Job Discussion Forums

[DanielCunningham]

Hello all,

I just joined the site, I'm wondering if any one has any experiences or stories regarding ISM Academy Quito? I have applied for a job as an ESL teacher and have an interview next wednesday. I've scoured the internet but can't find any reviews or stories of what it is like to work there.

Thanks to anyone who can help,
Daniel

[boxcarwilly]

I was offered a job at ISM last September and turned it down - the money was too low for the hours and work they wanted. Other schools pay better. ISM is a top tier school wanna be. Large classes and small payment. Of course it also depends on your qualifications and experience. If you need experience, any port in a storm might do. Ecuador is a great place to practice your Spanish as the language is cleanly spoken here. Best of luck to you.

[DanielCunningham]

Thanks for the tips! What you say does raise some concerns for me, but given my limited teaching experience I think I will ignore those concerns for the safety of having a job confirmed pre-arrival. ISM are also willing to sort me out with a work visa, and so thats a bonus too.

Thanks again,
Daniel

[Katm]

Hi Daniel,
I'm currently in Quito and have some contact with ISM from doing the exam training for the teachers. Things to be wary of:
1. There are two ISM schools, one in the far north, one in the valley outside Quito - both quite a distance from anything central.
2. Money will not be good and Quito isn't that cheap to live (there's another post about cost of living.) Rent for a decent-ish apartment (shared between 2) will be $300-$400 at least.
3. The big thing for me would be that work visas are hard to get here - made even harder by the ridiculous red-tape of the ministries. Check it's definitely a work visa, not a 12-IX (around $250) that only lasts 6 months. Not ISM specifically but I know several people who have been promised visas by various schools, told to get the 12-IX in the meantime, then 'let go' because the school in question couldn't actually get the work visa. To be eligible for a work visa as an English teacher you will need a BA in an English-related subject and CELTA. No exceptions.
4. Apart from that, the other poster is right - they are not a top-tier school (not a criticism, merely an observation) and I was actually unaware they hired native teachers but the teachers and school itself seem nice.

Worst-case scenario you would probably pick up work elsewhere in Quito very easily if it doesn't work out, the big issue is the visa.

[DanielCunningham]

Thanks for the advice, I'll take all of that into account. I will be sure to double check which visa exactly they are offering to help me get, and I'll see if I can clarify which campus i will be on.

Thanks again
Daniel

[Landon]

[Katm]

Many foreigners, myself included. The really good schools tend to go for diplomatic visas if possible (or work visas as their teachers are qualified teachers in their own countries.) Others do cultural exchange visas (most common in language institutes), some will do volunteer or student visas but these last two are technically illegal. Work visas are difficult and expensive - I was simply surprised to hear that that particular school was willing to do it for an ESL teacher.

[lagringalindissima]

This post is from February so the OP made a decision and doesn't need advice, but I want to say that as of August 2014 it does not matter if Cuenca is expensive or not or liveable or not. You can't get a visa. You can get the 6 month extended tourist visa--now called something else I forget-- but it now requires a round trip ticket and can't be renewed. We can no longer have volunteer or cultural exchange visas. To clarify: yes they'd issue you one if you applied, but you have to sign a letter agreeing to provide your services for free to get it..and your school has to submit paperwork explaining what cultural exchange type work you'll be doing. Does the government actually care/crack down on working illegally? I have no idea!! But they passed these new regulations for some reason; in the past you didn't have to sign a sworn statement agreeing to work for free. And people did work on cultural exchange and volunteer visas, so I would assume there is a connection. The government website does say the government has the right to verify compliance. Of course going is a personal choice, but I wouldn't risk it.

[lagringalindissima]

I was distracted when posting and I meant to reply to a thread that was debating the merits of living Cuenca..hence the odd comment about whether Cuenca is a good place to live. But that doesn't matter.. my point is the same.

[just_a_mirage]

The extended tourist visa is the 12-IX. It has been known by that name for quite some time. It has also required the round trip ticket for quite some time. The 12-VIII requires the letter that you will work for free, but also requires the sponsoring entity to cover housing/food/living expenses. This is the "pay" you receive. So if you are teaching on the Cultural Exchange Visa, then you will get a stipend to maintain yourself while here.

The other choice for people who wish to stay in Ecuador for longer periods of time, is the 9-V Professional visa, which is a resident visa. It requires a four year degree, but no monetary investment in the country.

The Cultural Exchange visa is totally legal, and they expect that the entity will give you a stipend to live on. This visa is part of a program that allows Ecuadorian teachers to do the same thing in other countries and the sponsoring entity must have international agreements for this.

