ECOTOURISTIC PROGRAM FOR SPANISH STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS

LOCATION: Integral Farm “El Rosario”, Puerto Quito, Pichincha.

OBJECTIVE: To learn and practice Spanish through coexisting with local people and developing activities related to the environment and community.

PLACE DESCRIPTION

GUESTHOUSE

It provides accommodations for six people, with food, electricity, fresh water, ecological toilet, kitchen, TV, DVD player, internet and camping area.

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer work will be carried out in one of these three areas:

-         Health (10 hours)

-         Education (15 hours)

-         Agriculture (15 hours)

We offer direct support to La Abundancia Medical Center, 8 de Septiembre Primary School and El Rosario Integral Farm respectively.

Health.- Volunteers will assist the Doctors at the Medical Center and plan a medical brigade for diagnosis visiting different nearby little villages.

Education.- Volunteers will help the School teacher, particularly in English lessons, sports and art.

Agriculture.- Volunteers will support the farm´s agroecological engeneering projects with knowledge and simple applications which subsequently will be shared with the community and then run in nearby farms.

Usually, tasks will be assigned according to the specific needs at the moment and the volunteers´ skills; they shall have a basic knowledge on the area of interest. Volunteers may bring a certificate of any related seminar or academic course and a letter specifying their  competences and interests.

SUGGESTED SCHEDULE (Two weeks)

SUNDAY

15h00 Departure from Quito

18h30 Arrival at the Farm, settling, introduction

19h00 Dinner, rest                                                                                                                                               

MONDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Mini tour

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Free time (Internet, hammocs, others)

12h30 Cooking class, traditional dish from the highlands

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Introduction to the volunteering team

16h30 Trekking, river bath, swimming

18h30 Table games

19h30 Dinner

20h30 Summary of activities

TUESDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Milking

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Making of natural face packs

12h30 Cooking class, traditional dish from the coast

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Sports with the community

17h30 River bath

19h00 Dinner

20h00 Bonfire, summary of activities

WEDNESDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Milking

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Aromatherapy, breathing exercices

12h30 Home made yogurt preparation

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Trekking, bath on Crocodile Fall

17h30 Movie

19h30 Dinner

20h30 Summary of activities

THURSDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Making of farmhouse cheese

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Long walk through primary forest Recinto 10 de Agosto

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Fishing

18h00 Cooking class, traditional dish from the amazonia

19h30 Dinner, bonfire

FRIDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Caramel spread preparation

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Long walk through the rubber tree forest

12h30 Fruit harvest, natural juice preparation

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Games with kids from 8 de Septiembre School

17h30 River bath

18h30 Handcrafts making

19h30 Dinner

20h30 Music

SATURDAY

07h00 Breakfast

08h00 Visit to Cascada Azul

12h30 Return to the Farm

13h30 Lunch

15h00 Free time (Internet, hammocs, others)

17h00 Snacks

18h00 Movie

19h30  Dinner, rest

SUNDAY

07h00 Breakfast

08h00 Visit to La Concordia

09h00 Ecuavoley tournament  (Complejo “Doña Isidra”)

12h30 Lunch, rest

14h00 Bath in natural swimming pools

16h00 Return to the Farm

17h00 Coffee and table games

18h30 Bonfire

19h30 Dinner, rest

MONDAY

11h30 Free time (Internet, hammocs, others)

12h30 Cooking class, traditional dish from the zone

13h30 Lunch, rest

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Making of farmhouse chocolate

08h30 Spanish lessons15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 River bath

