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

I found CIEE by doing a bit of research on my own. I wanted to make sure I was going through a reliable organization, especially considering this is my first time living and working abroad. The people at CIEE have been so helpful, encouraging, and available to communicate with directly in the United States AND abroad. Most, if not all, people through CIEE have also experienced living and/or teaching abroad, so they are very helpful in real-world experience and application. CIEE has their own fees, but it gives you piece of mind to know you have a real person advocating for you, helping you through the visa process, and communicating with schools abroad during the application and interview process, as well. Even when I finally got to South Korea, my CIEE coordinator called me to help me find accomodations while in transition to my school location and followed up with me to ensure my safety and overall comfort. I truly recommend this to anyone thinking about teaching and living abroad as they really do care about where you end up and how you get there!

CIEE is great. This is my second time teaching English overseas through this organization, and I've never had any issues. The staff is friendly and always ready to answer any questions, and everyone did a great job helping me with my application and making sure I had everything ready to apply to Korea. I really think they are one of the best organizations out there for people looking to teach overseas, and I highly recommend them! Not to mention orientation weekend in Seoul was awesome... I ate some of the best meals I've eaten since being in Korea! Everyone at orientation seemed to have fun and it was nice meeting the other teachers to hear how everyone elses experiences have been thus far. Brad was great and made sure everyone was having a good time the whole weekend!

I had a really great experience with CIEE! From before I submitted my application up to now in South Korea, I've had a great group of people walking me through the process, answering my endless emails, and really clarifying my every question. They are very knowledgable about the process and helped me figure out whether I wanted to apply to a private or public school, and even helped me get placed in the same city as my best friend! They also helped me so much when it came to the EPIK application and all the paperwork, and it feels so great to know that I have a support system in the county in case something happens, and even just to meet new people. Going through the process with a company that I had heard of just made me feel so much more secure. I definitely recommend going through CIEE to teach abroad!

Why was it unique?

CIEE was the most structured program, which was why I chose it. Any initial questions that I had during my search were automatically answered through their coordinators or website. It made making the decision of which country to teach in very easy. Katy and Aubrey, two of the best coordinators and staff ever, personally helped me break down which documents to acquire and where. They are definitely steadfast and consistent throughout the whole process. I've been in Korea for 4 months. After speaking with other teaching expats it has become clear to me that other programs do not EVEN compare to CIEE. The benefits package, the support system, and the training are all above and beyond with CIEE.

Education wise, Michelle Nail, was the best educator on TEFL. I could not have asked for a better teacher.

Culturally, their Korean representatives, Yumi and Brad, prepared me for culture shock and aided me in times of need. They also chose the best school for my personality and needs. I couldn't ask for a better program.

Dear future participants,

Just know that you are in good hands. Not only from the TEFL and Cultural training but from document gathering and anxiety about moving to a new place. Like Allstate, you are in good hands.

I was a bit nervous about teaching English in a country where I knew very little about the culture or the language, but CIEE has helped me every step of the way. Their online TEFL certification course allowed me to meet other teachers in the CIEE program while learning from a tutor who had real experience in the field and was dedicated to assisting us with our studies. The visa application process was also easy to understand. Their online application system organizes your required documents into manageable steps, and the staff is really helpful in sending you emails to remind you about upcoming deadlines. Once I got to the interview process, it was a breeze! It is so great having such in-country support to help me with everything from questions with my contract to cultural fo pas. The in-country orientation also helped me connect with so many other teachers in the program. I am never short of a traveling buddy! If you are still on the fence about applying, I say just take the leap and go for it!! Living in a completely different culture not only expands your world-view, but it also allows you to personally grow more than you may think is possible.

I'm in a small town in Gangwon-do, so although I have nice people that I work with, the CIEE staff is supportive, and it has been an interesting cultural experience so far, it is really hard at times when there's practically no one in the whole town who is a native English speaker or even has a good amount of English skills. I have to take a bus, 20 minutes South, to Wonju to do any "good" shopping and encounter other foreigners. It has been a good experience and I feel fully-immersed in a Korean society, but it is just hard to be thrown into such a vastly different environment. If you're placed in a bigger city, you won't have these problems, but even ordering food/drink is sometimes difficult in a small town unless you can speak a fair amount of Korean.

It’s a challenge but worth it. The teaching position, if you’re able to land with EPIK, the public schools, is quite breezy. There’s a lot of time to prepare and desk warming though. Learning Korean is a must if you’re not in a city.
The CIEE staff is really nice. They do their best to help you if you ask. Shout out to Brad.

It’s a very exciting new way to see the world, especially if you are able to integrate a bit. It’s really hard to do so without Korean, so please learn Korean. You’ll get the most out of it that way.

It’s a really exciting thing to live in this country. There’s so much to eat and so much to do. Seoul is a blast. The teaching program won’t take your life so you’ll have to spend as you please.

I was relatively ambivalent as to my time in a new country. I wasn't sure what to expect, nor was I particularly expecting a lot of support from CIEE. I was lead to believe that most recruiters don't care once they've dropped you off at your job, but Brad was a fantastic resource, and the community of CIEE teachers has been great too.

CIEE has done a great job of answering any questions I've had, as well as the concerns of a few friends I made through the program.
The primary concern I have is that the TEFL course was kind of lacking, but once I settled into the school I'm working at, I wasn't experiencing too much difficulty other that what might be normally expected from one's first time teaching.

I can't necessarily recommend this program more than any other, since I've only been through the one, but it has certainly been a good experience for me, in part because of CIEE's work.