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CEDEI in Ecuador
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zeke0606



Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 185
Location: East Outer Mongolia

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:21 am    Post subject: CEDEI in Ecuador Reply with quote

Hi everyone -

Can anyone give some information about this non-profit school? And a bit if data about working in Ecuador. Any other information concerning this would be helpful also.
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john_n_carolina



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

it's a solid, dependable place to work. not the greatest salary, but you should break even in Cuenca. i know someone that has taught there for 10 years. it's a pretty big place, 700 students a day i think.

there's a girl up in the Mexico forum, MELEE, who taught there. maybe, you could contact her.
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MELEE



Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland

PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did teach there, but in 1995-6 so my experiences are a bit dated. I had a great experience there, but I hope they've changed since then, because change is healthy. I know they've grown and expanded into other fields (like a kindergarten!). There main location is in a very beautiful colonial building in the heart of Cuenca. It attracts a lot of interesting people, both English teachers, English students, Spanish students from abroad, they host summer and semester study abroad programs, offer internation internships and offer a base to international researchers and host cultural events to boot, so there is a lot going on in and around the place. I made some fabulous friends I still keep in touch with 12 years later. They have a pretty large website, so you should google them to find out more information.
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nineisone



Joined: 23 Jun 2006
Posts: 187

PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was researching Ecuador a couple of years ago I came across a good aritcle by Newley Purnell about his experience teaching with CEDEI in Cuenca. He also maintains a blog which has lots of information about his good experience working for them. I think the article was on the Transitions abroad website and will direct you to his blog observations.
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john_n_carolina



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina

PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

yes, i've read that. it's a solid place, and good city.
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Justin Trullinger



Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit

PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a school with a good rep- they seem to have a little trouble keeping DOSes, but not for any extremely problematic reason as far as I know.

I have no first hand experience with the place, but a recent graduate of our TESOL course has just headed to Cuenca to work at CEDEI- I've just written to him, and will let you all know if/when I hear back.


Best,
Justin
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zeke0606



Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 185
Location: East Outer Mongolia

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:39 pm    Post subject: what? Reply with quote

I want to thank you all very much!
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carmen212



Joined: 21 Nov 2007
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:33 pm    Post subject: CEDEI Cuenca Reply with quote

I am currently a teacher at CEDEI and the October cycle ends in a week. I am not staying for the January cycle. Most teachers stay only one or two cycles--some quit halfway through their first cycle--culture shock, difficulty adjusting. It is hard to live on the money ($250 a month if you take 3 classes and they are very inflexible about scheduling) without sharing an apartment with 2 or 3 others. Costs are low in EC. Very difficult to find comfortable places to live. What you contend with is traffic, awful pollution in the center near the school, the constant barking of dogs, firecrackers celebrating birthdays, anniversaries or a lively bout of drinking by a neighbor. Noise seems to be the biggest complaint. Many couples come to teach for one or two cycles. Several retired people are here as well and they have income to fall back on so the quality of their lives is considerably more comfortable--i.e., better housing, eating out in nicer places, staying in better hostals instead of dorms when traveling, flying to Quito or Guayaquil instead of the rough bus rides.

The school just verges on being a factory. The only people who can afford to take the courses are the middle class. The school does have some scholarship students but CEDEI really hypes its nonprofit status. Students pay a lot for classes but the school only pays you $5 an hour which is good money for EC but landlords think all gringos are rich. For serious travel (Galapagos or Macchu Piccu) it gets pricey.

You almost always have split shifts (there are 7 am classes and half day Saturday classes--most classes are from 3 pm to about 8 pm), 3 classes of different levels so you are prepping for 3 different levels and it is exhausting. Working with the teenagers (probably 70% of the enrolled students) can be a nighmare. Cheating is rampant. It is very difficult to control and with classroom space being very tight, you cannot separate students for tests. The cycles are 10 weeks but with late registration, a full 4 days of testing and two half-days of post-test plus a few holidays thrown in, the cycle is actually less than 8 weeks. A lot of stress on Ts trying to get through the 6 units in the so-so textbook. You can take on tutorials 1:1 to make extra money. I haven't had such good experience with tutorials but for some other Ts it has been good.