[lagringalindissima]

The cultural exchange visa is part of a program that allows Ecuadorians to do the same thing in other countries and the sponsoring entity must have an international agreement for this.
(If you didn't read the whole thread, do the same thing means teach in foreign countries on the same type of visa.)

How does that work? Do schools in Ecuador that hire foreigners have branches in other countries where their teachers go-- i.e. Canadian House in Ecuador can hire Canadians and then it can/does send their staff to Canadian House Toronto (or wherever) to teach Spanish? Or is it just general, meaning "if the USA (or England or Germany whatever country) lets Ecuadorians work on cultural exchange visas then we'll do the same for your citizens.."?

Or maybe language schools can offer study abroad programs-- many schools do have them, especially bigger schools-- and legally call those programs cultural exchanges so that they can qualify to sponsor foreigners on a cultural exchange visa.

[naturegirl321]

Lagringalindissima, probably just general. And like just_a_mirage has said you received no pay per se but your housing and living costs are covered. You receive a stipend, not a salary. It's semantics. It seems like you have had trouble but it looks like it's a one off case. Everyone else on the boards is going fine.

Just_a_mirage has told you three visas that you could get: cultural, volunteer, resident and they should know since they do this for a living.

[just_a_mirage]

What the Cultural Exchange visa signifies is that the entity using foreign teachers on that type of visa has a registered agreement with a similar entity in another country. The agreement provides for opportunities for Ecuadorians to participate in a similar program in another country. It must be a formal exchange program that is registered with the government.

[lagringalindissima]

To get this visa the school hiring you must have bilateral agreement with Ecuador that states that Americans (or citizens of other English speaking countries) can get cultural exchange visas in Ecuador and in exchange the English speaking country grants Ecuadorians cultural exchange visas.

If a visa facilitator states that it's not hard to get a visa I wouldn't disagree with him/her, but do keep the following in mind..

In the USA:
1) We have very few full time language school jobs; this means the government wouldn't have much interest in making international bilateral agreements to bring teachers to language schools. We also have plenty of people who are citizens or else have permanent resident visas--that you can work on-- to teach Spanish, even if a school requires a college educated native Spanish speaker.

2) We don't have many language schools that are also in Ecuador..maybe Berlitz? But most Ecuadorian schools aren't here.

3) We would call a full time language school job paid employment and require non citizens doing the job to have a work permits.

4) I don't think we give Ecuadorians preference to come on cultural exchange visas in exchange for Ecuador letting us teach/work on a cultural exchange visa there. Why? Many Ecuadorians want to come here but can't even get tourist visas to see Miami.

K-12 schools:
Some schools might in fact have bilateral agreements, but those would be for teachers in a specific K-12 school here to swap with teachers in a specific school there. It is impossible to believe that our governments have a vague cultural exchange agreement that says "America agrees to give preference to Ecuador when hiring our Spanish teachers.. in exchange we expect Ecuador to give preference to American citizens when foreign schools hire their teachers".. such an agreement wouldn't even be legal under the laws of our country, and public schools--which is where 95% of our kids go-- can't hire any teacher who is not certified in the American system.

Cultural exchange visas ARE issued!! That I don't deny. They are also what we work on since the government won't issue many work visas; that I don't deny, either. So maybe it's all fine . But I do fail to understand how schools can get the required bilateral agreement.

[just_a_mirage]

1) The educational entity does not have to have branches in other countries. It has to have a registered agreement with another institution. They don't have to be owned/operated by the same entity. Just an agreement.

2) It does not necessarily have to be only teachers. For example, an institution here can use foreign teachers, but has an agreement that allows them to send students to the institution in another country. There are many, many programs that give students long/short term experience in English speaking countries. Some also offer English programs here in Ecuador. Hence, they can hire foreign teachers, and qualify for cultural exchange visas because they also send students abroad. Students in these programs usually receive visas without issue, because the institution is well-prepared and knows how to present the paperwork. They likely also have a long term relationship with the consulate.

3) K-12 schools usually do not offer Cultural Exchange visas. Most are given through non-profits, and through institutions that offer in-house and overseas language opportunities for students. There are a few instances where some schools have something similar to a sister-city relationship with another school, and offer exchanges, usually short term for students and teachers.

Some Institutions that offer Cultural Exchange visas in Ecuador )and this is just a few of them)

EF
CEDEI
Southern Cross
Centro Ecuatriano Norte Americano (CEN)