18h30 Ping pong

19h30 Dinner

20h30 Summary of activities

TUESDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Milking

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Folk music lyrics

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Sports with the community

17h30 River bath

19h00 Dinner

20h00 Summary of activities

WEDNESDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Orange harvest

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Learning dynamic games

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Orange energetic bath

17h30 Movie

19h30 Dinner

20h30 Summary of activities

THURSDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Animal feeding

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Conversation

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Trekking, river bath

18h00 Cheese pasty baking

19h30 Dinner, rest

FRIDAY

07h00 Breakfast

07h45 Exfoliation based on natural elements

08h30 Spanish lessons

11h30 Trekking

12h30 Cacao harvest

13h30 Lunch, rest

15h00 Volunteer work

16h30 Last meeting with the community

17h30 River bath

18h30 Final summary of activities

19h30 Dinner

20h30 Music

SATURDAY

07h00 Breaksfast

08h00 Visit to the beach “Piedra de vapor”

12h30 Return to the Farm

13h30 Lunch

15h00 Free time (Internet, hammocs, others)

17h00 Final report: videos, photos, memories

19h30  Dinner, rest

SUNDAY

07h00 Breakfast, arrangements

08h00 Departure to Quito

11h30 Arrival at Quito

BASIC LUGGAGE

Water proof shoes

Repellent

Sunscreen

Personal hygiene implements

COSTS

$710 per person

Includes:

Two week accommodations with three daily meals

Transportation Quito – Farm – Quito, internal transportation

Guidance

Suggested activities considered in the schedule

Student Book

Spanish Class

PROJECT MANAGER

Patricio Gallardo

* Registration fees is not included

In the jungles of the Upper Amazon 100 species of trees per acre have been recorded. In Central America, only up to 40 species of trees per acre have been discovered. In the temperate3 forests of North America and Europa, rarely more than 20 different species exist per acre. The Amazon support over 600 species of fish and more than 250 species of amphibians and reptiles.

We offer you the possibility  to explore this fantastic World combining with Spanish classes ,it’s ideal for groups from 3 to 6 students.

You will arrive to a comfortable and nice hotel, you will receive classes in the morning and your teacher will go with you to the different activities you’ll have in the afternoon. The last day you will visit an indigenous community of the tribe Shuar and attend to a Shaman healing ceremony. It will be an unforgettable experience.

The itinerary is:

Sunday:    You will travel to the hotel in Puyo and arrive in the afternoon. At your arrival you can take the rest of the afternoon to do some light exploring of the places nearby. When you return to the hostel you will enjoy a dinner.

Monday:    Class in the morning. In the afternoon you will visit a botanical garden “Las Orquídeas” (The Orchids) where you can admire these beautiful flowers. Ecuador has the greatest diversity of orchid species in the world.

Tuesday:   Classes and a visit to the Fatima Zoo where you can see the different animal species of the area.

Wednesday: Classes and a visit to the Hola Vida (Hello Life) waterfall where you   can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and take a swim if you’d like.

Thursday:  Classes and a visit to the Omaere, Nice Park where you can enjoy the botanical diversity of the area.

Friday:      Classes and a visit to an aquarium where you can admire the rich marine life of the Amazon region.

Saturday:  Visit to an indigenous community and a Shaman. This will last all day and you will have a fantastic opportunity to learn about the Shuar culture and attend to a shaman ceremony.

Sunday:    After breakfast in the morning, you will return to Quito.

* Price per person, all inclusive:  $599 per person.

* This is for groups since 3 persons

Important things that the student needs to bring:

Copy of your passport showing your visa permit for Ecuador! , shorts and long pants (avoid cotton jeans if possible); T-shirts and long-sleeved shirts , Raincoat or poncho, Bathing suit , sandals, Insect repellent,Sunblock (VERY important) , Cap to protect your head from the sun, Flashlight , Binoculars  (optional)

* The Class and activity schedule is subject to change depending on the activity and the weather. Class could be in the afternoon and the activity in the morning, always in accordance to the instructor.

Ecuador is a small, tranquil Andean national that boasts some of the world’s most unique & spectacular landscape (including active and extinct volcanoes, mountains), colourful flora, endearing fauna and traditional Andean culture.

The rare beauty of Ecuador has attracted a number of important events in the recent past.

Our Language Center has branches in other cities as Baños, and Guayaquil so if you wish to study or to continue your studies among these cities you can do it.

