Join our volunteer program in Ecuador and receive FREE Spanish lessons – 2 hours a day for up to 20 hours.
Ecuador
The smallest country in the jagged Andean highlands, Ecuador is among South America's most amazing volunteer travel destinations. With its array of ever-colorful indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, striking volcanic landscapes and dense rainforests, Ecuador offers a perfect destination for students, explorers, and volunteers.
The far-flung islands of Ecuador are lauded as one of the world's greatest natural historical treasures – their unique diversity of plant and animal life providing a living textbook for ecologists and nature lovers alike. The Volunteer in Ecuador program now provides participants the unique opportunity of learning Spanish while assisting the local people, and exploring the great, mystifying land of Ecuador.
The School
Global Crossroad's Spanish lessons are taught in Quito, these lessons are offered in either indoor classrooms or in this location's naturally beautiful gardens. Offering a relaxing environment for students, eager minds can also enjoy their pristine surroundings while enjoying a cup of aromatic tea or coffee.
Our Spanish classes are taught by professional Spanish teachers and tailored to meet your current Spanish level and specific needs.
How does it work?
On your first day, you will participate in a brief orientation followed by a diagnostic, language placement test determining optimal placement at an appropriate level. Throughout your language training, the teacher will continuously assess your ability in the 4 language skills – Speaking, Listening, Reading , and Writing – and the 4 language systems – Grammar, Vocabulary, Phonology, and Function.
We offer 2 hours of group Spanish lessons each day (10 hours per week) for beginner and intermediate levels of Spanish. We do not offer advance Spanish language training. Students study Spanish while simultaneously working in their respective volunteer project for the entire duration of the program (maximum 12 weeks). For example, volunteers can take Spanish classes from 9:00-11:00 AM (before lunch), followed by volunteer activities (depending on participants' respective projects). Alternatively, volunteers may take Spanish classes from 3:00-4:00 PM (after their day's volunteer work). Global Crossroad's In-Country Coordinator will organize your Spanish classes and volunteer work in collaboration with our Spanish teacher and your project site.
Note: Spanish classes are not required and participants may choose to discontinue their Spanish classes whenever they choose to.
Spanish Levels
Basic
Basic classes are for volunteers with no previous experience in Spanish. Volunteers will be taught basic grammatical structures, vocabulary, and will immediately begin speaking in Spanish, thereby gaining a concrete foundation in the language.
High Basic
For volunteers with an elementary knowledge of the Spanish language, theses classes focus on reinforcing grammar, teaching new vocabulary, and increasing speaking capacity, enabling you to express yourself clearly in daily situations.
Pre-Intermediate I and II
These classes build on volunteers' previous experience with Spanish, reinforcing all areas of the language, with an increasing importance placed on speaking, reading, and vocabulary-building.
Intermediate I and II
At this point, volunteers likely speak Spanish, but are still struggling with the more difficult grammar points. These classes focus primarily on conversation, reading, and vocabulary-building; as well as on increasing your grammatical accuracy by reinforcing areas such as the use of the 'subjunctive' and 'indefinite past'. Focus is on the ability to express yourself spontaneously and to interact across a variety of social situations with increasing accuracy.
High Intermediate I and II
These classes build on volunteers' conversational base in Spanish, and begin to more finely tune communicative competence by building vocabulary and introducing students to idioms, slang, and points of 'common usage' in Spanish. High Intermediate classes also include emphasis on written expression.
Advanced I and II
Advanced classes at the first and second level continue to fine tune volunteers' Spanish skills. Emphasis is placed on advanced communicative competence - the ability to communicate completely in the Spanish language, across all kinds of situations. Classes emphasize oral skills, sophisticated vocabulary, and increasing students' understanding and ability to use idiomatic Spanish.
*Free Spanish program is not available for the participants joining volunteer program in Galapagos
*Generally, group Spanish lessons cost $7 per hour. Volunteers joining programs for the duration of three (3) months of program can receive up to 20 hours of free Spanish lessons – a market value of approximately $180.
*If you want to continue the Spanish Lesson after completing free 20 hours course, we offer you a wonderful opportunity to continue the course at a discounted rate of $5 per hour.