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Programs:

LANGUAGECORPS' FLAGSHIP PROGRAM IN ECUADOR

LanguageCorps’ Flagship Program in Ecuador provides the following services and support to help ensure you have a secure, rewarding teaching adventure abroad:

• One-week on-site orientation and Spanish language training, to get acquainted with your fellow LanguageCorps Teachers and Corps Advocate and experience living in Quito with an Ecuadorian host family.
• Internationally recognized four-week TESOL training and certification at our Training Center in Quito – an intensive, four week/130 hour course, developed by SIT faculty and based on SIT’s humanistic, experiential, and progressive teaching philosophy. It provides participants with professional knowledge and skills in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) as well as tools for their own reflection and growth as teachers. The course is SIT-licensed, conducted by SIT host sites in partnership with LanguageCorps, and the certificate is recognized worldwide. Home stay accommodations included during orientation and training.
• Guaranteed paid job placement at a Partner School, including as needed and requested: assistance with resumes, scheduling interviews, transportation, job selection, school contracts, and finding housing
• 24/7 on-call Corps Advocate support for the full length of your overseas adventure, to assist you with the myriad of issues that will arise in a new culture, such as housing, medical needs, banking questions, travel arrangements, etc.
• Medical insurance covering you from arrival in Ecuador to departure for home
• Pre-departure Information Package including country facts, packing suggestions, vaccination information, etc., and personal assistance with pre-departure details and questions
• All fees to obtain the initial visa, plus visa document preparation assistance
• Airport pick-up and transportation to our Training Center in Quito
• Group activities and excursions arranged by the Corps Advocate with other LanguageCorps teachers
• “Stay In Touch” package that includes a personal, international cell phone with paid phone time, pre-programmed with the Corps Advocate’s number
• Emergency evacuation coverage
• Career oriented re-entry package to help market your international teaching experience and enhance your resume

Not included:

• Round-trip airfare to host country
• Additional visas
• Personal expenses (meals, entertainment, local transport, living expenses, and personal shopping); note that it is wise to arrive with some cash for expenses prior to job placement

The Flagship Program Fee is US$4,395.

All Flagship Program participants enjoy guaranteed job placement. Pay varies depending on specific teaching assignment. Learn more about what you can earn.

LanguageCorps requires a US$500 non-refundable deposit after acceptance. Balance is due two weeks prior to established date for departure from home country.

Note: The deadline for acceptance into the LanguageCorps Flagship Program and receipt of deposit is 45 days prior to the start date. However, to ensure placement in the program you desire, we advise applying two to six months prior to your intended start date. Late placements are sometimes possible; please contact us immediately if you are applying less than two months before your desired start date.

SHORT-TERM VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, ECUADOR

Program Overview

Our Volunteer Program has been carefully crafted to ensure that your experience is as rewarding and enjoyable as possible - for you, and for your students. The 8 week program includes one week of abbreviated TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training at our training center in Quito, as well as housing, 10 hours of Spanish language lessons, airport pickup, a personal cell phone (for the duration of the program), visas, insurance, an excursion to the Mindo Cloud Forest, and more. Perhaps most importantly, it includes 7 weeks teaching and changing lives at one of the LanguageCorps' partner orphanages or schools. And in your free time you can enjoy cultural dinners with your peers, trips to the beach and countryside, and all the experiences a country as foreign and unique as Ecuador has to offer. The program fee for the two month Volunteer Program is US$ 2,195, and each additional week is US$150.

Locations & Where You'll Be Teaching

Stretching from the Volcano Pichincha to the west and the steep canyon of the river Machangara in the east, Quito is divided into “Old” and “New” cities. The Old has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site based on its astounding colonial architecture, which takes full advantage of the regional timber and vegetation, while the New shines with modern office buildings and thriving businesses.

Our Training Center is in a very new part of Quito, with all of the conveniences of a modern capital. The city is right in the middle of the Andes (several nearby peaks stellar day trips), and its central location allows for plenty of weekend sightseeing in the rest of Ecuador. Nearby are opportunities to swim in the warm Pacific waters, visit colorful Indian markets, and witness some of the most magnificent active volcanoes in the world. Within the city itself, a very extensive network of public transportation allows for easy exploration of both the Old and New cities.

Teaching assignments will be at a LanguageCorps affiliated orphanage or school, where you will be working with children or young adults. Most of the students are fifteen or younger, and are eager for the opportunity to learn English - which they may then leverage into jobs as English teachers, working in Tourism, or other professions such as computer science.

The Program

The LanguageCorps experience begins with your pre-departure package, helping you to properly plan and prepare for your trip. Your adventure teaching English in Ecuador begins when you arrive at the airport in Quito. There you will be met by a member of the LanguageCorps staff, who will take care of any necessary visas, and begin to acclimate you to your new home. You will be provided with a cell phone which is yours for the duration of the program. The first week of the program will be spent in basic TESOL training. This course will give you many of the skills and experiences necessary to make your teaching adventure a successful one. As part of the training process, you will recieve 10 hours of Spanish language and culture instruction, further acclimating you to your new environment. With the groundwork for success laid, you will be ready to move on to your seven week teaching assignment. Daily transportation is provided to and from your teaching assignment. This program was designed to allow you to spend the bulk of your time teaching, rather than in training. However, if you wish to take the full four week training course and achieve TESOL certification, please speak with your LanguageCorps representative. You will still be able to volunteer part-time during training, and we'd be happy to work with you to extend your teaching assignment.

The 8 week* Volunteer Program includes:

• Pre-departure package and assistance
• All required visas
• Medical and evacuation Insurance
• One week TESOL training*
• Language and Cultural training
• 7 weeks volunteer experience teaching in a partner orphanage or school
• 8 weeks housing
• Cell phone for duration of the program
• Welcoming tour and dinner with peers
• Gift to orphanage or school ($100 donation given in your name)
• Transportation to and from the orphanage/school
• Excursion to the Mindo Cloud Forest

The program does NOT include:

• Airfare to/from Ecuador
• Personal expenses, such as food, drink, shopping and social activites

* Longer stays and TESOL Certification is available. Please contact us for additional information.

Program is available June 12 and July 10, 2008.

The Short-Term Volunteer Program fee in Ecuador is US$2,195.