Great experience teaching abroad

In the US, I teach English to adult immigrants in a couple of settings. One is at a community college, where the context is academic ESL. The other is at a community agency where the focus of the curriculum is survival/acculturation. I was looking for a way to try teaching abroad, and my preference was for a community-oriented curriculum rather than ESL as preparation for academic work. Furthermore, I knew that although I didn't want to be commited long-term, neither did I want to be part of a stream of travelers, each willing to teach for a week or two.

CIS has been a great way to satisfy both of my criteria. First, the curriculum at CIS is focused on the social issues of El Salvador today. Since the teachers in the English school are all from outside of El Salvador, CIS provides constant opportunities to visit to places, participate in activities, and discuss El Salvador past and present. CIS was a great way for me to learn more than I could on my own with a guidebook!

My second wish was for a stable teaching/learning environment. CIS has fixed cycles, which has been great. There's time enough to feel at home with the curriculm and to get to know the students. Many of the students have attended the CIS English school for several cycles, advancing from one level to the next. CIS fosters a sense of community which extends from cycle to cycle, so the teachers feel welcomed into a 'family' at the school.