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SPANISH COURSES AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN ECUADOR
The locations
- Quito: Ecuador's capital, is nestled in an Andean valley at 2800 meters above sea level, and has a pleasant spring-like climate all year around. The school is located in the heart of the "New City", just 10 minutes from the historic Old Town, inside a neighborhood with a vibrant food and artisan market.
The Spanish school is located within a renovated colonial-style house and is equipped with barbeque, video room, fireplace, library, laundry, storage room, and a common room for breaks.
- Galapagos Islands: Puerto Ayora on the Galapagos Islands is a small fishing village, yet very lively due to it being the starting point for most Galapagos Islands tours.
After classes you can swim or sunbathe at the beaches, visit caves or the Darwin Centre, hike up a volcano, rent a bike, learn salsa dance, or simply just relax. You can follow the classes in a flexible program that you can combine with trips and other activities.
- Otavalo: A small indigenous town in a valley close to the extinct volcanos of Imbabura and Cotocachi.
It is famous for the incredible success of its indigenous population in selling artisan crafts and quality textiles.
The school is located in the heart of Otavalo, just a few minutes walk from Otavalo's famous artisan market in the Plaza de Poncho. The school facilities include a library, laundry, a common room for breaks and a terrace with a wonderful view of the city and the mountains.
The second Otovalo Spanish School location is in an indigenious community where the student will live with an indigenious family fully participating in their life. The family provides a private bedroom with bathroom and 3 meals per day. The student will study 4 hours in the morning (Monday-Friday). After lunch students work on the farm or other activities with the family. Total price per week (6 nights) is
$309.
Apart from these locations, you have other programs to choose: Jungle classes (it takes place in an eco-lodge in the Napo area), Ranchero program (based at an organic farming hacienda, located in the north west of the Province of Pichincha) and Travelling classroom (perfect for studying Spanish and for discovering the natural wonders of Ecuador). Ask us for more information if you are interested in any of these other programs.
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Methodology
Teaching is based on a rigorous structure of 10 modules (levels), which covers all the core elements of Spanish grammar. In order to help students to acquires Spanish skills, teaching combines written and oral grammar exercises, listening exercises and conversation.
Students with prior knowledge of Spanish are asked to complete a short written test at the beginning of their course to know their level. There are individual classes that are strongly recommended for beginners and group classes (maximum 4 students per class).
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The classes
The school offers students the choice of six distinct locations in Ecuador in which to study Spanish.
- Individual teaching: From 20 to 35 hours per week.
- Group lessons: 20 hours of Spanish classes per week.
- Combination classes: 4 hours per day in the morning + 2 hours of Spanish classes in the afternoon: 30 hours of Spanish classes per week.
The minimum course duration is 1 week of Spanish classes with minimum 20 hours.
At advanced levels, they offer specialized courses (Curso Especial), such as business Spanish, literature, Latin American history and special vocabulary classes such as for medicine, law etc. These courses are available on a one-to-one basis only.
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The accommodation
The school offers the students the choice of living with an Ecuadorian family or in a hostel/hotel.
The host families are located in safe and quiet neighbourhoods close to the school and most of them have been hosting students for many years.
If you prefer to stay in a hotel/hostel, the school recommends three locations that offer a variety of accommodation, variable prices, something for everyone, and are within easy reach of the school.
Social and cultural activities
The school organizes evening activities and weekend excursions where students get the chance to relax, get to know their classmates, practice their Spanish, and explore Ecuador.
During the week the school organizes cooking classes, free salsa lessons, and other mini trips, including going to the cinema to see Spanish films, visiting local museums in the new city or touring the cathedrals and culture of the old city.
The school also provides weekend excursions (every week) to the rainforest, volcanoes, cloud forests, beaches, and many more sites of outstanding beauty or interest.
Some of the more popular trips are: hiking in the Cotopaxi Reserve, trekking and horseback riding in the Andes and rafting in the cloud forests of Mindo.
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Volunteer Programs
The school works with several organizations to help the students to find volunteer positions of social or environmental benefit.
The minimum period for volunteering is 1 week with no upper limit for participation. In the case that volunteers wish to volunteer for more than 3 months the school help students organize their volunteer visa.
Normally all volunteer programs ask for a contributory payment. This payment in the case of children's organizations will help them to buy teaching or didactical material and in case of environmental organisations it will help them to cover the costs of their programs.
Volunteer payments run from US$70 to US$750 per month. Some organizations ask for an application payment of around US$35.
There are three types of organizations to choose: street children, environmental and international organizations. |
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Fees
Click here to see the fees of the courses depending on their length as well as the different options of accommodation. Fees
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