CIS Abroad - Intern in Ecuador

During my two months in Ecuador, I taught English in a K-12 Catholic school in Quito. My project, which was to incorporate technology and new pedagogy in the classroom, also earned me credit for a Linguistics practicum--an experience that simply could not be replicated had I chosen to complete it at my home institution. I worked from 7-1:30 each day and then took two hours of Spanish classes. Another subsidiary goal was to become fluent in Spanish--through this program, I believe I have achieved that. Although I had taken numerous collegiate level Spanish classes and even spent some time in Spain, I credit the immersive host family setting and also speaking Spanish with colleagues at my school as the two most important factors for my success. Although plenty of people had warned me about safety issues in Ecuador, I was placed in a very safe neighborhood and experienced no problems. Since Quito is the capital of Ecuador, I was never without a theater performance, movie, or some cultural activity to sate my interests. For the nature lovers, Ecuador is the perfect scene of biodiversity and abounds with opportunities for hiking. Also, in general, Ecuadorians are the most compassionate people I have ever met--as evidenced by my very large and gift-laden going away party. After returning to the States, I've started to think about how soon I can go back to Ecuador.