Cabarete Language Institute 2/16
  • Reception of Cabarete Language Institute 3/16
  • Classroom at Cabarete Language Institute 4/16
  • Year 5 wall 5/16
  • Library at Cabarete Language Institute 6/16
  • Kitchen 7/16
  • Building of Cabarete Language Institute 8/16
  • Entrance to Cabarete Language Institute 9/16
  • Reception of Cabarete Language Institute 10/16
  • Classroom at Cabarete Language Institute 11/16
  • Classroom at Cabarete Language Institute 12/16
  • Entrance to Cabarete Language Institute 13/16
  • Classes at Cabarete Language Institute 14/16
  • Building of Cabarete Language Institute 15/16
  • Grounds 16/16
reviews

Reviews

95% recommend

based on 19 reviews
5 stars
9
4 stars
9
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Nice stay"

Philippe Baudet, student from France

The location and housing are excellent.
I am less enthusiastic with regard to the classes. Actually, my teacher, although very friendly, lacked experience in teaching to adults, especially to those having already a good knowledge of Spanish language.

However, my experience was globally positive.

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My ratings for this school

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

"Good and relaxed time with my teacher!"

Detlef Schmidt-Hasemann, student from Germany

The school is located in a surf camp, very beautiful and tropical! This hole area is a gated community ! The owner of the camp is German and very friendly and always there for you if you have problems or questions and the staff is very friendly too!

I expected a “school” with students but the school was my teacher and I , so I paid for group lessons and received private lessons, so I am very thankful! We both, the teacher and I, had a great time, laughing a lot and I was able to speak a lot ! My teacher taught me a lot about the daily life and problems and I really improved my Spanish ! I am very thankful to Louis, my teacher, let’s call it know a friendship!

I can recommend the school, all questions were directly answered !

I upgraded my room after some days, because I needed some more luxury … they have different kinds of accommodations, so at first, you get the basic 30 $, let’s call it rustic typical Dominican style straw roof cabin with mosquito net … and this is a must have ! It’s the tropics !!!

I would come back again to this well organized school and surf camp with an upgraded room 40 $ !

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
29 Nov 2021 - 10 Dec 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"My teacher Katie knew how to make the lessons super interesting, to choose good locations and to teach me creatively."

Gottfried Kleinhans, student from Germany

The classrooms on site are standard but nothing special.
My teacher Katie asked me if I would be interested in learning other locations and thus getting to know the area and cabarete better.
I agreed so Katie chose great restaurants, cafes or beach bars to organize the lessons there. With the help of modern communication methods (laptop/internet) and standard paper work it was a great mix to learn English.

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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
1 Nov 2021 - 12 Nov 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"The teachers were excellent. I enjoyed the classes and am now more confident in trying to speak Spanish. I have a long way still to go but this has helped"

Julia Johnston, student from Canada

The location was excellent. It was close to where I had rented an apartment so it was only a 3 minute walk away. For the first 2 weeks I had Vaness Cortez as my teacher. The last week I had Marta Barrios. The teachers were excellent and did a fantastic job even under trying conditions.

When I arrived Isaac was in Cabarete so I was able to speak to him before my class started. Even though we had a long conversation he failed to tell me that they were moving from that location or any of the circumstances regarding my lessons. I found out that he had hired Vanessa to work with me firstly I believe to assess my level as they weren’t sure if I could keep up with the other class. Vanessa was excellent and our classes were one on one which was an added bonus as it gave me more practice but a bit stressful.

The 3rd week Marta took over and I was in a class with one other student which was also very enjoyable and was fun.

The first two weeks we were at the Language School, however there was a lot of construction going on and furniture being moved out. There were no amenities available I.e coffee or tea. We were uncertain in the 2nd week if we would have access to the School so one day we had classes at Alis Surf Club, then we were advised that the painter had finished painting our classroom and we could start using it again.

The 3rd week classes were held at Alis Surf Club and the school was now closed.

Altogether, despite the situation, I am glad that I booked, and I did get a lot out of the classes, however i would have appreciated being made aware of the situation in advance.

Regards,
Julia

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
16 Apr 2018 - 4 May 2018
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Nice environment, nice teacher!"

Raphael Tarabini Castellani, student from Switzerland

My son had privat lessons in our hotel in Cabarete! was perfekt!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
17 Jul 2017 - 21 Jul 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"My language skills skyrocketed!:)"

Trine Matthiesen, student from Denmark

My language level in Spanish taught by Isaac, truly skyrocketed, as I intensively studied Spanish one-on-one for four weeks, 2 hours a day. I have high expectations and standards being a language teacher myself, so I was excited to see the level taught by the instructors at Cabarete Language Institute. I was TRULY satisfied. Isaac knows the structure of the Spanish language in-depth- therefore he was able to answer all of my questions very easily and it was fulfilling, and he was very varied and flexible in his teaching methods. It was clear that his language instruction is professional and well thought through. If I could, I would continue learning Spanish this way...Thank you very much for a wonderful learning experience!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
18 Jan 2016 - 12 Feb 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"From speaking no Spanish at all, to being functional in every day life situations... Relaxed and friendly vibe, yet very professional."

