A Projects Abroad volunteer teaching English in Ecuador

Volunteer Teaching in Ecuador

Live and work in the Galapagos and help disadvantaged children improve their English conversation

Destination

Ecuador

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

Request Info

Starting at £1,675 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Gain real teaching experience

Lead English lessons at the dedicated English language centre, working with small groups to improve conversational skills.

Understand Ecuadorian education

Learn about the Galapagos education system through hands-on experience, gaining valuable insights into teaching methodologies.

Contribute to English education

Help improve English levels among children, making a real difference in their educational development and improving their future employment prospects.

Enjoy Ecuadorian culture

Live with a host family, enjoy Ecuadorian cuisine, and explore the unique beauty and wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.

Develop personal skills

Enhance your adaptability, communication, and problem-solving skills while experiencing a new culture and broadening your global perspective.

What you need to know

Overview

This project is perfect for anyone looking for teaching experience. You’ll get practical experience in a different classroom setting and work with qualified teachers. If you’re interested in becoming a teacher, this is a fantastic addition to your CV. Plus, it will give you plenty to talk about in a job interview or university application.

This project is open to anyone with an excellent command of spoken English. You don’t need any teaching experience, as you will be working alongside local staff. We also run workshops for all our Teaching volunteers, where you can exchange ideas, get advice, and discuss challenges.

While English is the main focus of this project, you could also volunteer to teach an extra subject or two that you feel passionate about. Speak to your supervisor about this.

Our volunteer Teaching placements in Ecuador run throughout the year, and you can join at any time. We encourage you to stay longer to make a bigger impact on your students.

A Day in the Life

The exact details of your day will depend on your placement.

If you teach conversational English at the Projects Abroad Office, your working day will normally start around 12 pm and run until the early evening. During these lessons, you will focus on your students’ spoken English and help improve their capacity to have conversations. You can do this by creating possible scenarios and starting a casual conversation in this context. The key is to help the student feel as comfortable as possible.

If you opt to teach English at a local public school, you will normally work from about 7:30 am till 2 pm. While these lessons will include conversational English, you will also help children improve punctuation and grammar.

You also have the option of doing both, which means you can work at the school in the morning and at our offices in the afternoon.

Evenings and weekends are your free time to explore the island with your fellow volunteers.

Also, be sure to make the most of mealtimes with your host family to learn more about Ecuador’s culture and life on the Galapagos Islands.

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this project is to provide educational support within disadvantaged schools and communities. This will help us reduce inequality in education.

Over the past few years, Ecuador has made great progress toward providing primary school education for all. The youth literacy rate currently stands at 99%. However, a huge gap remains between the quality of education provided in public and private schools. Rural schools lack resources, and the student-to-teacher ratio is high. Teachers desperately need support with classroom management.

In addition, tourism is a massive industry in the Galapagos Islands because of its incredible biodiversity. This means that people need to understand and speak English to get access to more job opportunities.

We need your help to improve English and support local teachers. By teaching conversational English, you’ll give children the skills they need and give them more confidence with speaking.

We’ve identified two long-term, sustainable goals for our Teaching Project in Ecuador:

Improve English
Improve classroom support

Experience a teaching volunteer opportunity in Ecuador and help us achieve these goals.

Activities

As a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador, your main focus will be to teach conversational English to young children at government schools. You will work alongside local staff and teachers, who will be able to offer you support and advice.

Help children gain confidence with their English conversation skills
Assist with other subjects you might be interested in
Work at a summer camp during school holidays
Teach conversational English at the Projects Abroad English Centre

At your volunteer Teaching Placement in Ecuador, your work will focus on the following:

Help improve English conversation skills

As a volunteer English teacher, you can help nurture the new generation of young Ecuadorians to be confident speaking the language to anyone they encounter. You will do this by helping improve pronunciation, phonetics, and grammar.

We also set up conversation classes to improve the student’s oral skills and capacity to participate in conversations. You and other volunteers will play an important role in facilitating these.

Assist with other subjects you might be interested in

If you have skills or knowledge about teaching other subjects, you can volunteer to assist local teachers with those too. Some ideas include additional languages (e.g. German or French), IT, maths and science.

Work at a summer camp during school holidays

During the school holidays in March and April, you can get involved at our summer camp and focus on teaching English, art, and sports to local children. Sports lessons may include swimming, basketball, and football, but you can also teach any other sport you’re interested in. The children who attend the camp are between the ages of 3 and 11.

Teach conversational English to adults

We also have an English Centre at the Projects Abroad Offices. You can choose to teach conversational English to both adults and children here. You can do this exclusively or combine it with working at a school.

Map & Location

The Galapagos Islands are a “living laboratory” and world-famous biodiversity hotspot. Located 1,000 km west of mainland Ecuador, their isolation has resulted in unique species found nowhere else on earth. A real “Bucket List” destination.

With no natural predators, the animals show almost no fear of humans. Get ready for up-close encounters with incredible creatures like Galapagos Giant Tortoises, Marine Iguanas, and Blue-footed Boobies.

San Cristobal

San Cristobal is the fifth largest and farthest east of the Galapagos Islands. Although not the biggest in terms of population, it is home to the capital of the Galapagos Province and oldest settlement on the islands, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

With a population of around 7,000 people, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is a sleepy, tropical settlement with all of the essentials. You’re just as likely to find friendly sea lions lounging around town as you are the welcoming locals!

Food & Accommodation

Enjoy your Ecuadorian experience with a warm and welcoming local host family, carefully vetted by us. They’ll provide everything you need for a fantastic time, including a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and fresh drinking water, with transport to and from your placement arranged by our team.

Your home away from home will be clean, safe, and secure with fast Wi-Fi and in a convenient location. Your host family will prepare your meals and you will speak with them every day, giving you a unique glimpse into the local language, culture, and cuisine.

You will live alongside other Projects Abroad participants, possibly sharing a room with someone of the same gender and age as you. This gives you the chance to share the experience, build bonds, and relax with other travellers on your trip.

Free Time and Leisure

The Galapagos Islands, famous for the research Charles Darwin did here with its many unique animal species, is the ideal location to explore and immerse in the tranquillity of nature.

While you’re volunteering here, it’s worth checking out the beautiful beaches where seabirds circle above and sea lions laze about on the sand. You can also go snorkelling or scuba diving along the coast.

Hiking around the base of one of the many volcanoes that make up the Galapagos is spectacular and thrilling! You can also follow the Darwin trail or trek through the Punta Pitt.

There are plenty of museums and art galleries for you to learn more about the culture and history. You can also chat to locals and buy souvenirs at bustling markets.

What’s great about joining our projects is the chance to connect with other volunteers. So you can choose to explore the Galapagos independently or you can travel with the new friends you make along the way.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Ecuador Arrival Procedures page.