Program Reviews

I entered this class not knowing what to expect. I was offered assistance right away. I could communicate any issues I had with my tutor or the ciee team. They were all very helpful and got back to me promptly, which was nice.
A lot was covered in my class. Old and new techniques of teaching English, different methods, and different situations we could be put in. We are required to make lesson plans, and that prepared me very well going into my future job. Nothing beats in person experience, but this will definitely set you miles ahead if you have never been in a classroom before as a teacher. The class did take 11 weeks, which was a pretty thorough chunk of time. Yet the online aspect made it a bit easier to get through and maintain my job at the time. My tutor also really seemed like he wanted to support us, which was super nice.

This TEFL course is a part of the CIEE program. Though I do think that the course itself was quite expensive comparing to other TEFL courses that I have found online. However, I do think that you are also paying for the support of the whole CIEE program throughout the whole course along with a high quality online education. So overall, I think the price that I paid was somewhat decent, still a little bit expensive but I liked the support that I got. However, if you do find a TEFL program that you like outside of CIEE, you can go for that and complete it and still apply for the Teach Abroad CIEE but with none TEFL course. Though I went with this TEFL course because I applied to EPIK, which is a english teach program through the Korean government and they are familiar with the CIEE program and figured that was the best way to go. Anyways, good luck you guys!

I took the CIEE online TEFL course to prepare to teach elementary and middle school in South Korea. My experience overall was very positive! While before I took the course I wasn't convinced that a TEFL certification was necessary, in my current position, I couldn't imagine not having the background with theory, lesson planning ideas and practice, classroom management tactics, and practical experience. Even though I did take the course online, the requirement to do 20 hours of practicum work really helped me put the material into practice, and it gave me confidence going into my first days. My tutor and classmates were all wonderful, as well. My tutor was very responsive and gave tons of personalized feedback. She was also understanding when I had to turn in homework late because of work and travel delays. I also felt confident in the instruction and commitments made by CIEE because they are a familiar, non profit study and teach abroad agency. I would definitely recommend this program if you are looking for an online TEFL course!

Thank you OEG for providing me with this incredible experience. I love my school, made incredible connections with my students/coworkers, and was able to enjoy the culture of my town. OEG set me up for success while providing support along the way. I never really needed it because I was so enveloped in falling in love with Thailand, but they clearly care for every participant of the program and are there if you need them. The orientation period fosters connections with like-minded people; people who I will probably stay in touch with for a long time. If you are open-minded and ready for an incredible cultural and personal experience, I highly suggest teaching in Thailand through OEG.
I spent a year in Thailand and am State-side now, but this program and Thailand itself made it very difficult to leave. I definitely left a part of my heart in Thailand!

I have loved my time teaching abroad in Madrid. The school is so great and all my fellow teachers are so supportive and genuinely thrilled to have auxiliares helping with the English portion of the studies. I have felt so welcomed and accepted at work, and the city is incredible as well. If you want to have a year (or more!) of adventure abroad while also making *some* money (but it will most likely be spent on travel and tapas—you won’t complain though) then I’d definitely consider a year abroad with CIEE. They help with all the planning and logistics, which made moving across the world much easier than I could have imagined. Also if you feel you need a bit of a confidence boost when it comes to teaching qualifications, they offer a great TEFL program that prepares you for working abroad and teaching English.

I really enjoyed my TEFL experience! It was all very well structured so I felt like I was receiving a lot of information but also it didn’t overwhelm me. I had taught English before in a casual setting so it was very helpful to get a more technical/professional training. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who is new at teaching English or wants a more professional training. It gave me the confidence needed to move across the world and feel prepared, and without this training I think the whole experience would have been a lot more daunting. Highly recommend for anyone looking for that last bit of encouragement if deciding to work abroad, and it also looks great on a resume and has helped me get private tutoring since beginning my journey abroad.

Working with CIEE in Madrid gave me opportunities I could have never imagined! The program you receive all training you need to complete the work and feel confident doing it. When working you never exceed 18 ish hours per week and are able to meet people from all different sectors. Most students are excited and interested to learn. You are given the month of August off for vacation which allows for travel all around Europe! Salary for this position is very competitive in regards to what is needed for living costs. When you arrive in madrid you are giving housing which helps your transition into the city. Hours of classes generally fall between 8-6 but some are slightly outside but are increased in pay. One thing I wish that was included in the fee would be more spanish classes!

If you want to teach abroad and don't want to teach children, this is the program for you. You are sent to companies to teach their employees either in one-to-one classes or in small groups. Not only have I been teaching English to my students, but I have learned so much from them as well about the professional world and various companies in Spain. I have taught students with backgrounds in insurance, gas and electric, airport management, pharmaceuticals, and more. You don't work alongside another teacher like in many other programs, so you are trained over a two week period before going off to your own to teach at the companies. Working on your own is great, but you have much more responsibility with lesson planning. Furthermore, since you are traveling to these companies, commute time is anywhere from a 15 minute walk to over an hour on the metro or other means of transportation. I would say my average commute is 40 minutes, which I really don't mind too much at all. This program group is very small (8 in my group) which makes it easy to socialize and the coordinators are very helpful. However, the low pay and having to find housing in such a short period of time is a big negative, since you really only have about two weeks to apartment hunt and your rent is at least half of your monthly salary for a bedroom in a shared apartment.

CIEE is great. This is my second time teaching English overseas through this organization, and I've never had any issues. The staff is friendly and always ready to answer any questions, and everyone did a great job helping me with my application and making sure I had everything ready to apply to Korea. I really think they are one of the best organizations out there for people looking to teach overseas, and I highly recommend them! Not to mention orientation weekend in Seoul was awesome... I ate some of the best meals I've eaten since being in Korea! Everyone at orientation seemed to have fun and it was nice meeting the other teachers to hear how everyone elses experiences have been thus far. Brad was great and made sure everyone was having a good time the whole weekend!

I had a really great experience with CIEE! From before I submitted my application up to now in South Korea, I've had a great group of people walking me through the process, answering my endless emails, and really clarifying my every question. They are very knowledgable about the process and helped me figure out whether I wanted to apply to a private or public school, and even helped me get placed in the same city as my best friend! They also helped me so much when it came to the EPIK application and all the paperwork, and it feels so great to know that I have a support system in the county in case something happens, and even just to meet new people. Going through the process with a company that I had heard of just made me feel so much more secure. I definitely recommend going through CIEE to teach abroad!