Program Reviews

This course was amazing! As someone who had no prior teaching experience this really helped me to feel more prepared. I now feel very knowledgeable in being able to plan lessons and know how to handle different classroom situations. I’m so glad I opted to take this course because this truly was a lifesaver. Overall, this was a great class and I would 100% recommend it to anyone who wanted a refresher or who also has never had any prior teaching experience. I also loved that it was entirely online and was not mandatory to attend any zoom sessions. As someone who works full time and goes to school this was a saving grace because I am always busy with something.

I decided to get my TEFL certification after doing an exchange year abroad (which had partially been supported by CIEE). Throughout the program, the CIEE staff and course instructor were very helpful with any questions, etc. I found this TEFL program to be premier compared to others, in that it is 150 hours in total, with a mandatory practicum, which truly helps apply what you learn in the course to a real-life situation. I had also been able to find my practicum location relatively easily with help from CIEE, which was a big relief for me. The actual course portion was detailed, touching base on a variety of areas that a TEFL teacher should be aware of. The graded assignments were also good practice to reinforce key points, especially when it came to lesson planning. All in all, my experience taking this course was positive, and it has helped me a lot in my current tutoring positions.

The CIEE TEFL program was perfect for me after graduating college. It prepared me to teach english abroad in many ways, from reminders on english grammar to teaching techniques to detailed explanations on how to create a lesson plan and eventually put it to use! The staff was extremely kind and supportive, and even allowed me an extension on my practicum when I was too busy to get it done in the allotted time. I also took the course online which made it very convenient. With online classes, it is hard to make the experience interactive. However, with this class, I felt a bond with my classmates through peer reviews, discussions in class, and discussion boards. My instructors were both incredible and made learning really fun, which I appreciated since it also gave a great example of how a good teacher guides their students to acquiring language and new information.

Program was good I definitely feel like the first couple of modules were more useful then the last. it started getting very repetitive but I did learn a lot of great useful ideas for when I’m teaching abroad! I thought my teacher Alix was great and provided us with good examples and great feedback. I thought doing the graded assignments were interesting because it allowed us to make lesson plans as if we were teachers. overall I do think this class helped prepare me better for teaching abroad! thank you!

The CIEE short term teach english program is a great experience. CIEE provides a lot of support during the lead up to the program and throughout. The visa process and the housing search are the most stressful aspects of the process, and CIEE really helped provide support. The one downside of the program is the price. You have to pay a CIEE fee, which I think is a bit too expensive. If you apply directly through the ministry, I believe it is free, however you do not have the guarantee of being in Madrid.

The CIEE team is marvelous. They respons promptly to questions about enrolling and any questions during the course. My experience with the course instructor was also wonderful. CIEE has recruited really knowledgeable people who are so excited to share everything they know about the TEFL field with you, which makes the prospect of the practicum less daunting. The online platform is fairly intuitive, but engagement with classmates is really what you make it. You get out what you put in. A word of caution, though: 11 weeks goes by FAST. There is a lot of material to get through, plus assignments, so it's important to stay on top of it. When the website suggests 2-3 hours per day, take it seriously.

This program offers significant content and live sessions for those who look forward to entering the teaching field, and for those who want to further their education. I've been an English teacher for a while and wanted to get extra training in ESL. Therefore, I made the decision to join this program. The flexibility of the course and the support that the CIEE team offers, encourages you to accomplish your goals successfully. I'm glad I took this program. I was able to add this experience to my resume and find more job opportunities.

This program made moving abroad very smooth! They help so much with figuring out paperwork that I personally would have been so lost with. They also make sure to keep in contact with you when you’re abroad and respond to any questions or problems you may run into fast. Getting to travel on the weekends and being able to connect with people from all over the world is something I very much appreciate about the program I did! I have now done two programs with them and definitely would recommend them to anyone!!!

