Job Discussion Forums

[Jslag13]

Hi. I am leaving in April to teach English in the coastal region of Ecuador. I really have no idea what to expect. I would really appreciate any advice anyone could give me.

Thanks!

[sperling]

You can find a lot of really good information on Ecuador at:

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobinfo/latinamerica/sefer.cgi?Ecuador

Here is an example from October:

Hello there,
I�ve been living and working in Ecuador for over three months now and its time for me to make my contribution to this page. First of all, I agree with almost everything in the previous message. It is true that Ecuador is expensive. In fact, it is now the MOST expensive country in latin America. Not only that, but it is going to get worse before it gets better. There has recently been a presidential election and due to the unfortunate choice for president, inflation is expected to rise again. Having said this, if you are american, things are still cheaper here- no doubt about it. However, if you are Canadian like myself, the value of the canadian dollar makes things considerably more difficult.

I also agree that there are quite a few jobs to be had, but not many good ones. Key Language is a popular school with this site and its definitely a good one. They pay well and its run by nice ladies. The only problem right now is that they dont have jobs! Everyone knows about it, and there are more foreigners here than there used to be so KEY does not have any more hours to give. I work at Berlitz and it has its good and bad points. It pays $5.5 which is not bad but not great either. They have no guaruntee for hours so I never know how much I will make. There are some other strange things about it but it is a good place. I get paid for every hour I work twice a month, and its not difficult to teach there. In other words, I dont have to spend time planning lessons becasue they have great materials to use. I say this because many schools have poor or no materials for use and teachers spend their free time planning lessons. Of course, this may be better for you if you want to be more creative with your teaching.

Im not going to talk about all the schools but I have been to many schools so please feel free to preguntame.

I also agree with the previous message concerning visas. If you have a working visa, do yourself a favour and go for a University job. They pay much more and the jobs are fantastic. If you dont have a visa, dont panic, neither do I. If you have the extra thousand bucks, go for the investors visa because it lasts for as long as the money�s in the bank and you dont spend a penny.

Although this is an ESL site, Id like to comment breifly on life in general here if I may. First of all, it is beautiful here. The Andes are spectacular, the whether is perfect (well almost) and you can have a good life here. Its also�a small country and there are a lot of tourist things to do close to Quito which is a big plus. Apartments are not too hard to come by but make sure you look around and talk to as many people as possible. The prices are like the last person said: $150 - 350 depending on the size and location. dont listen to people who say you can have an apartment for 70 bucks or even 100 bucks. They exist but they are slums. Even 150 is a cheapo. This is for Quito so Im not sure about the rest of Ecuador but if I were you, I would play it safe and expect similar prices.
Quito can be a fun city but if you are wanting to seriously party all the time, maybe you should think of Guayaquil. People here are in their homes and off the street soon after dark and at that time things become dangerous. Of course there are exceptions and there is fun to be had but its just not common as it could be. And yes, Quito is dangerous. Do not walk around at night with or without a friend. Things happen all the time and instead of telling specific stories I will just say be careful! Taxis are everywhere and are cheap so its better to take one.

As for the Ecuadorian people, I will not comment. This is becasue I dont want to generalize and because that is something personal that you have to figure out on your own.

Well that�s about all I have to say. I have said some negative-sounding things but I do like it here and I would recommend coming. Besides, without the negative things, life would be too easy and that�s not why you are thinking of coming, right?

If anyone has any questions about anything, don�t hesitate to ask. My name is Jeff and this site was a big help to me and I would encourage you to email the people here- especially the more recent messages because a LOT has changed here over the last two or three years.

Anyway, good luck and happy travels,

Jeff
[email protected]


Oct. 22, 2002
Posted: October 22, 2002

[boxcarwilly]

Costs of basic goods and services just went up by a huge percentage almost overnight pushing this shakey economy toward definite crisis. Theft is a very big problem all over Ecuador so you have to keep attached to your body, anything you don't want to lose. If you take your eye off anything of value, it will walk away. These folks work in large groups and will try anything to distract you while someone steals you blind. I lived and taught in Quito and am fond of saying that the beauty of Ecuador is matched only the ugliness of many of its people. Just witnessing these nuts tossing trash out of the bus windows is enough to drive you crazy. There is no sense of community in Ecuador; it's every man for himself.

[Brenda]

I've just seen a posting on a site linked to Dave's regarding a job opportunity in Quito, Ecuador in a school called Inlingua. Is this a good school? I've worked for a year in the heart of Mexico and so I've experienced living in a latin american setting but the comments I've been reading in this discussion thread don't seem to portray life in Quito in at all a positive way. Is it really that bad? Would anyone seriously recommend against heading down to Quito, Ecuador?? Is anyone willing to share more details about this city and its people?? Any good points besides the landscape? I want to enjoy life, not gaze at the mountains all day/night long when not teaching...

Brenda