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

I have been here for about 8 months now and I like the country and the people, for the most part. However, not liking the school I am placed at. The students are fine it’s management that’s the issue. But all-in-all I wouldn’t mind doing this program again, but just in a different city and school. Also, I feel that CIEE should do a little better taking care of their teachers, especially the new ones. When I first arrived no one called or sent an email to check-in making sure I was ok. I was the one who had to initiate the conversation few weeks after arriving. At least once a month call or email making sure the teachers are ok, i.e., living conditions, how is the school, how are they adapting, do they need anything, etc... that’s just my opinion.

I'll be the first to say I got really lucky. My school staff was super welcoming and quick to include me and share Korean traditions with me. My students are so sweet, many of them are artists and would draw super cute doodles of me as gifts. They often saw me out in public and would say hello to me and they loved to ask me questions about what I was doing with my time in Korea. The downside is that I didn't have too much freedom with my curriculum but I made do and I worked around it and through it the best ways I could. Some other teachers who also joined EPIK were not so lucky in their area staffs at their school were not so welcoming or accommodating, in this case it really is luck of the draw. I personally have had a great experience both with EPIK and doing my TEFL through CIEE. I had great support and learned a lot over the course of my experience.

I had to pay $2000 for everything, equivalent to a month's pay. This includes a TEFL, but a TEFL shouldn't be more than $500. If you're well-off and don't feel like putting in the hard work or are too unsure of yourself to do so, this is the way to go. But there are surely more cost-effective strategies. I'd recommend just getting a recruiter and taking it from there.

Even still, the company is very thorough in getting you in the best position. It will guide you through every step, and there are a lot of steps. The main attraction of CIEE is the orientation weekend, which is the most fun I've had yet in Korea. But it's not $2000 worth.

The TEFL course is very time consuming, but you can bomb the weekly assignments as long as you get solid multiple choice and final exam scores, as I did; they're quite easy. I just got stuck with a cranky tutor, which makes the tutoring sessions unpleasant.

I have been teaching in Korea for about 1 year so far. It has been a unique experience. I work at a Private School which holds a lot of different aspects compared to Public Schools. CIEE was very helpful through all of the application and TEFL process, which helped ease the pressure of teaching abroad.

Working at a private school has been a great experience. I've come to learn about the differences of the Korean education system. I've heard of horror stories when it comes to working at private schools, but CIEE was able to help me find one that was the right fit for me. So far, I've been having a great time and am grateful to be working in a great environment and community. Overall I would recommend this program to others, because it's a great way to have a support system in a foreign country.

Teaching in Korea has been an amazing experience. I’ll admit that I was nervous going in and didn’t really know what to expect, but it was easily to get acclimated. CIEE’s TEFL course prepared me for most of my day to day challenges as a teacher. I found that most of the things I was really worried about, like classroom management, I had practical knowledge to apply from the course. The support I received from them has been amazing from application until now. Of course, there are also tons of people who have already been through the program who are ready and willing to give you advice. I’ve just decided to renew for another year since I like it so much. If you’ve been wanting to explore another country and culture, but couldn’t imagine making it a reality, look no further.

CIEE acted as my recruiter for the EPIK program, and they did a good job. My only issue was the mandatory CIEE orientation. It was fun, but it definitely was more geared towards hagwon/private school teachers than public school teachers through EPIK, but EPIK has their own intensive orientation so it really is not much of a problem and it ended up being a fun weekend either way. Overall, I highly recommend CIEE.

I got my TEFL through CIEE as well and found that there was a lot of support during that process. Because CIEE is such a well-known program, there was always a network of people to talk to, and the TEFL course itself prepared me well for my experiences abroad. Ultimately, I felt like CIEE gave me the tools I needed in order to succeed internationally in South Korea.

Coming to Korea has been a wonderful and eye-opening experience. The kids I work with are great and always put a smile on my face. I would however recommend going with EPIK (public teaching) over a hagwon if you can get it, because the extent to which you will have to work, and the quality of Hagwons can vary quite a bit. Some people may work six hours a day, some may work nine or ten. It's good to do some thorough research into where you are working. Exploring Seoul has been a wonderful time as well, especially with my new coworkers who have been very gracious in helping me adjust. There's a lot of individual planning that goes into teaching in a Hagwon, so be ready. CIEE was spectacular during the. application process. They were open to communicate at any time, and they even hired a recruiter to place me in a Hagwon. Overall a great place to live and CIEE has been wonderful to work with.

CIEE guided me in getting hired at a school in Gwangju. Although the schedule at the school is demanding (I have 15-20 classes every day), I am happy working here. My manager and co-workers have helped ease my transition into the country and culture, and my students are amazing. It is rewarding to see my students’ progress in their English skills, and I enjoy hearing my students shout my name then give me a huge hug.

Also, CIEE tries to ease teachers’ transitions into the country and culture at an orientation in Seoul. This orientation helped me meet teachers from Gwangju and from all across the country.

Overall, I recommend this program to anyone interested in teaching in South Korea. CIEE tries to make the process as easy as they can; their staff are incredibly supportive.