Teach English in Chile & Online TEFL Certification with CIEE

My expereince in Santiago, Chile was amazing! I lived and taught English here for 10 months. Through all the great and challenging moments, it was so rewarding. I had so much support through CIEE while making this huge transition into living and teaching abroad. Even before arriving, CIEE provided information about the country and was so helpful with the visa process and any additional questions. While in country, I was always able to ask for help from my advisor and solve any problems. I learned so much about myself and what I am capable of! I also loved learning about the culture of Chile, as well as improving my Spanish language skills. I also got the chance to travel and explore this amazing country, which is something I´ve always dreamed about. The experience overall is unmatched! I hope you

I am very satisfied with my experience teaching abroad through CIEE. The program helped with everything from the TEFL course, obtaining a visa, employment, airport pick up, housing for the first couple weeks, Chilean ID, health insurance - basically all of the bureaucracy and logistical stuff that does not come naturally to me and really stresses me out!

I have never taken an online course and I was hesitant about it at first but CIEE does a really good job of covering everything you might need to feel confident in your first English teaching experience. The tutor was very responsive and supportive, and the course provides you with access to many helpful and up to date resources.

They were even super understanding and helpful when I had issues with my TEFL course and obtaining my visa.

I love CIEE! They were flexible with me throughout the entire process and incredibly helpful with pre-departure tasks and anxieties. I am conducting research on women's soccer here in Chile and they were great about catering the program to my needs. They communicated and responded within hours or days. I am an organized person and I am not sure if I could have maneuvered all of the logistics without CIEE. Originally I planned to move abroad without a program but maneuvering the job market in a foreign country and a foreign language, getting a visa, not having an emergency contact, getting health insurance, getting travel insurance, all ended up being too much and CIEE swooped in and saved the day!

With that said, I did not find TEFL very interesting. It felt very tedious with a lot of unnecessary busy work. I felt it was overpriced and the gist of the material could be covered in half the hours necessary.

I must say I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in Chile and CIEE has been extremely helpful in all situations. CIEE gives you the assistance needed to help succeed in both your job and daily life. They provide you with a TEFL course if you don't have your certificate and are very supportive throughout the entire visa process (which can be a real pain). When you get down to Chile, there is a week of orientation that is very valuable. You learn about Chilean culture, see some of the city, and go over what it's like to teach at DUOC. However, CIEE is not there to hold your hand through every small step of your process. I appreciated that and know that if I ever did have a problem, CIEE was there to help. Santiago is a wonderful city with tons to do and see. While CIEE doesn't place you in a home/apartment, they do give you the tools you need to find one that fits your lifestyle. Like I previously mentioned, CIEE is never overbearing but do reach out from time to time to ensure all is well and that there aren't any issues. Finally, they provide insuranace which was cruical to me. All in all, I'd suggest this program to anyone interested in teaching abroad!

This such a great experience! I am currently in Santiago, Chile, and it is a unique, fun, learning adventure! From the beginning of the experience, I have recieved so much support from CIEE. Before leaving, Katy helped answer any of my questions and was able to calm my impatience and help with my visa needs. While in Chile, my CIEE advisor, Camila, is an awesome resource. She was so helpful during the first week orientation, setting up times to get our visas, helping find housing, answering any questions through Whatsapp or email, and meeting with us individually to better understand our unique experiences here. While living abroad has many expected challenges, CIEE has done their part to make the transition as smooth and painless as possible!

So much to say!
First of all, CIEE is amazing and worth the price to go with them. Camila and Katy helped tremendously with visas, residency, finding a place to live, and preparing for the trip.
Duoc is great. Some American teachers struggled with their lack of preparation for us, but once we got into the groove we all did great. I had never taught before in my life, but Duoc was there with any question I had. You definitely have to be proactive and ask questions. Duoc will gladly help you, but they will not be the first ones to give you everything you need. You have to ask!
Duoc pays about $900 a month, which is enough to live off of but you may want to get a tutoring job to travel or save money.
I work in Los Cerrillos and live in Bellavista, about an hour commute. It isn't too bad, especially since I go reverse commute. I do have to take a metro and a bus.
I love my coworkers and my students. My students are so sweet and work hard. Teaching came at an ease for me but I was so nervous since I had never taught before. Duoc gives you student books to go off and and they are super easy to follow. At times, they are a little dull but you can ask coworkers and other TIPs for more material or create your own. Most tips have about 5-7 classes, all about 90 min, but some have 3 hour. Duoc has Saturday classes, but no TIPs this year have any. I don't have Friday classes which is very nice, but not everyone has Friday off. I also don't have any night classes, and most TIPs don't work past 7. Chile is pretty pricey, but not too bad. Going out to eat is very expensive and adds up, so when you're in the hostel take advantage of the kitchen. It's pretty easy to travel around Chile. Flights are cheap and bus rides are even cheaper. Santiago itself is very but but so easy to get around since the metro and bus system goes to every corner of the city. I haven't yet felt unsafe, but it's easy to avoid dangerous areas. I have a phone plan and a bank account, which CIEE helps you set up. Any questions I have I can ask and overall it's been an amazing experience.

My time in Chile has been nothing but enjoyable. The transition from the US to Chile was very easy with the help of CIEE. They prepared us before and after arrival with cultural lessons and information sessions to help as acclimate to the new culture and lifestyle. CIEE was very helpful in the visa process and helping us with our ID cards and Chilean bank accounts. Our coordinator in Chile is always available for any questions we may have and checks in just to make sure we are doing well. It's definitely nice knowing we have a familiar face to turn to if we have any questions.

Chile is an amazing country. It's very easy to navigate and the people are very friendly and willing to help you if needed. I've even had the chance to make friends not only with Chileans but people from all over the world. Every weekend there is something new to do or see. If you like hiking, Chile has amazing hikes and are easily accessible through public transportation. There's often street fairs on the weekends that sell handmade goods. It also has a really fun night life, it's very common to go for a long late dinner with friends and hang out on restaurant patios. It has everything from nice restaurants, to bars and clubs. There's definitely something for everyone.

One of the things I enjoy most about teaching in Chile is the students. Everyday I look forward to seeing them and getting a chance to not only teach them but learn from them too. Being close in age as them has been an asset because you can relate to them easily and often have common interests which are fun to incorporate in class. My coworkers are very friendly and have been generous with sharing ideas for activities in the classroom. I truly love my job.

I can't recommend this program enough! You'll make amazing friends, grow professionally and have the most memorable experiences.

Thus far, I cannot speak highly enough about my experience in Chile. With the help of Katy, Camila and the CIEE team, I feel confident in making Santiago my new home for the next 10 months. Katy and Camila alike were incredibly helpful throughout my very messy visa experience and supported me every step of the way until it was finally approved (the day prior to my departure). Overall, I feel as though CIEE set me up for success in my present career opportunity teaching English at DUOC. DUOC is a wonderful institution filled with a myriad of diverse students, welcoming staff members, and rigorous academic material. In the states, I am a teacher so I feel as though this experience will be very rewarding for me in having experience with teaching ENL students. Additionally, this experience provides you with innumerable contacts, resources, and colleagues that help you every step of the way. I am very grateful for the experience and ecstatic to see the opportunities that lie ahead.