In Ecuador, the ability to speak English is extremely useful for opening employment and further educational possibilities, but language lessons are expensive and often out of reach for those in lower income communities. By volunteering to teach English, you can increase the access to the language and the benefits it can afford.
You’ll be based in schools or centers traditionally attended by children from low income households, helping to teach classes the basics of the English language. Volunteers act as assistant teachers to local staff, helping students that range in age from 3-12 years old. Class sizes can vary from between 15-35 students, though having volunteers on hand to assist means they can be split into more manageable groups.
Tasks include helping with lesson planning, providing classroom support and working one-on-one with students who require it. Activities may be focused on pronunciation, conversation, reading and writing through games and songs. You can also help with weekly evaluations, identifying communication problems, addressing linguistic concerns and developing language teaching strategies.
Volunteers should be able to speak Spanish to at least a basic level.
As you will be working alongside a local instructor, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher. However, we encourage volunteers to come prepared by completing some relevant training, like a teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) course. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally-recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Please note that during July and August, volunteers will teach English in combination with the School Break project.
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