Karine Turcotte

Having been a language teacher myself for close to 10 years in different language schools, I have to admit that I had high expectations. I really enjoyed the conversational methods used to encourage me to speak. I like how the teachers I had adapted their approach to my learning style considering I had no notions in Spanish before I started. I also appreciated the flexibility of the teachers and you can't complain for having a class outside in the heat, sitting by the pool! I decided to pursue my classes online after leaving Cabarete. Once again, I was pleased with the flexibility of the teacher. I also liked the quick responses to questions and how everyone makes your trip easy and fun. I am a very happy CLI student who is confident that my Spanish skills will continue to improve.
Trabajo excepcional y le deseo lo mejor!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School location
Duration of study
30 weeks
Date of study
13 Jul 2015 - 10 Feb 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
Isaac Trujillo, Director at Cabarete Language Institute responded to this review.
11 February 2016

Hola Karin,
It is a pleasure for us to have such an amazing student! Looking forward to seeing you back here this summer.

"Very nice"

Dušan Mohorko, student from Slovenia

Location is very good, classes are good too, English teachers weren't native speakers but good as well, housing was good.
I had a good experience
But it would be good if the school organized one or two afternoon meetings for English students (or Spanish).

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
11 Jan 2016 - 5 Feb 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Isaac Trujillo, Director at Cabarete Language Institute responded to this review.
10 February 2016

Hello Dusan,
We are glad to hear you are satisfied with the school. As you suggested we are planning to do some extra activities for our students. When you come back next year, you can join us!

"Hello everyone!"

Kristian Kärrman

I took 7 weeks of classes with Cabarete Language Institution (CLI) which consisted of 5 weeks of group classes and 2 weeks of private classes. The first thing I would like to talk about is the teachers at the school. I was positively surprised about the standard of the teachers, mostly Spanish expats, and they all could speak both Spanish and English which was very helpful in my learning process. They were experienced and very patient with the students. The class sizes where small and we always had a good time, even during our 3 hour classes :).
The structure of the classes were thought through and easy to follow and now, a few weeks afterwards, I still remember most, if not all, of the content that we went through.
The location and facility of the school is high class, possible to hold classes in classrooms inside and outside.
The school also helped me with housing, my university application and problems that I encountered in my every day life here. All very helpful! The school does not at all treat you only as a "customer" and when something came up that was very helpful.
I would recommend the school to anyone who wants to go to the Caribbean and Republica Dominicana and I couldn't see myself choosing any other school. Now I miss going to class everyday! :)
Good luck everyone with your language studies :).

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
8 weeks
Date of study
7 Dec 2015 - 1 Feb 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
Isaac Trujillo, Director at Cabarete Language Institute responded to this review.
10 February 2016

Hello Kristian,
We did enjoy having you around. I am very glad you are satisfied with the school and our teachers. We will really miss you and your stories as well ;)

"The staff of CLI made for a fantastic three weeks of hanging out, learning Spanish and enjoying Cabarete."

Lydia Elliott

My husband and I stayed in Cabarete for three weeks for our honeymoon this May to June. Patricia was a fantastic teacher who helped us learn the basics of Spanish and focus on practical aspects of communication. Isaac managed the school very well and made sure that Josh and I were learning but having a good time. The location was an easy walk from our rented apartment, and we most certainly hope to go back sometime soon.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
10 May 2015 - 6 Jun 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"My wife and I thought that the program and our instructor, Isaac, were outstanding and very adaptable to our level"

Michael Heinecken

We have absolutely no negatives. Our teacher was very bright and extremely knowledgeable, and unlike some other programs we have been part of, was not afraid to speak in English to explain a difficult concept. There were only 3 of us in our class, with two of us at one low intermediate level and the other slightly below us, but our teacher made everyone feel very comfortable. We stayed in Ocean Dreams condo which is very safe and comfortable. It is a long walk, but doable.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
16 Feb 2015 - 2 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"I spend two amazing weeks in Cabarete!"

Riikka Kannisto, student from Finland

I liked everything there! Isaac was a really good teacher and I liked the different teaching methods. I think I have learned more Spanish there in two weeks than in the two years I spent at university at home.
Ali's surf camp was great too. I met so many new people; I had so much fun. The food was also very good there. We also had very nice nights on the beach bars.

Location was perfect – there was a supermarket nearby and a beach as well.

I had such an awesome holiday there! :)

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
18 May 2015 - 29 May 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Matthew O'Donnell, Director of Marketing at Cabarete Language Institute responded to this review.
09 June 2015

Thanks for the review! I am happy to hear you loved Cabarete and studying Spanish at Cabarete Language Institute.

