At a glance
- Study Spanish in Ecuador while living on the beautiful San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. You’ll get personalised Spanish lessons each week with a professional language teacher.
- Interact with native Spanish speakers on a daily basis in the markets, restaurants and on your travels. Study Spanish full-time, or part-time alongside another project.
- You will live in a shared volunteer accommodation on the island, which means you can share meals and explore with other volunteers.
Is a Spanish Language Course in Ecuador right for me?
If you have a strong desire to travel, learn a new language, and make lots of great connections, this is your chance!
Spanish is the second most commonly-spoken language in the world and is a valuable skill to have under your belt and on your CV. You also have the opportunity to volunteer before, during, or after your studies. Doing so gives you the chance to support ongoing efforts to support local communities.
Whether you’re an absolute beginner, or need to practice having conversations, we will tailor the course to your individual needs. This course runs throughout the year, so you can sign up at any point. The minimum duration is one week, but we recommend staying longer in order to learn as much as possible.
What will I do on the Spanish Language Course in Ecuador?
You will live on San Cristobal Island, and will receive weekly Spanish language classes from a qualified language teacher. Here are some of the activities you can expect to take part in on this course:
- Learn Spanish from a qualified teacher
- Explore San Cristobal Island
- Volunteer on a project before, during, or after your language course
This course will include the following activities:
Learn Spanish from a qualified teacher
You will spend a few hours each day learning Spanish grammar and vocabulary, and practicing conversation. The duration of your classes will depend on whether you take the standalone course, or an add-on language course. If you study full-time, you will have 15 hours of classes per week.
Our add-ons can be taken in 5, 14, or 30-hour blocks. Classes will take place at the Projects Abroad office, and depending on your level of proficiency, you may be placed in a class with two or three other students.
If you are taking this course as an add-on or a bridging course in order to volunteer or do an internship, your teacher will tailor the classes to your programme. You can learn vocabulary and conversation skills relevant to the project you do.
Explore the San Cristobal Island
There is plenty for you to see and do in Ecuador. You can explore the island and interact with locals, or spend time with other Projects Abroad volunteers. Visit extinct volcanoes, go snorkeling to witness an underwater paradise, or see amazing endemic animals such sea lions, iguanas, and giant tortoises. There is so much for you to discover
Volunteer on a project during or after your language course
If you choose to volunteer before, during, or after your language course, the majority of your day will be spent participating in various volunteer activities. Depending on the project you choose to work on, you may do things like support early childhood development at kindergartens, or teach English at local schools.
Where in Ecuador will I be working?
San Cristobal
You will live on San Cristobal Island, and stay with other Projects Abroad volunteers in a shared accommodation. Your language classes will take place at the Projects Abroad office.
San Cristobal forms part of the Galapagos Islands, known for their vast number of endemic species, many found nowhere else on earth. San Cristobal boasts four extinct volcanoes, and is the island where Charles Darwin first went ashore to conduct fieldwork on his theory of evolution.
Activities on the island include:
- Snorkeling
- Hiking
- Viewing an exciting variety of sea and land animals
- Visiting beautiful beaches
- Seeing incredible extinct volcanoes
A typical day on this Spanish Language Course in Ecuador
Your week will run from Monday to Friday, with evenings and weekends free.
Your day will begin with breakfast together with other volunteers, where you will have the chance to chat about the day ahead, and get to know each other.
If you prefer, you can have your lessons first thing in the morning, and can spend the rest of the day sightseeing with other students. Alternatively, you can sight see earlier in the day, and take your lessons in the afternoon.
In your free time, we encourage you to explore! Use this opportunity to practice speaking with local native speakers at restaurants, cafes, and markets. We also organise regular socials for all of our students, volunteers and interns to join.
Aims and impact of this Spanish Language Course
The aim of this course is to help you to learn Spanish in a Spanish-speaking environment. We also give you the opportunity to travel safely, and add international experience to your CV at the same time.
Spanish is spoken worldwide. This makes it a useful language to add to your CV, and it will also help you on your travels. You can do this course no matter what level you are, and we accept beginners.
If you also volunteer on one of our projects you will be helping us to meet some of our key goals in Ecuador. For example, you can support early childhood development in understaffed, disadvantaged kindergartens. Whichever project you get involved in, you will form part of a network of Projects Abroad volunteers actively making a difference worldwide.
If your chosen project has Spanish requirements, we strongly recommend doing the language course first. Your language teacher can tailor your lessons to your project, teaching you relevant vocabulary and appropriate conversation.
Take part in this Spanish Language Course in Ecuador and enrich your life with wonderful memories and valuable skills.
Measuring our impact
Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.
Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.
Food and Accommodation
You'll share accommodation with other Projects Abroad volunteers and interns during your stay in San Cristobal. This is a great way to get to know your fellow volunteers and interns, share experiences, and explore your surroundings in your free time together. You can also request to stay with a host family in San Cristobal.
The accommodation is safe, clean, and comfortable. Your program fees include three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
Our projects in Ecuador are based in the Galapagos Islands. This region is famed for the research Charles Darwin did here with its many unique animal species. It’s the ideal location to explore the natural beauty of Ecuador.
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 snorkeling 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.
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
This placement is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.
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