Best language program to prepare for living in Ecuador?

You can try Rosetta Stone, I know a couple of people who used that and liked it a lot.  But I would also mention that once you get to Ecuador you will be able to get one on one spanish lessons for about $5 an hour, sometimes even less, with native speakers and in a full-immersion atmosphere.  Of course you should be able to say enough to get around when you get there, but once you're in the country you will learn quickly.  Good luck and happy travels!
Carrie
flavorsofecuador.com

You live so close to us now.  We are in Irving, one of the cities of the Dallas metroplex and we are planning to go to Ecuador also.  I am smiling thinking about us living this close here and then maybe meeting so far away.  We are planning to spend the month of July in Ecuador and travel a little, on the cheap, we hope, to see where we would like to be.  We are not sure if we want mountains or beach area but we are kind of favoring Vilcabamba.  On my first trip to Mexcio my husband and I stayed with a local family while we attended a language school.   After two months I could function in bus stations and restaurants etc.  I think that once you get there you will learn quickly if that is your desire.  You have to want to do it as it is quite hard work.  I was 47 that first trip and I would say that I was completely fluent within five years.  Mind you we were only in Mexico for a couple of months but I continued with my studies when we returned to the states.  I listen to a Spanish soap opera every day.  You can learn to speak from a book but you also have to learn to understand what they are saying back to you.  I make lots of mistakes, of course, but I have no trouble being understood or understanding others. I became a bilingual teacher and am also certified in Texas to teach Spanish.  I have seen lots of textbooks along the way, and my husband is using Rosetta Stone, which he loves, but he is still not speaking the language. My favorite is Basic Spanish Grammar Jarvis/Lebredo/Mena.  I just looked it up and it is still available although expensive.  Mine is the third edition so I am sure there are updates now.  I just looked on Amazon.com and they have some used copies availabe for around $10.00  Good luck.