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

I’m lucky to have been able to make a few friends through orientation that make it easy to have someone to count on. My other teachers who went through different programs don’t know anyone else besides the teachers in the school, and they wished they had an orientation like mine. It was also nice to have other professionals to ask questions to that are outside of my school. I also liked that I was able to have my emails answered fairly quickly and my recruiter did not tell me lies like what my other co teachers had gone through with their companies. They wish they did something similar to what I found with CIEE and I am very happy that I was able to do this orientation with other teachers who were on the same boat as I was when first coming to Korea.

I’m so glad I chose the CIEE program to help me teach in South Korea! Finding a program can be so overwhelming and moving to a country that you don’t know much about can add on to that level of stress. But with CIEE, I felt prepared for my travels and safe in my school decision. CIEE worked with me to help me find a school in the city I wanted to live in, and they helped me find reputable schools with good pay. While in the country, they gave everyone in the program an weekend orientation session where I learned more about Korean culture. It is also where I met other people in the program, and I ended up making lots of connections with other teachers who live all around South Korea and near me. I highly recommend choosing CIEE to go abroad with!

I had a positive experience with CIEE. I wanted to travel to South Korea to teach English with my girlfriend after we both graduated from college. CIEE worked with us and connected us to a school in Korea that hires couples. It was a really good fit and we’re happy CIEE helped us find something that worked for us. The orientation weekend in Seoul was a lot of fun and a great way to connect with other foreign teachers and get to see some of the capital. In general, CIEE is great at making sure you have the resources to connect with other foreigners while here in Korea. Overall, CIEE was very responsive throughout the application process, offered very helpful visa assistance, and gave us immediate in-country support when we arrived. If you want to teach abroad, CIEE can get you there.

While there were definitely some issues with communication and support while I was in America from the US team, I would still recommend this program. The TEFL Certification is very good and easily allows for you to complete it while working or going to school.

The overseas staff is great, and the person in charge of helping people find placements in private schools, Yumi, was very helpful and accommodating. She helped me find a great school quickly due to an unexpected change of plans. She also talked with me through the weekend when I was booking a flight after receiving my visa, even though she was not obligated to do so.

South Korea is a great country to live in, and as a young woman, I feel incredibly safe here. It is also modern and rich with history, so there is a great balance of things to experience.

My boyfriend and I wanted to move to Korea to teach English and we used CIEE to help arrange our placement. CIEE was very helpful and answered all of our questions. They were able to help us find a school in a big city that hired us as a couple. The in-country support is incredibly valuable. In our city, there are quite a few other teachers placed by CIEE along with a new recruit coordinator. Through CIEE, we were able to meet each other and build a social network in our new home. CIEE has also eased any worries we have had about what to expect and understand how to acclimate to life in a new country. Overall, I am quite impressed with the services provided by CIEE and I would highly recommend this organization to anyone interested in teaching abroad.

Honestly, they were very helpfully. At times the information was overwhelming and messy, but they were always available to explain in detail over the phone. I’ve been in Korea for three months now, and I love it. I’m planning on staying for longer than a year. I met my best friend through CIEE, and the orientation was helpful. My school is a little rough around the edges, and the apartment needed some serious work, but I do love my students. I like that I can follow the book's lesson plans, but they do not let us use technology to aid the lesson. Korea is a lively country. I’ve been busy every weekend since I got here. You can go out to the thousands of cafes, huge malls, and amazing clubs. Honestly, you will never get bored in Korea. You won't regret it!

I decided to come to Korea with CIEE because I needed my transition process to be both smooth and time-efficient. I was finishing my undergrad thesis as I was preparing for Korea, and CIEE took a lot of stress and confusion out of the job search. I saved hours and hours of time on the visa alone. CIEE tells you exactly what documents you need, how and who to mail them to, and they even give you tips on how to fill the documents out. Without the pre-departure support, I likely wouldn’t have been able to start teaching so soon after graduating, which really justifies the program fee in my case. It also helped ease my mind that CIEE would be connecting me with reputable schools, and even if something did go wrong, I would still have their support after I arrived. The advisors really want you to succeed, and if you come with a positive attitude, you will!

I've enjoyed living in another country, but I don't really like the food here. Hopefully, I'll start finding more things I like to eat. My school is a nice place, and my Director and other co-workers are all very kind to me. I'm within walking distance to the school; my apartment is small, but it has everything I need. Most people in the area speak at least a little English. I've found some fun things to do nearby, but I like exploring other cities too. CIEE has been pretty helpful by doing orientations and helping me get set up here. I know I can contact them if I run into any issues, and they will help wherever they are able.
I love working with kids, especially the younger ones. They have found ways to express themselves in English that I find very creative.