Job Discussion Forums

[john_n_carolina]

...just saw a bunch of jobs teaching ESL, marketing, Art, Human Resources, etc at Espiritu Santo in Guayaquil.

This is a top, if not the top, Univ. in Guayaquil.

Salaries are good / excellent, starting at $1320 / mo with apt for 2 classes, $1980 for 3 classes, and $2640 for 4 classes.

ESL classes at $1320.

This is extremely rare to see these types of salaries in L.A.
They require 3 years univ teaching exp for the Core classes like Math, etc...but ESL is just experience.

Most of the jobs are for spring / summer '08

[john_n_carolina]

...i forgot the link...i saw these at www.chronicle.com

and put in ESL in the search box.

[MELEE]

I think I remember people commenting that the found working at Espiritu Santo very frustrating. Try searching it on this forum. Our old friend Moonraven, worked there.

[Justin Trullinger]

In fairness, Moonraven found a lot of things frustrating, when perhaps some individuals could have born them.

It's a top dollar private university, very exclusive and prestigious. I haven't worked with them directly, so can't say much, but my experience with expensive Ecuadorian unis in general is that they're a mixed lot. SOme are actually pretty good, but some are money making machines, servants of the rich and powerful, and unable to fail a student who might be the son of an important donor. (Which is most!) Pay is good, but not everybody would be suited to putting up with it...

Best,
Justin

[naturegirl321]

What was so frustrating about working there?

[john_n_carolina]

...yes, wherever you work / teach, you have to stay positive....i stayed at CEC Quito for 3 years and saw many come and go...

Espiritu Santo, actually has American students studying there....it's top-notch...and very different than working at a public Ecuadorian univ, which has a strike every other week.

it's private, and, many Presidents, hijos, etc have studied there...
also, the tennis player LaPente...

tell you what, there's gotta be worse ---

plus, don't forget...the coastal students are friendlier in general, if not too friendly (im married now to a guayaqilena)

[Justin Trullinger]

Congrats, John!

It's a good earning position, and that compensates for a lot, as well.

As I said, I haven't worked there, so this is hearsay, but what some have been frustrated by is:

The darn weather. I know that some like it- for me and for many, Guayaquil is simply too freakin hot.

Institutional inefficiency. Again, this is second hand- but many seem to think that, though prestigious, the place is hopelessly inefficiently micromanaged. My other experiences in Latin America would make me think this is probably true.

Institutional corruption. Moonraven complained about questionable standards required for passing, if I recall. (Flexible according to who the kids are would be my guess.) Also seems to have been a confusion with a degree accreditation relationship with a US university. Again, I'm not testifying to the correctness of the details, but it seems likely. Certainly is the case within other universities I've dealt with- and heck, look who's been to Yale and Princeton! It happens.


I'm not a big fan of private education- but let's be straight: If you're gonna work for a private uni in South America, these problems are common, though not universal. If you're gonna work anywhere in South America, these kinds of salaries are NOT at all common. SO it seems like an alright gig overall to me.

Best,

Justin

[john_n_carolina]

...yes Justin, in general all universities in L.A. have levels of disorder, inefficiency...

in Ecuador, I taught at ESPE (military school) and it was extremely inefficient...

2nd worse, was La Catolica de Ecuador....took them 2 months to write my convenio...meanwhile, i was able to get a RUC # in Ecuador with just a passport!!...this means, that i was legally able to work in Ecuador for 10 years and i never presented a convenio or anything...i think the girl at the desk though i was cute...

the worst part always for me at Universities in L.A. is you have 45 students in a class (especially mornings)....many ESL studies have shown there is no learning once you pass 14 students...so, it's nice to have a lot of girls staring at you, but when it comes times to learning, it's no fun...

[naturegirl321]

Just went to the website, the job advert isn't up anymore, wonder if they filled the position?

[john_n_carolina]

...i don't see it anymore either....checked on Google also....

actually, i would write the school, or call the Director of ESL....

all my ESL Univ jobs i had in L.A., i walked into the office of Director....she said she never looks at email resumes....sometimes,
a phone call she would listen, but never emails...

Espiritu might be different.

With your M.A. I think you'd have a very good chance of getting something...

Sure you don't want to go to the US, some small university in the midwest like Kansas?

[MELEE]

Oh, Justin you jogged my memory.
Moonraven had been told that the degrees the students were to recieve were going to be accredited by some US university and that turned out to be untrue.
I also wouldn't be able to stand the weather in Guayaquil for more than two weeks. But other's I've know would love it. You could easily slip up the coast to nice beaches every weekend.

[john_n_carolina]

...don't know about degrees, but im pretty sure the classes they've taken would count at any US university....

if you have 2 years here and pass the TOEFL with a great score, any average US university will take you....

degrees are different because they are so "curriculum specific" and every university has different core classes....

[john_n_carolina]

as far as the heat, you just have to stay out of it from 1-4PM...the rest of the day is beautiful....

at night in Guayaquil when the sun goes down, a fairly good breeze whips through 9 de Octubre, and actually has a little chill to it.

these types of climate (when i lived / taught in the Galapagos)....i only take ice cold showers during the day.

and, in reality, Guayaquil makes you drink more water, which in effect will have far more health benefits than drinking Pilsener in Cuenca