CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL Reviews

I was overall happy with the CIEE program. The application interface is easy to use and understand, and streamlined the process. The man we were in contact with in America was very helpful and responsive. I applied with my boyfriend, and they were able to quickly find us placement together at the same private school. Our school is good, and is not on any of the blacklists. In fact, another person who went through CIEE has been working there for three years now! I think that we lucked out with our school, and we never have to bring any work home with us, and the hours are a stable 9-6pm. The only downside is that CIEE cannot guarantee how large your accommodations are (of course), so our apartment is on the small size. Its big enough, but I know a lot of couples who have a lot larger apartments. If you are a couple, I recommend trying to get a one or two bedroom apartment listed in your contract, because I think school will cut corners on cost if they can. The school will be saving money with a couple anyway, the least they can do is supply a reasonably sized apartment. My only complaint with CIEE's program is that the CIEE people we work with in Korea are not very responsive and sometimes unhelpful. They were slow to respond to pressing questions, and often just told us to "google" things when we were figuring out how to navigate medical issues and insurance. The application process if a bit difficult, because you interview, and then if the place offers you the job you have to decide if you want it within 24 hours. There is not a lot of time to "play the field", meaning you don't know if you will be missing out on a better option. There is an orientation in Seoul once you arrive, where you get to meet other members of CIEE teaching abroad, and there was a lot of helpful information. Again, I am glad I went with CIEE because it was very clear of what was needed and I was not afraid of getting placed at a horror school.

I took the CIEE TEFL 150-Hour Certification Course because it was required for me to obtain a position to teach English in the Czech Republic. Before I begin my review, it is important to note that I did not expect the course to be challenging. Rather, I thought that it would be a quick and easy online class meant to satisfy any concerns of school administrators regarding my ability to adequately teach the subject matter. I was incredibly wrong!

I was pleasantly surprised by how comprehensive the course was. It covered a good balance of theoretical and practical material, provided plenty of opportunities to engage with my tutor and classmates, and supplied a significant amount of content within each of the units that made up the weekly modules. Additionally, the 20-hour practicum was incredibly helpful because it provided me with some real-life teaching experience.

With this in mind, do note that the comprehensiveness of the course also made it challenging. If you are working a full-time job and taking this course, you will do little else other than those two things. There were typically five units in each weekly module (they included presentations of the material, discussion posts, and/or quizzes) that each usually took 2-3 hours to complete. In addition, there was a module written assignment due each week and an online web-conferencing tutorial session that was held every Tuesday. Thus, while the work was extremely valuable and never too difficult, the amount of it definitely kept me busy.

Overall, this was a phenomenal course! I was very much impressed by the program. It far exceeded my expectations and I would recommend not only it, but any of CIEE's programs to anyone looking to teach abroad!

Use the ministry instead of the other programs to teach abroad. It costs less. Save up as much money as possible before you go so you can spend time exploring europe. I made it a goal to go to 1 new country a month! This program will benefit me in the future because I had to learn how to deal with issues such as the language barrier, how to work in the same class with another teacher simultaneously, and challenged me to grow personally. It was the mist difficult year of my life but it's also been the most life changing and rewarding!

I had studied abroad in Spain and was really hoping for a way to live abroad again after graduating. Teaching in Madrid was the perfect way to do this. It was the perfect experience for a recent graduate. I got to do something totally new and it gave me time and perspective to plan what I would do in the future.
CIEE was very helpful throughout the application process and facilitated a very smooth transition for me when I arrived in Madrid. I met so many great people, was able to immerse myself in Spanish culture, traveled all around Spain and around Europe and really enjoyed my job as a language assistant.

As I recent grad, I knew I needed something different than the typical 9 to 5 drag. I wasn't ready to jump into a career and I had always wanted to travel so this was the perfect fit. The past 10 months have been some of the best of my life. I made lifelong friends, traveled to a bunch of new cities and really immersed myself in Spanish culture. This program allowed me to discover things about myself that I never would have thought were possible which I know will help me when it comes time to actually re-enter the "real world."
I would definitely recommend teaching abroad with CIEE but I would also caution those that choose to do so. CIEE was fantastic when it came to pre-departure details. They helped with my visa and passport as well as preparing to apply for my temporary citizenship card in Madrid. They realy helped me feel comfortable with leaving the US for 10 months. However, CIEE made it sound like there would be a lot more support upon arrival which was only a little true. I had never left the United States before coming to Spain so this was a big reason why I chose CIEE. After a four day orientation, I still had no idea how teaching worked, where to open a bank account, how to find an apartment or where to buy a cell phone plan. They glossed over alot of key points that I think would have really been beneficial to me and my fellow teachers.
Overall, CIEE is a fantastic company to travel abroad with but I would hope that anyone who signs up under the same impression that I did, asks around before paying their program fee.