"Was nice to join a friendly well-educated team"

heiko becker

Teacher: Excellent
Classes: Very good (not always fully structured)
Location good (just sad for lunch food too far away by food only)
Facilities weaknesses: less functionality, slow connection, lack of know-how, homework classes document database etc
Activities: very funny (guess a overnight trip would be also fine for all to meet)
Housing: Ask Ali :-)

Database pre review: task setting with follow up homework function webbased would help to learn offline online and maybe after classes too.

Was fun to join the team for a long time.... Hope you sell my kite for a good price soon :-)

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
64 weeks
Date of study
10 Sep 2014 - 4 Dec 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"The classes were geared toward conversation in an immersion setting."

Bettina Hansel

We chose the school before we chose the destination within the Dominican Republic. Cabarete Language Institute was able to accomodate our needs and give us instruction at an appropriate level for the short amount of time we had available.

We made our own lodging arrangements at one of the hotels described by the school, and it suited us well. It was within walking distance.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
6 Oct 2014 - 17 Oct 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Awesome!"

Oleg Gutsol

A great school. The one month intensive course was a great way to take my Spanish from pretty basic to learning the grammar and being able to communicate :) Highly recommended!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
28 Oct 2014 - 21 Nov 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"My Spanish lessons were the happiest part of my day."

Mikaela Perry

I had a great experience. My teacher was Marta, and I could not have asked for a better teacher. She completely tailored the classes to what was most relevant for my daily life in the DR. Even more, she took me on little excursions around Cabarete to speak with local Dominicans and learn in a more experiential setting. She also was very flexible with the time of our classes, working around my work schedule and coming to my office to teach me. Marta became not only a teacher, but a very good friend, which made learning much more fun and easy. Every time she would see me out and about in Cabarete, she would encourage me to speak with locals, and would always get excited about my success and progress with me. I think the CLI curriculum is great and the teachers are what makes the experience. In six short weeks I was able to learn so much and have come so far with my Spanish, and everyone is noticing. I'm sad that my time with CLI has ended, but grateful for all that I learned.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
Social activities
Duration of study
8 weeks
Date of study
29 Sep 2014 - 24 Nov 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
Matthew, Director of Marketing at Cabarete Language Institute responded to this review.
09 December 2014

Thank you so much for your response. So glad you had a good time at CI! We love hearing that our Spanish is fun and easy! Hopefully you can take more classes in 2015!

"Finally, the perfect school to actually learn Spanish."

Sara Brockington

I have never been to the Dominican Republic before but I have taken a few Spanish lessons in the last 3 years. This was by far the best learning experience. Not only is the school and the learning process effective, the fact that the D.R. is such a friendly place and Cabarete such a darling of a beach town helped me make friends in no time and was able to practice my Spanish, with locals and travelers alike. That made all the difference in the world. There is no doubt that anyone looking to learn and progress should to try this school. A+

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
4 Aug 2014 - 25 Aug 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"The language course at Cabarete Language Institute was not just studying Spanish it was also an introduction to the culture, social structures and life style in Dominican Republic by the effort of CLI's staff."

Stefanie Ramer

I did a three-week intense course with two other students. It was definitely an advantage to study in a small class, so I could progress in Spanish quite fast.

The teacher was/is an adorable person with lots of patience for all our questions, has a good sense of humor and an incredible knowledge about the local culture, structures, political system, history, art, music, philosophy, etc.

The classes and schedules were well-organized, always started on time and the staff was/is reliable and clear about information and course goals. We worked with a workbook with English explanations for grammatical topics which was ok. I'm not a native English speaker so it was difficult sometimes to switch from one language to the other. We've learnt the everyday objects such as furniture or kitchen appliances in direct contact - the words were written on these objects. So I've learnt that kind of vocabulary easily in passing.
The teacher planned the breaks carefully either by the energy of his students or by topic. Another great plus for school: Coffee (and water) is provided.

The school is located in a calm and peaceful residential district. For me it was the ideal spot to study.

During the course we did a one day excursion that was fun and also a possibility to use and practise what we've learnt at school. And it was a great opportunity to get in touch with local people.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
9 Jun 2014 - 27 Jun 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Great school; very accommodating."

Robin Fazio

I was very happy with my experience at CLI. The directors and teachers worked with me to create the classes I needed.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
13 Jul 2014 - 18 Jul 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
Matthew, Director of Marketing at Cabarete Language Institute responded to this review.
09 February 2015

Thank you so much for responding to the request for a CLI response. We are working hard everyday to make CLI an amazing place for all the people in Cabarete to learn a language.

housing

Housing

CLI offers the following housing types:
student-residence

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

A$ 344
weekly
Age range: 15 - 80 years old
Address: Calle Bahia 11, Pro Cab Cabarete, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Location: CLI Camp
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Wireless internet, free internet, 24/7 supervision, and garden
Distance to school: 3 - 5 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
A$ 344
A truly tropical experience, the CLI camp is comprised of a variety of Caribbean style buildings centered around a pool and a lagoon less than a mile from the beach. Surfers, kiteboarders and fellow global travelers are your neighbors and you will make new friends fast over delicious communal breakfasts and dinners.
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 Cabarete 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 Cabarete Language Institute staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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