Job Discussion Forums

[elmy]

I have read many of the posts about Ecuador. I was hoping for some more specific and up to date advice. I am a recent college grad, for the second time, with a BS in Aerospace Management and more recently a BS in Radiologic Sciences. I don't want to pursue either of these very stressful careers. I have decided I want to teach English abroad, at least for a year or so. I have chosen Ecuador because of the climate and affordability. I have been researching Southern Cross CELTA, which seems to be the same thing as CELTA in Ecuador. I am not British. I am from North America. Can anyone give me current information about the best training (CELTA or other) and the current job prospects in Ecuador. I am willing to live in a large city or in a smaller town. Any advice or opinion would be appreciated. Thanks!

[litterascriptor]

I'm going through the process of getting signed up for the SIT-tesol in Ecuador. My one pearl of wisdom: be patient as apparently nothing moves quickly in Ecuador.

[HLJHLJ]

I can't add anything more up to date than my previous posts, but as far as I am aware nothing much has changed. For training your main options are CELTA* with Southern Cross or SIT with EIL. CEDEI sporadically offer a generic TEFL cert but it doesn't hold much value outside of CEDEI.

You'll find the enrollment procedure faster/more efficient with Southern Cross than EIL.

There's still plenty of entry level work in Quito and Guayaquil and sometimes Cuenca. No doubt Canadian House in Loja will be recruiting as well, but do your own homework on them first.



*Southern Cross is the company, they own several schools in Ecuador, the one where they run the residential CELTA is called 'CELTA in Ecuador'. It's the same course.

[lapd08]

Why do you want to teach in Ecuador? Or get your CELTA here for that matter? It is certainly NOT affordable. I've been in Cuenca, a dreary, expensive, puritanical city for less than 3 months and I can't wait to leave. It has been the most frustrating, unrewarding experience of my career. Also, hugely expensive, as you have to pay for everything yourself unlike other places.You must have your reasons for choosing this country, so I'll just close with suggesting you do more research on the cost of living and double whatever any school tells you.

[Landon]

[lapd08]

I stand by what I wrote. Possibly it is cheaper for a family to live in Cuenca than a single individual, but I know first hand (and not from articles promoting a place for their own agenda) that:

A decent apartment (2 bedrooms, 1 bedrooms do not exist) cost minimum of $450.

Groceries were shockingly expensive. Cost was about the same as US except for fruits and vegetables. Alcohol, except for beer was unaffordable due to the high taxes, e.g. a bottle of vodka that cost $25 in US, cost $55.00. I was spending about $200 month ($50/week) on groceries.

Healthcare (the insurance provided by school at your expense was useless as they did not want to pay for anything) was generally less than US, but still an expense. I spent $100 for one ailment all told (blood tests, doctor, ultra sound, medicine).

A trip to the Galapegos Islands would set you back $2-3,000.

Transportation: buses were cheap if you don't mind choking on the diesel fumes, but in the span of 3 months the price for a local taxi ride started going up by $1.00, no doubt due to the influx of "gringos. The taxi fare at the Quito Airport was also insane, ranging between $25-30 to the city EACH WAY. A sandwich cost $12.00, more than the airport food in New York or London.

So possibly a family of 3 could live on $900/month ($450 for an apartment, 2-300/month for food, etc.), but for a single person, it is very difficult.

As to the weather: the sun shone all day a total of 2 days out of the 3 months that I was there. While it's true that it does not get as brutally cold as N.America, due to the altitude, it does get chilly and is never really warm.

And if you arrive on a Sunday, and would like to go out for a drink, forget it, they don't serve alcohol on Sundays (like Boston, a holdover from the Puritans) and the city is deserted and closed up. It all reminded me of that joke" "I went to Philadelphia on Sunday, but it was closed".

[HLJHLJ]

It's a different lifestyle, some people like it, some don't. Like anywhere else, if you can't, (or won't) adapt you are likely to be miserable.

I generally find that when people complain about it being expensive, they are trying to buy the same stuff they bought at home.

