Moving to Ecuador
Jan 16th 2016, 1:04 am
#16
Banned
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 364
Re: Moving to Ecuador
I knew very basic Spanish, my husband was better, but definitely not fluent. I can get by now, but I still can't hold a proper conversation (that's one of the big downsides to teaching English, you speak English all day, and everyone you get to know wants to practice their English with you).
Lots of people arrive not knowing a word of Spanish. It makes no difference to English teaching, most places here want 'immersive' teaching, so they don't allow you to use Spanish in class at all anyway. But daily life would be exhausting (and very restricted) if you didn't learn something eventually.
For the lowest level jobs you don't need anything other than to be a native speaker. A bachelor degree and CELTA or equivalent will give you a lot more opportunities. But realistically you need to base yourself in Quito or Guayaquil, as that's where the work is (and the pay is better in Quito). Cuenca is over run with gringos and you can't make a decent living there teaching English. On the coast you are competing with the surfer backpackers who will work for bed and board, so again, it's hard to make a living wage.
With a degree and a decent TEFL certificate you can earn $8-$15/hr in Quito. At the higher end of that they will expect more (unpaid) prep and grading, so it pretty much balances out. As a very very rough rule of thumb you should be able to make $1,000-$1,200 / m pretty easily.
There is more lucrative work in the better bilingual schools, where it's more like $1,800-$2,000/m, but they will work you hard for that. University work tends to be easier but pays less, unless you have post grad qualifications (in any subject).
Most things here are done by reputation and contacts, so expect to have to suck it up at a language school for a while as you build up your network. Then you can jack in the institutes and just get private students. Flakey students can be a hassle, but you can charge about $10/h for conversation classes with practically zero prep, or $20+ for other classes. If you have something specialist you can offer than you can charge $30+.
If you are fluent in Spanish and have post grad qualifications you can teach content classes at university and that pays much better. If you have a PhD you can teach content in English, but that's a pretty niche market.
This info is for Quito, expect it to considerably less elsewhere, though of course living costs are lower elsewhere as well.
Lots of people arrive not knowing a word of Spanish. It makes no difference to English teaching, most places here want 'immersive' teaching, so they don't allow you to use Spanish in class at all anyway. But daily life would be exhausting (and very restricted) if you didn't learn something eventually.
For the lowest level jobs you don't need anything other than to be a native speaker. A bachelor degree and CELTA or equivalent will give you a lot more opportunities. But realistically you need to base yourself in Quito or Guayaquil, as that's where the work is (and the pay is better in Quito). Cuenca is over run with gringos and you can't make a decent living there teaching English. On the coast you are competing with the surfer backpackers who will work for bed and board, so again, it's hard to make a living wage.
With a degree and a decent TEFL certificate you can earn $8-$15/hr in Quito. At the higher end of that they will expect more (unpaid) prep and grading, so it pretty much balances out. As a very very rough rule of thumb you should be able to make $1,000-$1,200 / m pretty easily.
There is more lucrative work in the better bilingual schools, where it's more like $1,800-$2,000/m, but they will work you hard for that. University work tends to be easier but pays less, unless you have post grad qualifications (in any subject).
Most things here are done by reputation and contacts, so expect to have to suck it up at a language school for a while as you build up your network. Then you can jack in the institutes and just get private students. Flakey students can be a hassle, but you can charge about $10/h for conversation classes with practically zero prep, or $20+ for other classes. If you have something specialist you can offer than you can charge $30+.
If you are fluent in Spanish and have post grad qualifications you can teach content classes at university and that pays much better. If you have a PhD you can teach content in English, but that's a pretty niche market.
This info is for Quito, expect it to considerably less elsewhere, though of course living costs are lower elsewhere as well.
Jan 16th 2016, 8:02 pm
#17
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 6
Re: Moving to Ecuador
Hi,
I have a friend who has moved to Quito a couple of months back. Would you like me to ask her?
Tammie
I have a friend who has moved to Quito a couple of months back. Would you like me to ask her?
Tammie
Jan 17th 2016, 1:37 pm
#18
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: Moving to Ecuador
Teaching English is not something that can be done by anyone. it is NOT enough to be a native speaker. Those who use the "Direct method" argue that knowledge of a student's mother tongue is not necessary, but I have always had issues with that.
Most decent EFL jobs anywhere require a degree and at least a CELTA. Teaching English is a lot easier if you have experience yourself of learning/acquiring foreign languages.( Not necessarily the one spoken by your students.) That sensitises you to the problems students have in the acquisistion of another language.
Most decent EFL jobs anywhere require a degree and at least a CELTA. Teaching English is a lot easier if you have experience yourself of learning/acquiring foreign languages.( Not necessarily the one spoken by your students.) That sensitises you to the problems students have in the acquisistion of another language.
Jan 18th 2016, 4:19 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2015
Location: Thailand
Posts: 35
Re: Moving to Ecuador
I absolutely agree that anyone planning to teach English should at least have had some basic training. Nonetheless, there is no point me lying and saying it's essential in Ecuador, because as soon as someone arrives here it will be painfully obvious that there are a number of places who will hire pretty much anyone. A better question may be whether what goes on in those institutes can really be called teaching.
As for Spanish in the classroom. Personally, I don't think L1 use is the heinous crime it's often portrayed as. However, in most cases employers and students expect/demand zero Spanish use here. If you get a reputation for using Spanish in the classroom you will quickly become unemployable (and I have seen several otherwise competent teachers back themselves into that corner). No-one's going to be be interested in whether you agree with policy or not. So if someone feels strongly that this goes against their own personal pedagogy, they should probably look elsewhere. It's not a battle they are likely to win in Ecuador.
As for Spanish in the classroom. Personally, I don't think L1 use is the heinous crime it's often portrayed as. However, in most cases employers and students expect/demand zero Spanish use here. If you get a reputation for using Spanish in the classroom you will quickly become unemployable (and I have seen several otherwise competent teachers back themselves into that corner). No-one's going to be be interested in whether you agree with policy or not. So if someone feels strongly that this goes against their own personal pedagogy, they should probably look elsewhere. It's not a battle they are likely to win in Ecuador.