For further information contact us. We are pleased to help.

They are supervisors. And with our special training for instructors in study technology they acquire the ability to transmit their knowledge and ensure the student had really learned. We offer all of these features surrounded by a warm and joyful environment.

Guayquil Staff

They will work in the development of the three skills; hearing, writing and oral, correcting the pronunciation and identifying which one you need to reinforce. Besides, the study won’t be only theoretic but mainly life applied, so your instructor will use different audiovisual resources that will provide increased help for you to learn.

To give an example, you will use the objects in the classroom or in the strolls to interesting places near our school.Our professionally-trained staff regularly attend workshops and seminars to ensure that their skills and teaching methods are constantly up-to-date.

Our knowledgeable team provides help with fair price to any place you may want to visit in Ecuador as Coast, Highlands, Jungle and the worlwide known Galapagos islands, point you in the right direction for restaurants, shopping and accommodation.

]]> http://southamerican.edu.ec/2009/02/27/our-staff/feed/ 0 http://southamerican.edu.ec/2009/02/27/our-method/ http://southamerican.edu.ec/2009/02/27/our-method/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:57:11 +0000 admin http://southamerican.edu.ec/?p=92 You’re going to receive one-to-one classes! all our Spanish classes are private classes. If you prefer you can always receive our excellent group method too.
Your teacher is going to apply our system in order to meet / suit your personal needs and requirements.

The method is direct and communicative. Every teacher teaches you to speak and write Spanish using audio and visual resources and not only by translation. Achieving for you to think in Spanish. Our specialty. 

You’ll learn the language easily through imitation, repetition and appropriate correction. We use the same methods that all people use to learn their native language.

But the classes not only take place in the classroom; there are excursions to the market and different interesting places near the School where you will experience and to prove in the field  what you had learn in the classroom.

We have developed our own, in-house Spanish books, which complement our teaching method.
Our method is really going to teach you to speak Spanish.

Our individual classes

Your learning experience will be personal!

Through readings, comprehension questions, vocabulary, dynamics, group conversational forums, grammar, exercises, and permanent correction, your teacher will always be ready to help you with all your specific learning needs.

The satisfaction of our students is in extreme important to us..

We strive to gurantee progress and success for each student.

After a brief introduction and immersion in the language, classes will begin.  The materials we use are exclusive to this Center, and plenty of extra material for the exercises and our instructors are trained to properly work with them.

If the student so desires, a different instructor may be chosen each week.

In order to make teaching more effective, our method is supplemented by exercises, discussions, games, cultural excursions, videos, and audio, as stated before.

After each lesson, the student completes an oral and written quiz, this is another way to assure the knowledge acquired.  The time set for each lesson, and for each level depends entirely on each Student.

We also provide extra activities for the students, which are organized in a schedule so that all the students are able to enjoy their spare time after each daily lesson.  The purpose is to offer further knowledge of different sites and of Ecuadorian culture, and for inter cultural experiences.  They are optional and provided at no additional cost.

These activities are:

• Ecuadorian cooking classes: Tuesday 17:00 – 19:00
• City tours to museums, art galleries, etc: Tuesday 10:50 – 12:30.
• Conversation club: Monday 17:00 – 18:00.
• Dance lessons featuring salsa and other Latin rhythms:

Wednesday/Thursday 16:30–18:30

• Group exercises (games and conversation): Wednesday/Thursdays 10:50 – 11:50.
• Video: Friday 10:50 – 12:30.

Depending on the Spanish Version Program you have choose everything is organized and payed by the Center. The students don’t have to worry about anything.

The daily schedule for the students in the Center is:
Lessons:        08:30 to 10:30
Break:            10:30 to 10:50
Lessons:        10:50 to 12:30
Lunch:        12:30 to 13:30
Lessons:        13:30 to 15:00
Break:            15:00 to 15:15
Lessons:        15:15 to 16:30

All additional and optional activities take place after these hours.