Satisfied with CIEE

I chose CIEE because I wanted to teach in China, but didn't want to go through the process without a support network. It is possible to do so, but you expose yourself to risks like being scammed by your school, especially if you don't speak Chinese. The fact is, having foreign English teachers in China is a business maneuver by schools to increase student enrollment, so having CIEE in your corner provides you with leverage. These schools rely on CIEE to provide them with teachers that have TEFL certification, so it is in their interest to make sure you have a good time at their school. The program director, Kelvin, is great at his job. I never had any serious emergencies and so cannot attest to CIEE's assistance in such a scenario, but whenever a coworker or I had issues or questions that our school could not handle, we could reliably turn to Kelvin for assistance.

Teaching experiences in China will vary widely, based on student age group and teaching location. China is a very different place to live and do business in if you are coming from a western country, especially if you aren't proficient enough in Chinese to get by on your own. Having a support system to rely on for serious problems allowed me some peace of mind to more fully enjoy the challenges and differences of living in China.