As a teacher with 5 years experience teaching elementary school in the US, I was equal parts excited and anxious as I made the decision to further my career and gain more experience teaching abroad in Thailand. CIEE/OEG was helpful with the transition process, especially when there was a miscommunication regarding our living accommodations when we first arrived at our placement. The four months I spent at my school teaching Thai students are ones I will never forget. The students are so excited you are there to help them learn and grow. I know I learned as much from them as they did from me. One most memorable time was when we celebrated the Christmas holiday and all classes each had their own party with delicious food, music, and gift exchange. They invited me right in and wanted me to be part of it all! I will never forgot the students’ and teachers’ hospitality from such an amazing part of the world.

My five months teaching English in Thailand was unforgettable! I was placed in the quaint Northern Thailand Isaan city of Khon Kaen. My kilometer walk from my eight story condo to Anuban Khon Kaen School I looked forward to every morning. My "chicken on a stick" lady greeted me with a smile and an enthusiastic, "Saw-tee-kah TEACHER!" Many friendly waves and an occasional ride from families at school made this walk fun and a way to forget about the heat.
Teaching in a Thailand School was an amazing experience. Students were eager to greet me every morning and their work was always done with effort and neatness, almost like an art piece. There were many celebrations at school during my five months teaching. Waikru Day there was dancing, singing and flower giving to the teacher. The Queen's birthday was full of many magical and colorful Thai traditions. I also went on a total of four field trips that included many hours on (and off) the bus.
I formed many relationships during my time in Thailand. I became close with three other English teachers whom I traveled with on weekends to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Nong Khai, and Koh Samet. We had similar backgrounds and dreams and experienced the Thai culture together. I am still in contact with them today. I also formed new relationships with Thai families and some of my students.
If you are thinking about going to teach in Thailand....DO IT! There will be times of frustration and sheer joy. Be open-minded, a learner and experience independence. It all makes you a better person. This experience will impact the rest of your life.

I loved my experience teaching in Spain and I'm so glad I did it. My goal was to travel, become more fluent in Spanish, and "clear my head" from the grind of my previous office job. I was definitely able to do all of these things, and make friends along the way thanks to the CIEE orientation and 2 week immersion program. The school I was placed in treats me very well, but CIEE did not do a good job of helping me out with the location and, as a result, I commute 3 hours a day, and it costs me 90 Euros/month (most people who are closer to the center pay only 20/month). Money is tight but because Spain is so cheap, it's enough to get by. Definitely happy I made this move.

I had a wonderful time in Portugal. My host family and school were incredible. However, the program staff were not very helpful. Most of the success in my experience, was due to my amazing host family and the school setting up everything from transportation to work hours. However, I did not know anything about my host family, the town, or the school until right before I arrived in Portugal. Luckily, my school had sent me an informative presentation about the school and the town, but CIEE did nothing to inform us about where we would be and the curriculum we would be helping with. Also, CIEE did not help any of the volunteers with getting back to Lisbon when it was time to leave, or provide accommodations. The program fee was quite steep for only 2 days in Lisbon, without covering any airfare, return accommodations, or helping pay the host family for the necessary bills. Overall, I had a great experience, but again that was not due to the program staff, but to the excellence of my host family and school system.

I took this class because I was offered a scholarship that gave an unbeatable price. I don’t have plans to teach right now but didn’t want to miss the opportunity to take this class because I know that it can open many doors!
The course material was manageable. I do wish that I had a better understanding of the time requirements in the beginning, however. The instruction was great and my course tutor was always available and very helpful.
I did my practicum in Costa Rica since I was already going there to visit family.
Overall this course was a good experience and I’m happy that I decided to take it!