Program Reviews

Being an aux has been such a fun job, and becoming one through a program is so helpful. I don’t know if I would have been able to get to Madrid without CIEE. They walk you through every step to getting here from getting your visa to your metro card. Things that would be hard to do without speaking much Spanish, like getting insurance, is all set up for you. Also having an orientation before starting school is so helpful because they introduce you to Madrid and help with all the appointments and paperwork that has to be done when you arrive.

CIEE is a great program for becoming an auxilliar in Madrid. Because they guaruntee placement in Madrid and help you with your visa and documents once you arrive in Spain, I think this program is worth using if you want to teach abroad. I would have probably given up on the visa process if not for the support and resources that CIEE provided for us. They also were there for any questions or problems througbout the entire year, and this came in handy several times. Additionally, they set up your insurance plan, which is really helpful and would not be something I would want to figure out on my own.

My experience teaching abroad in Madrid with CIEE completely changed the trajectory of my career. I never thought that teaching was going to be a passion of mine, but I ended up staying in Madrid for 2 years as a language assistant. The highlight of my experience with CIEE was definitely the in-country orientation- it was super comprehensive and helped me to successfully start my teaching contract with confidence. During my time in Madrid I was even invited to a few events by local staff and always felt that CIEE employees were responsive, friendly, and attentive to my questions and concerns. Would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a smooth transition to life abroad!

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.