Here is my story and I hope it helps others who are interested in teaching abroad understand the impact that it can have on your life. I first found CIEE at the end of 2016. I knew that I wanted to teach abroad, but I wasn’t sure how to get started. When I first applied, I was paired up with Luke Beland, who to this day I cannot express the amount of appreciation I have for him. I wanted to work in the public school system and after completing my TEFL and my application, I interviewed with the Epik program but unfortunately due to a mistake on my end, I was not given the position. Luke called me to let me know of the issue and that I couldn’t continue with public schools, but he told me that it wasn’t too late and that I could move my application to a hagwon. There were only 2 weeks left, so I knew I had to work hard to get the chance to go in 2017. After I completed my end, he got me an interview with a hagwon in Paju and I passed! I was so excited that I was finally going to go to Korea! He made the process for pre-departure very easy, including the visa process. When I arrived in Korea, I did experience a bit of a culture shock. I thought my work ethic was superb but seeing the long hours and hard work from the Korean teachers and their expectations was next level. It wasn’t to the point that I would quit or felt overwhelmed, but it definitely made me work harder and become more flexible. CIEE set the expectations for me beforehand and in my interview, I was told most of the tasks I would need to complete but doing and seeing it in person is a little different. I’m happy to say that rising to the challenge helped me grow in ways I didn’t know was possible. That’s why I would like to stress to people who are interested in going abroad that being flexible and accepting of the country’s culture (including the work culture) is crucial to getting the most out of the experience in a positive way. CIEE did offer an orientation and multiple get togethers in my first year. I was happy to meet other teachers that would be in a short distance from me. Although I was in Paju and the meeting was in Seoul, it wasn’t hard to get to. Korea’s public transportation is really the best in the world, in my opinion, and going to the orientation prepared me for using it during my stay. I was happy to also meet the in-country team that would be supporting me during my time, although I think I contacted Luke more and he was always willing to help.
My salary was standard, as all my other friends who didn’t use CIEE, received the same pay. I know people might think 2.1 KRW isn’t a lot for the month, but when you don’t need to pay rent, utilities, TV, etc. it really goes a long way. I was able to use that money to travel all around Korea and experience so many of their different festivals. I fell in love with country, the job, and the kids. I decided after my contract ended, to stay on with my hagwon. I was promoted to Head Foreign Teacher. Soon after, I got married and due to my husband’s job location, we relocated to Gimpo, where I had my first child. The hagwon in Gimpo was definitely a bit more demanding, which made me understand that not all hagwons are the same and I really appreciated the one that Luke set me up with. I eventually moved back to the States with my husband and now 2 children. Besides meeting my other half and having my two bundles of joy, I took so much away from my time in Korea. I feel truly fortunate to have had this amazing experience and it all started with CIEE and a coordinator who did not give up on me, even when things didn’t look so rosy. So, if you are reading this, I hope you can take away from it that getting the right organization to help you in the beginning is very important! It’s important to get off on the right foot and to feel supported as the first year can be the most difficult due to assimilating to a new culture. Also, being open and flexible will help you not to take things so harshly and can eliminate a lot of the stress that may come from going abroad. It helps you appreciate the opportunity you have and to take full advantage of learning and adapting to a new culture. Finally, if you are looking for a game changer in your life, this might really be a program for you!

I'm really thankful I decided to go with CIEE when I initially made the decision to teach English abroad in South Korea. I chose to go the public school/EPIK route, and, as someone who has no experience with teaching, I was intimidated by the program's application. CIEE provided me with LOTS of resources (lesson plan tips, an EPIK application guide) that made me feel much more confident and organized during the process. I was also really impressed with how communicative they were and how quickly they responded to all my questions (which was A LOT since EPIK and the visa require a lot of documentation). The TEFL course was helpful - and, in my case, my pay increased for having the certification. Even after my arrival in Korea, CIEE provided support, messaged to see how my experience was going, and connected me to other CIEE staff nearby in case I needed anything.

If you're thinking about teaching abroad in Korea, I highly recommend going through CIEE. Having the extra support before and after arriving can take so much stress off your plate - and your priority should be on having a once and a lifetime experience!