Program Reviews

I’m lucky to have been able to make a few friends through orientation that make it easy to have someone to count on. My other teachers who went through different programs don’t know anyone else besides the teachers in the school, and they wished they had an orientation like mine. It was also nice to have other professionals to ask questions to that are outside of my school. I also liked that I was able to have my emails answered fairly quickly and my recruiter did not tell me lies like what my other co teachers had gone through with their companies. They wish they did something similar to what I found with CIEE and I am very happy that I was able to do this orientation with other teachers who were on the same boat as I was when first coming to Korea.

I arrived in Madrid exactly two months ago and have loved every minute of my experience through CIEE. I feel incredibly grateful towards CIEE and all of the support the program has offered; I definitely wouldn't have wanted to begin my career teaching abroad any other way.

CIEE has been helpful from the beginning. The support team is incredibly friendly, and they responded to all of my emails very quickly with genuinely helpful responses. Having to apply for my visa felt extremely daunting and confusing, and CIEE's guidance throughout that process was invaluable.

Their various checklists, being added into a CIEE Facebook group, and the consistent email updates helped me feel assured in my decision to teach abroad and allowed me to communicate with fellow auxiliars before I even got to Madrid.

Once you arrive in Spain, there is a several day orientation, and I could not be more thankful for those few days. I learned so much about Spain, life as an auxiliar in Spain, and so much more. I also met my roommate and a great group of friends during these days. During the orientation, I attended a flamenco show—it was super fun—with my orientation leader and group, and she showed us around the city a little bit. I thought it was cool that CIEE made an effort to introduce us to some of the culture of Spain from the very beginning.

CIEE has also sent an email each month with information about upcoming festivals and events; it's been a very nice way to find out more about what's going on around the city.

I would definitely recommend teaching abroad through CIEE. Without this program, I wouldn't have met the friends that I have now or have felt as comfortable stepping into my role as an auxiliar. Meeting and hearing from auxiliars that didn't go through CIEE has only reinforced how glad I am that I signed up for the program.

Every person I have met that works for CIEE has been very friendly and ready to answer any questions or address any concerns. I am really grateful that I discovered CIEE and am excited to see what is to come in my remaining time as an auxiliar!

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.

I’m so glad I chose the CIEE program to help me teach in South Korea! Finding a program can be so overwhelming and moving to a country that you don’t know much about can add on to that level of stress. But with CIEE, I felt prepared for my travels and safe in my school decision. CIEE worked with me to help me find a school in the city I wanted to live in, and they helped me find reputable schools with good pay. While in the country, they gave everyone in the program an weekend orientation session where I learned more about Korean culture. It is also where I met other people in the program, and I ended up making lots of connections with other teachers who live all around South Korea and near me. I highly recommend choosing CIEE to go abroad with!

I had a positive experience with CIEE. I wanted to travel to South Korea to teach English with my girlfriend after we both graduated from college. CIEE worked with us and connected us to a school in Korea that hires couples. It was a really good fit and we’re happy CIEE helped us find something that worked for us. The orientation weekend in Seoul was a lot of fun and a great way to connect with other foreign teachers and get to see some of the capital. In general, CIEE is great at making sure you have the resources to connect with other foreigners while here in Korea. Overall, CIEE was very responsive throughout the application process, offered very helpful visa assistance, and gave us immediate in-country support when we arrived. If you want to teach abroad, CIEE can get you there.

While there were definitely some issues with communication and support while I was in America from the US team, I would still recommend this program. The TEFL Certification is very good and easily allows for you to complete it while working or going to school.

The overseas staff is great, and the person in charge of helping people find placements in private schools, Yumi, was very helpful and accommodating. She helped me find a great school quickly due to an unexpected change of plans. She also talked with me through the weekend when I was booking a flight after receiving my visa, even though she was not obligated to do so.

South Korea is a great country to live in, and as a young woman, I feel incredibly safe here. It is also modern and rich with history, so there is a great balance of things to experience.

My boyfriend and I wanted to move to Korea to teach English and we used CIEE to help arrange our placement. CIEE was very helpful and answered all of our questions. They were able to help us find a school in a big city that hired us as a couple. The in-country support is incredibly valuable. In our city, there are quite a few other teachers placed by CIEE along with a new recruit coordinator. Through CIEE, we were able to meet each other and build a social network in our new home. CIEE has also eased any worries we have had about what to expect and understand how to acclimate to life in a new country. Overall, I am quite impressed with the services provided by CIEE and I would highly recommend this organization to anyone interested in teaching abroad.

Honestly, they were very helpfully. At times the information was overwhelming and messy, but they were always available to explain in detail over the phone. I’ve been in Korea for three months now, and I love it. I’m planning on staying for longer than a year. I met my best friend through CIEE, and the orientation was helpful. My school is a little rough around the edges, and the apartment needed some serious work, but I do love my students. I like that I can follow the book's lesson plans, but they do not let us use technology to aid the lesson. Korea is a lively country. I’ve been busy every weekend since I got here. You can go out to the thousands of cafes, huge malls, and amazing clubs. Honestly, you will never get bored in Korea. You won't regret it!

I decided to come to Korea with CIEE because I needed my transition process to be both smooth and time-efficient. I was finishing my undergrad thesis as I was preparing for Korea, and CIEE took a lot of stress and confusion out of the job search. I saved hours and hours of time on the visa alone. CIEE tells you exactly what documents you need, how and who to mail them to, and they even give you tips on how to fill the documents out. Without the pre-departure support, I likely wouldn’t have been able to start teaching so soon after graduating, which really justifies the program fee in my case. It also helped ease my mind that CIEE would be connecting me with reputable schools, and even if something did go wrong, I would still have their support after I arrived. The advisors really want you to succeed, and if you come with a positive attitude, you will!

I've enjoyed living in another country, but I don't really like the food here. Hopefully, I'll start finding more things I like to eat. My school is a nice place, and my Director and other co-workers are all very kind to me. I'm within walking distance to the school; my apartment is small, but it has everything I need. Most people in the area speak at least a little English. I've found some fun things to do nearby, but I like exploring other cities too. CIEE has been pretty helpful by doing orientations and helping me get set up here. I know I can contact them if I run into any issues, and they will help wherever they are able.
I love working with kids, especially the younger ones. They have found ways to express themselves in English that I find very creative.