The school cannot keep the good managers and administrators because of micromanaging by the head guy. The turnover is high. I've taught in 6 countries and this school isn't really awful but it's not that great, either. A lot of Ts come because they want to see Ecuador and it's really a beautiful country with great diversity of habitat, flora and fauna. Come early and travel, take advantage of the occasional 3-day weekends, and stay after and travel some more.

Ts tend to cluster in groups and not get out of speaking English mode. If you are serious about learning/maintaining Spanish and meeting local people, you have to be really focused. The school offers Spanish classes but the class size is 12-18 so you don't get more than a couple of minutes of actual practice but you do get a good grounding in basic grammar. It also offers salsa dancing which is fun. The male Ts go for the EC women and find girlfriends easily. There are volunteer opps but finding the time is difficult because 3 classes a day with 3 diff preps takes all your energy.

One cycle was enough for me and I am off to grrener pastures. I like the climate here very much. I don't mind rain and during the rainy season, there is a downpour that last for an hour ot two and that's it. There is no heating or air conditioning, not necessary. The nights and mornings can be cold (45 or so) so you need some almost-winter pants and tops, and the days can be 80 degrees. But only for a few hours, so if you like a cool-ish climate, this is ideal.

I have tried to paint an accurate portrait. I am disappointed overall because I wanted to stay for a year or more, but Cuenca has very little green spaces, the noise and pollution are really bad, and the school is only about 6 on a 1-10 scale, and the pay is awful. Come for Ecuador and you will have great travels and hiking here.
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john_n_carolina



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yes, i've always thought the $250/mo was a little low. if you have 50 students per cycle X $150 student = $7500 you are generating.

you are paid $650 for those 10 weeks....

the 3 different prep classes is hard also, that will add another 2-3 hours per night...


however, the noise, traffic, busses is pretty common for most of EC. but, they should start working on tighter emmission control.

don't forget, Cuenca was a UNESCO city of the year or something, back in 2000?
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zeke0606



Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 185
Location: East Outer Mongolia

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:52 pm    Post subject: what? Reply with quote

carmen212

THANK YOU! I had heard from some friends that taught in that country in the distant past and they had nothing good to say either. So things have changed little in the last 20 years!!!!
I have given up on going anywhere in South America. I was in Medellin, Colombia a few years ago and stayed with friends and worked as a tutor at the local university --- that was grand!
Maybe back to the Middle East or Turkey or maybe I'll just stay put in Russia. I have too much experience and higher education to have to deal with that kind of treatment from money grubbing 'businessmen'!

johninmaine

Who cares about, "...Cuenca was a UNESCO city of the year or something, back in 2000..." ---- if the school is not good, students are less than human, noise day and night, adults sharing housing, and and and and and and and
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john_n_carolina



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

...there isn't noise day / night
the students aren't less than human
adults don't share housing
and, the school is pretty solid.

i've always felt the salary was kind of low for 3 classes, different levels.
it should be more like $450 / mo. Quito right now is at $600 / mo.

almost any institute in L.A., you're gonna just break even.

the only place to make "real" money are private highschools.
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zeke0606



Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 185
Location: East Outer Mongolia

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:13 am    Post subject: what? Reply with quote

johninmaine

You seem to contradict everything that carmen212 has said --- and she is there now! What's up with this?

BTW where are you right now?
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john_n_carolina



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

in Maine (ME)
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john_n_carolina



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hi Zeke, the only part i agree with about CEDEI is the low salary, and different level classes.

the rest of what she said could be taken either way. pollution, managers, apartments, etc

i guarantee i could go to Cuenca tomorrow and find an apt for $70 / mo. you just need to ask the 'right' people.
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MELEE



Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:44 pm    Post subject: Re: what? Reply with quote

zeke0606 wrote:

Who cares about, "...Cuenca was a UNESCO city of the year or something, back in 2000..." ---- if the school is not good, students are less than human, noise day and night, adults sharing housing, and and and and and and and


I'm pretty sure no one said anything about CEDEI giving classes to chimps. Anyone who believes that any human could be less than human has no business infront of a class.
Rolling Eyes

If you can't take noise day and night, do not go to ANY Latin American city. Cool
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