CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL Reviews

Portugal is an incredible country and I had a great experience with cultural immersion with my host family, but everything else in the program was disorganized and the constant lack of communication was frustrating. You pay $900 to CIEE (none of it goes towards the host family or the schools) and they are minimally involved in making sure your placement and experience is going well. If you speak Portuguese the communication issues at school may be less of a problem, but if you don't then working with teachers and trying to plan lessons will be a major issue. My assigned "supervisor" at the school was condescending and rude and made almost no effort to meet with me during my volunteer experience. I would recommend looking at teaching programs through other organizations before pursuing this program through CIEE.

Overall, I thought this was a good course, especially if you had limited experience with teaching. There were many times throughout the course that I wished I had been able to take it before I started my teaching degree! It was extremely thorough and covered many aspects of teaching. It created a strong foundation from which a student can enter the classroom to become a teacher.

The class was also extremely well organized. Each week, students are expected to complete a module, which is comprised of 4-5 units. Each unit builds both skills and theoretical knowledge to increase the confidence of the TEFL trainee before they enter the classroom. The modules range in topics from the origins of English, to classroom management, to how to apply for a job once you have your certificate.

Online courses can be challenging for communication, but this course made this easy. The instructors were extremely helpful and prompt in responses.Every week there is a tutorial that students attend to discuss the course content. This was a great way to get feedback on your ideas in real time. Also, there are many discussion boards to talk about the course with your peers.

So far I have been enjoying the program quite a lot.

The CIEE program and staff have been helpful since day one, and it would have been very difficult for me to relocate here without the assistance from them (job secured before arrival and contact with the local school, housing during the first week, orientation week, etc...). I can't really speak about the help with the visa process (EU citizen here), but by hearing about from my peers it seems like overall CIEE does a good job with this, and is improving.

Prague is a very historic and fun city to live in with a lot of different events going on all the time, and its location in Europe is very good for weekend getaways. One downside of Prague is the housing, finding housing in Prague can be quite difficult and expensive for foreigners, so brace yourself and try and do it ahead of time.

I will be staying in Prague for at least 2 more years.

I have loved my time abroad! I couldn't have done it without CIEE. I have met other 'native speaker/ teachers' here that did not have the support like CIEE. They have had a hard time. From helping to secure residence and school placements to setting up visas and insurance - CIEE has proven to be worth the money. The initial application and time spent toward this endeavour in the US was sometimes worrisome. The website had glitches, deadlines were confusing, and the US office was unavailable for assistance often, which caused me to worry. But once, I had everything in place and arrived in Czech Republic, all was grand! Not only is CIEE (in Czech Republic) here for me whenever I may need them - they also have made this time so enjoyable! Czech Republic is a perfect location to travel! Every weekend in am traveling somewhere new and loving it! I am so grateful for this opportunity and for CIEE.

Like the title says, it was the best decision I have ever made. The Czech Republic is a wonderful country full of fascinating history and traditions. It also is in a perfect location for traveling around the rest of Europe. I have found teaching English to be a very rewarding process, and speaking with natives and students has opened my eyes to a new culture and I'm proud to call it my second home. I highly recommend moving to the Czech Republic.

Going into this program, I knew there were cheaper options to attain a certificate in TEFL. However, the experience was really invaluable--having zero teaching experience before, I now feel fully confident to teach on my own. This course covers everything, from the basics of grammar to planning your lessons, and as I went with the 150-hour program, it also includes a mandatory 20 hours of practicum. This is absolutely necessary if you want to feel prepared to teach.

For it's price, CIEE was worth every penny. And I would absolutely do this all again if I had to--rather than waste a few hundred on a pointless scrap of paper, I made a worthwhile investment for my future. The teachers were absolutely fantastic, the lessons were very clear, and the course itself was not hard so long as you follow the directions, take good notes, and follow the admittedly-tight schedule. It's an intensive course, but if you want to feel confident and be certified in only a few weeks, then I cannot recommend a better course!

Connecting with CIEE after graduating was a decision I will forever be grateful for. Being uncertain about teaching abroad is common and with the help from this organization, I was able to begin feeling more comfortable with the idea of traveling to a foreign country to teach English. I've been given amazing in-country support here in Korea and that has proven to be the most valuable because there's so much to learn. Having their email has been a luxury that other teachers here simply do not have because they chose other routes to get here.

My advice to anyone reading this is to be patient. Whether you're fresh out of college or well past your collegiate years, please understand that making a move to a different country to teach is a process. It is 100% attainable if you are dedicated to the idea of working with children and sharing your knowledge of the English language. Additionally, come prepared with questions that may be lingering in the back of your head. CIEE is dedicated to doing their best, so why not ask great questions?! There are so many and after reading a great deal of information, it can be easy to even forget stuff that's already been provided along the way. Additionally, I advise getting your TEFL Certification if you want to teach more than one year. It translates cross-culturally and is a great addition to your resume. All in all, so happy I chose CIEE.

Teaching in South Korea was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love teaching my wonderful students, and travelling all over every chance I get. Choosing CIEE to help me get here was another great choice. From the beginning everyone was super helpful. Once I got to Korea the support was AMAZING. Orientation was a chance for me to meet other teachers (new and old) and have lots of my questions about teaching and general life in Korea answered. I still meet up with and talk to people I met at my orientation. The support system that CIEE has created for their teachers in Korea is just great! It definitly helped make my transition to living in a new country a lot easier.

I was outside of a major city which made it more difficult to get to know people, speak English, find western food. But that made for a life in China I'm not sure others get to experience. CIEE did a great job with the placement, preparation, and visa help. The classes were quite large which was a bit challenging, and sometimes the facilities didn't work. That was outside of CIEEs control and you were able to present a lesson anyway. Great opportunity.

My five months teaching abroad in Thailand has changed my life! Living in Thailand for five months immersed in the Thai culture was very impactful. My placement was perfect for me. I felt so happy and welcomed in my Northeastern town and Anuban school. The best part of my experience were the Thailand relationships I formed as well as the English teachers I met at CIEE orientation and at my school. I have continued these relationships upon my return home.
My apartment was in an ideal location-I was able to walk to my school daily as well as find my meals and shop for necessities. I encourage everyone to become part of your local community-get out and meet people, take classes and immerse yourself in Thailand! I was able to travel every weekend either by bus or plane. I swam with elephants in Chiang Mai, bathed in the luxurious waters in the tropical island of Koh Samet, rode bicycles in Ayutthaya, and had many relaxing Thai massages! The possibilities are endless! Travel in Thailand is so easy and cheap. I felt safe my entire time abroad.
Because of my experience with CIEE and OEG I have made lifelong connections and have gotten to know Thailand and share my experiences with my school community here in America. I definitely plan on teaching abroad again. If you are thinking about teaching abroad with CIEE...just DO IT. It will change your life too!