CIEE's TEFL Course Offered Invaluable Preparation for Teaching Abroad

I began my TEFL course through CIEE in March 2019 while finishing up my last semester of undergrad, six months before leaving to teach abroad in Spain. I would recommend working ahead if possible; doing so helped me to balance my school work, job, and this course without feeling too overwhelmed.

The course offers amazing resources and modules that prepare you to teach with a diverse range of age levels and group sizes. I also gained insight about working with different cultural groups and was able to refresh my memory on grammar rules (something I hadn't realized I needed!). Since coming to Spain, I have utilized much of what I learned through the TEFL course with my students and in my private tutoring lessons.

My instructor was extremely helpful and accommodating. There were weekly video chat sessions that we had to attend, which I was unable to due to a conflicting work schedule, and she allowed me to watch the recorded sessions on my own time and take notes for credit. She also responded very quickly to all of my questions and messages, and I felt like she genuinely cared about my progress and success in the course.

There is a 20-hour practicum requirement, which initially felt daunting, but I ended up really enjoying my experience. I worked with adults at an ESL center and gained a lot of confidence in my abilities as a teacher. I think the practicum is a very unique part of the TEFL course and am glad that I had the opportunity to do it.

I would highly recommend the TEFL course, especially if you feel unsure about what teaching abroad really entails, because of how much more prepared I now feel in the classroom and in my tutoring sessions.