English – the Language of Opportunity in Calderon, Ecuador
English is the international language of commerce, industry, technology, and opportunity. The faculty of Colegio Miguel Ángel Asturias, a K-12 school on the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador, know that learning English is crucial for their students’ future success. To help them achieve their goals, they invited Global Volunteers to assist with teaching conversational English at their school.
Global Volunteers first service program at Colegio Miguel Ángel Asturias was in August 2022; it was a superb success. Louise Mollick, Global Volunteers’ team leader, reported, “I cannot speak highly enough of the Colegio Miguel Ángel Asturias program. The school has an enrollment of 253 students and 16 staff housed in a large, well-maintained facility. The teachers are passionate about their work and committed to their students and each other. It was a joy to work with them. They went out of their way to welcome us and make us feel a part of their ‘family’.”
“The teachers are passionate about their work and committed to their students and each other. It was a joy to work with them.”
Louise Mollick, Global Volunteers’ team leader
Volunteers who served on the first team were equally enthusiastic. Esther Schack, who has volunteered on 15 Global Volunteers service programs, enthused, “Everyone at the school was incredibly welcoming and warm. Considering this was a new program, things were very well-organized. This was a really delightful experience!” Judith Mammon, a 16-time alumna, added: “The school staff members were warm and welcoming and were always anxious to be helpful – moving furniture, offering coffee and water, greeting us upon arrival.” Read more about Judith’s volunteering experience in Ecuador, which she describes as “wonderfully enjoyable and fulfilling.”
The three English teachers at Colegio Miguel Ángel Asturias have excellent grammar skills. Still, they want to engage volunteers because they help students improve their listening and speaking abilities and expose them to native English accents while motivating them to continue studying the language. “Their goal is to become a bilingual school, and they made remarkable strides in that direction in just the two short weeks we were there,” reported Louise Mollick.
“Everyone at the school was incredibly welcoming and warm.”
Esther Schack, 15-time Global Volunteers
The teachers work with the volunteers on the lesson plans, limiting the time required for classroom preparation. A typical day involves working alongside the local teachers in English classes from 8:30 AM to 2:10 PM, with breaks interspersed. Then from 2:10 to 4:00 PM, volunteers work one on one or in small group sessions with students under the direction of Ecuadorian teachers. Native English-speaking volunteers are especially beneficial to students preparing to earn B2 certification from Cambridge University.
By teaching conversational English skills and helping students attain confidence and a depth of understanding, volunteers help impact children and youth for the rest of their lives. If you are interested in giving your time to help change the arc students’ lives at Colegio Miguel Ángel Asturias, join us in Quito, Ecuador!
Read more on this school and our partnership with the community of Calderón in Quito here:
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