Program Reviews

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.

Thus far this program has been an excellent experience that has helped me learn to work in an international environment, build my resume, and improve my Spanish, all while getting to live abroad in Madrid. Although not without its own challenges, I would still highly recommend this program.

The pay certainly leaves a lot to be desired. The bulk of my monthly stipend of 900€/month goes towards food and rent. Seemingly, rent prices have been on the rise in recent years and the pay has not increased to match it. I have relied heavily on my own savings for most of my entertainment and travels. Although I would imagine it would be possible to live off the stipend alone, I could not imagine it would be that easy or nearly as fun. While I am on this topic, Learnlight's (the company you work for in Madrid) way of managing and tracking the hours for your monthly work requirement is extremely complicated and confusing. They rely on a rolling balance system that deducts hours worked from a "positive" month (over 50 hours) to make up for hours in a "negative" (under 50 hours) month and then pays you every two or three months at 18€/hour for that balance. It sounds confusing because it is; and if you don't keep a close eye on it you might miss out on some of your compensation.

My experience working with Learnlight has had its ups and downs. I have experienced some disorganization on the part of Learnlight (breakdowns in communication, being provided with the wrong locations of clients, etc...) Although these issues are not too frequent, it can still be a nuisance. That being said, the classroom management software and material provided on their platform is an excellent tool that makes lesson planning easy and efficient once you understand how to use it. Students' feelings about the platform material is mixed but certainly a good starting point.

I feel the two week intensive training provided by Learnlight at the start of the program was sufficient to prepare me for classes. However, it certainly took me a few weeks to really get into the swing of things and build my confidence when teaching classes. Unfortunately, the training did not allow for much time to get settled and find an apartment (which is not as easy of a task as it may sound). I do wish Learnlight provided more support in this process or provided a slightly longer accommodation to provide more time for this process.

What I would recommend to anyone who is interested in this program?
1) Make your visa appointment early (like do it right now!) It's free to make and cancel the appointment and it will save you a lot of anxiety in the future.
2) This is really a personal choice depending on what kind of lifestyle you want to have but set aside some savings and be ready to part with it. Personally, I would recommend upwards of $3,500.
3) Practice your Spanish. It's not an official requirement but I would argue you need some Spanish to get you into many of the companies.
4) Do the grammar course before you go and study it. The more English grammar you know the easier the training is when you arrive and the more confidence you will have in lessons.

Overall this has been a wonderful experience. I heave already gained a lot from this program and I am excited for more to come. Presented again with the choice to go, I would take it 10/10 times-just don't expect to make a fortune!

This program is awesome! I had never been abroad before, but I felt very prepared by CIEE for my adventure abroad. They guide you through everything from getting your visa to what to bring with you! They also offer a TEFL certification course online, which I highly recommend if you’re looking to get certified.
They are also extremely helpful once you are here in Spain. They have an orientation that helps you get settled and set up your life in Madrid, including looking for housing, getting a phone plan, and getting all your documentation ready for your time here. They even make the appointment to get your ID card, which saves a lot of time and effort. They also tell you all about how to get around and the different options you have for public transportation.
The compensation for teaching is enough to get you through if you budget carefully, and you still have plenty of time to travel and see other parts of Spain and/or Europe. Plus, there’s a ton to do in Madrid itself! I am having a wonderful experience, and CIEE staff here in Madrid is always available to help with any questions or concerns I have.

I knew that I wanted to teach in S. Korea, but I wasn't sure what steps I needed to take, what forms to fill out, how to get a TEFL, how to find a school, ... (the list goes on and on). CIEE was there every step of the way, answering my questions and helping me achieve my goal. There were times while I was taking the TEFL course where it felt like I was wasting my time, and I didn't think that teaching would be for me. But thankfully, I decided to stick it through thanks to the open communication of multiple CIEE staff members and their friendliness. The day before my flight from the U.S. to S. Korea, my visa was lost in the mail. I had to track it down, frantically calling every post office I could think of. At one point, there were 2 CIEE staff members who were spending their Friday morning helping me call around, dedicated to making sure that I got on that plane the next day. We found the visa, they called me to answer any final questions I had (and to calm me down), and sure enough, here I am writing this review in my apartment in Korea! Everyone has been great, and the program made this entire process MUCH easier. It also was nice knowing that I was never alone, and there was a group of people on my team, working behind the scenes every step of the way.

I have used CIEE twice to go abroad. The first time was when I studied abroad while still a university student, and the second time is now. CIEE is a great organization that is very understanding of situations that one might have and are willing to help as much as possible. Without their help and assistance, I might not have been able to go abroad, so I’m forever grateful to them.

CIEE’s support doesn’t stop once you’re abroad, but continues in the best way possible. They give you the opportunity to create your own network of people by having orientations which allows you to meet other CIEE participants. Also, although you come through CIEE, they don’t force you to do anything. We have the freedom to make our own memories, have our own experiences, and solve our own problems. But, when you’re in a bind and really need help, CIEE is there. Just remember: CIEE is there to help, but you should still be responsible and make wise choices.

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.

I used CIEE to apply with the English Program in Korea (EPIK) and received help and support through what could be a long stressful application process. I applied and passed my interview in 2018 but could not accept for personal reasons. When it was time to reapply the next year, CIEE made sure I had everything I needed, and supported through the TEFL and with additional documents. I really liked their style of giving the TEFL, it was multi faceted and interesting. The orientation in Seoul was also very fun and helped me meet a lot of great people . Overall, though it was a financially a lot, It was worth having the extra security and options at hand. It really was a easy process all the way till the end. I love being in Korea and enjoy the benefits and opportunities that EPIK and CIEE gave me!