Program Reviews

I had to pay $2000 for everything, equivalent to a month's pay. This includes a TEFL, but a TEFL shouldn't be more than $500. If you're well-off and don't feel like putting in the hard work or are too unsure of yourself to do so, this is the way to go. But there are surely more cost-effective strategies. I'd recommend just getting a recruiter and taking it from there.

Even still, the company is very thorough in getting you in the best position. It will guide you through every step, and there are a lot of steps. The main attraction of CIEE is the orientation weekend, which is the most fun I've had yet in Korea. But it's not $2000 worth.

The TEFL course is very time consuming, but you can bomb the weekly assignments as long as you get solid multiple choice and final exam scores, as I did; they're quite easy. I just got stuck with a cranky tutor, which makes the tutoring sessions unpleasant.

I have been teaching in Korea for about 1 year so far. It has been a unique experience. I work at a Private School which holds a lot of different aspects compared to Public Schools. CIEE was very helpful through all of the application and TEFL process, which helped ease the pressure of teaching abroad.

Working at a private school has been a great experience. I've come to learn about the differences of the Korean education system. I've heard of horror stories when it comes to working at private schools, but CIEE was able to help me find one that was the right fit for me. So far, I've been having a great time and am grateful to be working in a great environment and community. Overall I would recommend this program to others, because it's a great way to have a support system in a foreign country.

Creating a new life halfway around the world may seem overwhelming and terrifying to some, but the constant support of CIEE helped my transition to be smooth and so worthwhile. This program helped me to step out of my comfort zone in making new connections and putting me in situations I never thought I would be able to accept. I ended up quickly falling in love with Thailand and I cannot thank CIEE enough for that. If you are considering this program even the slightest, stop thinking about it and send in the application! I promise it will be the best adventure yet.

Now, six months into the program, it is crazy to think how far I have come. I live two hours east of Bangkok in a rural town called Prachinburi. I am at the point where my favorite restaurant knows my meal by heart, students are constantly running up to me at the local market, and I know the ins and outs of the roads. A place that was so unfamiliar and unknown has now become my “home”. Partnering with CIEE has been so incredible and I can only encourage others to make the leap.

Teaching in Korea has been an amazing experience. I’ll admit that I was nervous going in and didn’t really know what to expect, but it was easily to get acclimated. CIEE’s TEFL course prepared me for most of my day to day challenges as a teacher. I found that most of the things I was really worried about, like classroom management, I had practical knowledge to apply from the course. The support I received from them has been amazing from application until now. Of course, there are also tons of people who have already been through the program who are ready and willing to give you advice. I’ve just decided to renew for another year since I like it so much. If you’ve been wanting to explore another country and culture, but couldn’t imagine making it a reality, look no further.

CIEE acted as my recruiter for the EPIK program, and they did a good job. My only issue was the mandatory CIEE orientation. It was fun, but it definitely was more geared towards hagwon/private school teachers than public school teachers through EPIK, but EPIK has their own intensive orientation so it really is not much of a problem and it ended up being a fun weekend either way. Overall, I highly recommend CIEE.

I got my TEFL through CIEE as well and found that there was a lot of support during that process. Because CIEE is such a well-known program, there was always a network of people to talk to, and the TEFL course itself prepared me well for my experiences abroad. Ultimately, I felt like CIEE gave me the tools I needed in order to succeed internationally in South Korea.

The TEFL program was a very nice tool for learning about different things to expect in a classroom. It opened up a conversation for scenarios that may take a new teacher by surprise. It also provided quite a few ideas on how to work quickly and go with the flow.

For someone, like myself, with very little teaching experience in a classroom, this course provided a good primer that others who studied Education may have received. I did not study Education so this course did help to give me an idea of what to expect in my own classroom.

While the online portion of the course was beneficial, the practicum really taught me quite a bit. The requirement of getting out and practicing in a classroom was very beneficial. I am happy this is required so that my first time in a classroom wasn't in front of 50 Thai children.

The CIEE TEFL course really was quite nice. The lectures were interesting enough, conversation with other coursemates and the teacher were insightful, and the practicum gave me confidence.

The course covered a lot of ground, including pedagogical strategies, technical language content, and behavioral management suggestions. It made me think in advance of what style I should and could employ as a teacher, and got me excited for the program. I liked that their was a live component of the program, with the ability to interact with other students in the class. Receiving feedback on my work submissions also helped keep me on track and motivated. I thought that the quiz part of the program also helped motivate me to review the course material, and being able to re-take these quizzes allowed for some flexibility as well. The discussion groups were one of my favorite parts of the course, because I got to engage in conversation with people from all over the country and discuss our upcoming adventures.

Coming to Korea has been a wonderful and eye-opening experience. The kids I work with are great and always put a smile on my face. I would however recommend going with EPIK (public teaching) over a hagwon if you can get it, because the extent to which you will have to work, and the quality of Hagwons can vary quite a bit. Some people may work six hours a day, some may work nine or ten. It's good to do some thorough research into where you are working. Exploring Seoul has been a wonderful time as well, especially with my new coworkers who have been very gracious in helping me adjust. There's a lot of individual planning that goes into teaching in a Hagwon, so be ready. CIEE was spectacular during the. application process. They were open to communicate at any time, and they even hired a recruiter to place me in a Hagwon. Overall a great place to live and CIEE has been wonderful to work with.

I enrolled in CIEE's TEFL course while I was teaching abroad in Spain. It was 130 online hours plus 20 practicum hours. Our group met weekly online to work on whatever project was needed that week. Our teacher was very helpful and guided us diligently. I got my TEFL certificate in two months and used that TEFL certificate to get a job teaching abroad in Chile. I highly recommend it for those who plan to teach English abroad. Many jobs require it and it shows us many good ESL/EFL teaching strategies.

CIEE guided me in getting hired at a school in Gwangju. Although the schedule at the school is demanding (I have 15-20 classes every day), I am happy working here. My manager and co-workers have helped ease my transition into the country and culture, and my students are amazing. It is rewarding to see my students’ progress in their English skills, and I enjoy hearing my students shout my name then give me a huge hug.

Also, CIEE tries to ease teachers’ transitions into the country and culture at an orientation in Seoul. This orientation helped me meet teachers from Gwangju and from all across the country.

Overall, I recommend this program to anyone interested in teaching in South Korea. CIEE tries to make the process as easy as they can; their staff are incredibly supportive.