Job Discussion Forums

[pumpkineater]

I was reading some of the posts on teaching in Ecuador and it sounds like most people teach at private language schools in one of the major cities (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca). Have you heard of positions at public universities or other types of public schools, and are they difficult to get? How might the classes, students, and teaching responsibilities differ in the two settings? What types of positions are available in smaller cities or towns?

I�m asking because I�m considering going with WorldTeach Ecuador this fall, and many of their positions seem to be with public universities or technical schools in mid-size cities.

From searching the forum and reading some posts, I know that many people on this forum are very opposed to these types of �volunteer� programs that charge a placement fee. However, what appeals to me is the type of positions WorldTeach seem to offer, and also that I could jump right in and get some good teaching experience. Then, if I like teaching EFL, I could get a certificate and continue. Are any of you WorldTeach volunteers, or have you met WorldTeach volunteers in Ecuador, and do you feel I could find the same type of or better position on my own?

I don�t need to earn much money (because I�ve been working in my office job for tooooo long, long enough to have saved $), but of course it would be great to break even. And of course I have mixed feelings about paying a fee that goes partly to recruiting and administrative costs, though it does cover training and airfare, etc., and your room and board are paid and you get a stipend. But if the positions are neat, and I can just jump in there and get experience, it might be worth it to me. My goals right now are more to take a break from my so-called career while I figure out what the next one will be, get teaching experience, and learn Spanish. On the other hand, because I am older than the typical volunteer, I might not feel I need the hand-holding �in-country support� that a program would provide.

NEED YOUR OPINIONS RIGHT AWAY!!!! I�m actually past the deadline for telling WorldTeach, though I think I could still go.

I am also very interested in Bolivia and Guatemala; I just sort of got on the Ecuador track through WorldTeach. Ecuador does seem to have a lot of English going on right now, though.

Different thread: I was just in Ecuador for a couple weeks sort of scoping it out. Last year, I spent time in Guatemala and just loved it. Is it my imagination, or do men leer a lot more in Ecuador than in Guatemala? Is Guate just unique in Latin America for being a bit less machista?

[moonraven]

Guatemala less machista?????You have got to be kidding. Check the figures for the number of women who have been murdered there just this year. Then check 2004. 2003. 2002. Ad infinitum.

I am familiar with WorldTeach--they had an office in CEC-EPN's building, where I just spent a couple of months. I would suggest trying directly with CEC-EPN instead. In neither case will you break even in Quito. Volunteer stipends are simply too low. One woman I met there had spent 5,000 dollars on airfare from New Zealand to get there, was paying most of her expenses out of savings and feeling trapped like a rat.

The only folks making any money in those programs are the folks who started them.

[Justin Trullinger]

I don't know much about WorldTEach- it's said to be a "reputable" organisation, but the people saying that only know it by reputation. I have had no direct dealings with worldteach or their participants. What Moonraven said about stipends sounds true though, for every "fee paying" volunteer experience I've heard of.

For an Ecuador experience that combines some aspects of a "private" academy and some aspects of a volunteer experience, you could check out the Experiment in International Living in Quito. (PM me)

Regards,
Justin

[pumpkineater]

Thanks for your replies.

Just a clarification: No, I wouldn't expect to "break even" doing volunteer work. I guess I meant getting a certificate and paid position.

Well, my experience walking down the street felt very different in Guate, but it's hard to compare because the two experiences were a year apart.

[moonraven]

Walking down the street is not the most in-depth way of learning about cultures.

Most of the jobs in Ecuador are really volunteer posts--as it is very difficult to get a work visa, schools give folks the paperwork necessary to get a Cultural Exchange visa. Which means you sign a paper indicating you will not be paid for what you do there. And the school or organization signs one saying that they are "aware" that they need to provide you food, a place to live, and transportation back to the country you came from.

Unfortunately, most of the schools abuse that: they do not pay their "volunteers" enough to pay for food, shelter and other expenses. And they don't pay your airfare home. It's the EFL form of keeping you barefoot and pregnant, in my opinion. And I have seen enough of how it works to say that it's a crock.

I also recommend going to some other country besides Ecuador.