CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL

My instructor, Colby, was so helpful, approachable, and kind. I feel ready to teach abroad and know I always have this resource in case I have any questions or concerns. Make sure you allocate enough time to get your work done, but it really shouldn't take more than 5-7.5 hours per week, and not the 15 hours that they advertise. You still get the 150 hours regardless! Also, I wasn't aware that there's a required 20-hour teaching practicum, but as long as you find an ESL school to teach/volunteer at, you should be fine. I would recommend this course to anyone hoping to teach abroad!

I had a great time with my CIEE program. Signing up I selected a single city for my preferences, and thankfully I didn't get it - because, I ended up with an amazing host family and wouldn't have changed it for the world.

My hosts had something planned for us every weekend. If we weren't seeing a different city, we were out on the town - or, I was off on a solo adventure.

I went to school Mon-Thurs and was there for three hours a day. Sometimes I would stay all day if I felt like it.

If you are looking to escape the corporate world, or looking to change up your current situation and CIEE is an option for you - I highly suggest you do it! The program is 75 days, but your maximum stay is 90 via the Schengen Zone. I ended up staying for my full 90. My hosts gave me permission to stay with them the whole time. However, after my program concluded - I actually traveled to Portugal and some other big cities in Spain (During Semana Santa).

I could go on and on about how grand this experience was, but simply put - if you have the ability to make this adventure happen, then you absolutely should!

Monetarily, you'll pay for the program and the flight, then you'll want to have money when you are there for food, travel, and anything else you may care to spend money on. CIEE recommends you have $1,000 of "this kind" of money, and I would agree. Keep in mind, you can look to get private tutoring jobs for physical Euros as well.

This kind of adventure may seem daunting, but so is change - and this is simply a big change. But don't fret, its only three months (maximum)! Once again, this was a great experience and I plan on someday returning - and maybe even having my Spanish friends come over to the US. I recommend you make this adventure happen. The world is oh so big, and we only have so long to see as much as we can!

PS. The cost of this adventure (three months, by the way) is likely as expensive as a two-three week trip as a pedestrian. What a steal, and what an adventure!

If you are considering working abroad in South Korea, let this be your sign to do it! I was really nervous to come to Korea, as I had never been and didn't know too much about the country. But I think this is one of the best decisions I have ever made for a few reasons:
1. The program: there is tons of program support here and its well organized. EPIK orientation is a great way to meet people and familiarize yourself with the country and the job. Having the support of my co-teachers and other GETs has made my transition so much smoother. For me, having the housing provided was a really big plus as well.
2. The people: everyone I have met has been friendly and welcoming, and there are great opportunities to make friends.
3. the country: It has been such a fun and interesting experience to live here. It's a great mix of city and nature, traveling in Korea is super accessessable with the KTX. I am in Busan and I find the city to be very clean and safe. Theres tons of great food, clubs/activities to join, and life is generally affordable.
I didn't know what to expect when coming to Korea, and I was nervous about making friends, being a teacher, and navigating living in a new country. I have been surprised by how well all of these things have gone, and I think a lot of that is thanks to a well designed program in a great place. Korea has been more amazing than I could have imagined and I would recommend it to anyone!

I took the course with my tickets already booked for Thailand. The Academic Manager worked with me throughout the course to provide any administrative assistance I needed and the instructor was very knowledgeable and communicative. I enjoyed her video comments on my assignments (grading feedback) and the valuable time learning with my classmates every session I attended. I enjoyed the peer reviews as well, especially for our final assignment. I have already suggested the program to former colleagues, family and friends. On to my next adventure!

I took this course as a part of CIEE's Teach in South Korea program, and I'm so glad that I did! I went into the course with no experience or any idea of how to teach English, but now I feel well-equipped and ready to step into the classroom. The course content is well-structured and thorough, and I appreciate how they practiced what they preached to make the course engaging and effective. (However, like all other classes, how much you get out of it will depend on how much time and effort you're willing to put in. I was fortunate to have the time to dive into the material and engage with my classmates, so I enjoyed the course very much.)

I am also grateful for all the support CIEE provides to its students and alumni. For example, there is a practicum portion to the TEFL course. I was worried about how to complete the practicum when starting the course, but those worries were eased with CIEE's resources on how to find a teaching/volunteering opportunity, locations where past students have volunteered, how to reach out, etc. Students and alumni of this 150-hour course also have access to job placement assistance, which I'm excited to explore in the future.