Teach English in South Korea with CIEE + TEFL Certification & Rent Free Housing

I've been in working and living in South Korea for 5 months, and it's been a wonderful experience so far. CIEE really helped me set up realistic expectations for what the work environment would be like here, what is expected of English teachers in general, and what the biggest uphill battles would be. Even though adjusting to a new culture has come with plenty of big changes, I've felt prepared for all of it, and it really helps knowing that there's a network of folks from CIEE available to talk to and come to for support.

This is my second time going abroad with CIEE and my experience with them has been nothing but positive.

I am in my first year teaching and I did not graduate with a degree in education. Moving across the country during a pandemic to step into something you've never properly done before, is a lot to handle. CIEE was very helpful and communicative with each step of the process. The in-country support is also so valuable and reassuring to have. When confronted with any issue I can go to them with trust.

I am a first year teacher with a degree unrelated to education. The program provides you with plenty of useful information that will help you build teaching skills. I was very nervous about teaching at a foreign school without any serious teaching background. I will be honest, I was thrown to the wolves my first day teaching, but the program provided me with enough knowledge to succeed. My first week was a bit rough getting used to things and the responsibility of teaching these young students. It worked out great and I've enjoyed my time in Korea. My favorite thing about CIEE is the continuous in-country support. You can definitely find cheaper ways to teach abroad but I think the extra money is well worth it. I know that if there are any issues or concerns, I have contacts here, which is important if you're going to a new country alone.

My experience has been incredible in some ways and a challenge in others. It has been challenging to step out of my comfort zone and adapt to a new culture that has so many facets to engage in, e.g. language, customs, etc. However, my school has been a blessing and a great place to work at. They have proffered a mountain of support and genuine care, from teaching me the ropes to checking on my well-being.

As for the CIEE, I have received a plethora of resources and support from the team. I have also recently had an amazing trip meeting with fellow CIEE teachers and staff. It has been one of my favorite memories in South Korea thus far. Overall, I am grateful and happy with my experience— thank you, CIEE!

I have been very happy with my choice to go abroad with CIEE so far. I am currently in South Korea, a few months into my program, and CIEE has continued to support me even once I arrived. I applied to the EPIK program through CIEE and during that entire application process I had constant support and communication through an advisor. CIEE looked over my application and additional materials to make sure I was as prepared as possible. Although it might be a bit pricey, with the TEFL certification included, it was well worth the price in my opinion because they act as a security network if you need it. Also you gain a certification which you can use anywhere and anytime. Once you arrive in Korea there is also an orientation where you can meet other English teachers in the program.

I am so happy I decided to apply to teach overseas through ciee. They provided so much support and when I got to my country I was able to meet a lot of amazing people because of ciee. I think the TEFL program really prepared me for teaching. I’m thankful for my job placement and the coordinator for Korea is great. I had a wonderful time at the ciee orientation. I think it’s great that ciee offers orientation and other events for teachers as it can be hard moving to a foreign country on your own when you don’t speak the language or know anyone there.

My experience in Korea has been very good with the CIEE program. Before I even left from the US, CIEE was right there to help me with everything I needed. They helped me get my TEFL as well as my Visa. The TEFL program was amazing and the teachers work really closely with you if you have any questions or concerns. When I arrived to Korea, they arranged for me to have transportation from the airport to my city which was great because the guide made sure to help me get where I needed to be. The overall experience has been really good so I highly recommend CIEE as anyone’s program of choice for teaching abroad.

CIEE is easy to work with throughout the process. One big strength of CIEE is there connections throughout Korea. They seem to have access and work with contacts throughout Korea. When I was in America I found it easy to work with CIEE to get the necessary documents in order to teach here. They helped me throughout that process quite a lot. One note I would say about CIEE is having the orientation three weeks into Korea is to late, as by then much of the information is repetitive. If I have needed any help from CIEE these past few months I found it easily. I have enjoyed working with CIEE and would recommend them for similar teaching positions for people. As CIEE is important to provide the necessary contacts and help to get around. I enjoy CIEE and believe that they would be useful for those who are new into the international teaching field.