Fresh food is cheap, if you cook from scratch you can eat very well very cheaply. Imported processed food is expensive, if you want to eat out of the same tins and packets you used at home, you'll pay through the nose for it. Ditto for eating out, you can eat at a local restaurant for a couple of dollars, but go to McDonalds, Burger King, Subway etc you won't get much change from $10. It's also the same for booze, if you are looking for famous American branded spirits the prices are prohibitive. Local, or LatAm brands are very affordable, and often just as good. Some of the 'cheap' rums here are super expensive luxury brands in the UK. I suspect you had the same experience with your airport sandwich as well. You can buy empanadas, humitas and quimbolitos for a dollar or so, go to Subway and it will cost you.

Yeah alcohol is restricted on Sundays (though still pretty much available if you really can't last a day without it). Again, it's just a different lifestyle, Sunday is for spending time with your friends and family, for getting outside and doing some exercise, you know, all that stuff people don't have time for in the USA/UK. But if your only source of entertainment is going out and getting drunk, you'll find it hard going. I did find it weird at first that places are so quiet on Sunday, but now I love it. It forces you to slow down a bit and just enjoy the day.

Some of your other complaints are just kind of odd.

Yes the Galapagos is expensive. It's one of the most expensive places in the world. Living in Ecuador doesn't suddenly make it a bargain. What were you expecting? On the other hand, there are plenty of other beautiful places you can visit in Ecuador for less than $100/week.

New Quito airport is about an hour outside of Quito town, a taxi is indeed about $25 each way. $25 for an hour taxi ride, is that so shocking? It's a bargain compared to taking an airport taxi in New York or London. It seems pretty reasonable to me. (Though I did love the old airport being so close to town, but I appreciate the safety of the populace outweighs my convenience). If you find the $25 too steep, take the express bus for $8, or the local bus for $2. It's not like there aren't any other options.

Like anywhere else in the world, some people will love it and some will hate it, and many more will fall in between. That's normal, we all have our preferences. But if all someone can see is the things they hate, and they can't even see why other people love it, then that probably says a lot more about their attitude than it does about the country/city.

[just_a_mirage]

I have been here more than ten years and have raised three kids on way less than I could have in the states. Im a single mom and I was able to take them to the beach, to the mountains, to other countries, and they were able to experience so much more than they would have if we hadn´t come. The food is great, and healthy. It is paradise if you can cook. People are friendly, and warm. I dont regret it. I also have been teaching for ten years and have enjoyed it. If you are selective in where you teach, you will have a great experience.

[Landon]

[lapd08]

"I generally find that when people complain about it being expensive, they are trying to buy the same stuff they bought at home. "

Really, I shouldn't be wasting my time on this, but I find it odd that any criticism of Ecuador is met with such rabid defensiveness.

This writer's implication that I am a spoiled naive Gringo with no travel savvy is ridiculous. I've never eaten in a MacDonald's in the US, so why would I want to eat in one in Ecuador? And no, I did not eat in a Subway in the airport-that was the price charged in an Ecuadorian food stand. And it was the highest I've seen in any of the many airports I've been in around the world.

As this is a forum for people seeking employment overseas as ESL teachers I will just say that the cost of living in South America (including Ecuador) vs. the salary earned is not good. The cost of living IS high, the salaries are not. 'Nuf said.

[HLJHLJ]

No rabid defensiveness here. It makes little difference to me if you like the place or not, but your assertions are mostly just silly. You don't like the implication that you are are 'spoiled naive Gringo' and yet you complain about living costs because of the cost of a vacation in the Galapagos, the price of airport taxis and that you have to plan ahead to get drunk on a Sunday. How do you think you come across?

You didn't like the country, you didn't like the city. That's fine. It wasn't for you. But, if you truly found the cost of living here to be exceptionally high, you were doing something wrong, because it really isn't, or at least it doesn't have to be.

I'm sorry you didn't figure out how to bring your costs down while you were still here, perhaps you'd have had a more positive experience.

In terms of earnings to living costs I find Ecuador to be extremely affordable. The exception to that is that what you can save doesn't go far outside of Ecuador, although it can stretch a long way in-country. So if you have loans, or other expenses to pay back home, it will be difficult to cover those costs, at least while you are still at the bottom of the employment food chain.

[Landon]

[just_a_mirage]

I am in Guayaquil