I came to Korea to test run being a teacher. I’ve always loved kids, and loved working with kids as for the most part it’s all I’ve ever done. When I leave Korea, I’m not going to be returning to the states to be a teacher. But that makes it sound like my experience here has been negative, and it’s been the opposite of such. This experience has been and continues to be the best thing I’ve ever done with my life. It’s not easy teaching English to young students, but it’s extraordinarily rewarding. After my time here is up (one year and counting) I’m going to leave here with an entirely different outlook on life, work, travel and so much more. I can’t recommend an experience like this enough.

Oh, and the food is to die for here.

I have been in Korea for 3 months and i was placed in a small city (Bongdam) near Suwon. So far, i absolutely love my area- i was easily able to join a gym within walking distance and i can get to Suwon train station in about 20 mins by bus.

Shortly after we arrived in Korea, my fellow teacher and i had a small issue with our employer and CIEE was immediately offering to help us, which they did. Since then i have been enjoying my job at a local academy working with kids that are ages 5-15.

I am so glad that i made the decision to try teaching abroad here, it is such a rewarding experience and i also love being able to explore a new culture that i have never seen before. CIEE made this a much easier prices than i could've done by struggling to find a job and an apartment by myself. I greatly appreciate the CIEE program and i would definitely recommend that you try using them! They're awesome :)

I first started to work with CIEE when I study abroad during university, so choosing them for my teacher abroad experience was pretty simple. But, I have been amazed at how much CIEE has been a valuable resource for me since I first came to Korea in 2018. I have made many great friends through CIEE orientations and End of the Year parties. CIEE is a great community that encourages all its teachers to stay connected throughout Korea after their initial orientations. My experience would not be the same without having gone through CIEE because of their overall commitment to the wellbeing of its teachers abroad. I have been able to travel to different cities, festivals, and countries with friends that I've met at CIEE orientations. It can be overwhelming coming to a complete new country without knowing anyone at all and CIEE does an excellent job of supporting the teachers here.

One day I got tired of working my regular 9-5 job. My job had good benefits with great pay but I needed a change. I had got in touch with CIEE and spoke with some amazing staff. They answered all my questions. After speaking to them I knew teaching abroad was a risk I was willing to take.They have been very helpful and kind. I was able to meet new life time friends through training and gathering that CIEE held. CIEE provided staff in and out of country that are available to help whenever needed. Korea is a beautiful country that is full. I came with a plan to do only one year. I been here 15 months and counting. I was lucky to have a chance to work at a public and private school. I absolutely love South Korea. I am so happy that I chose Korea. I am truly grateful for the staff of CIEE.

I have just finished my third month in the middle of South Korea. I am actually in the center of Korea. I am in a small countryside town and while not many people speak English and there are very few foreigners here, I have already made both foreigner and Korean friends. Everyone is very kind and welcoming. It was just my birthday and I thought I would spend it alone, but my school and the people I have met here have made it very special.
As for the CIEE program, the program has helped make sure that I feel safe and supported. The in-country support has been extremely kind and helpful. They have a lot of knowledge and I really enjoyed the in-country orientation. Also, it is nice to know that there is a group of people who are supporting you even when you are far from home.
Even though I came to Korea alone without any knowledge of the language or country, I no longer feel lonely.

I'm four months into my teach abroad experience in Dongtan, South Korea. It's been an amazing experience so far, and I believe that CIEE'S program helped me to feel prepared for the challenges that come when moving countries for the first time such as culture shock and home sickness. I absolutely love the school I was placed with (a hagwon) and have loved getting to know and teaching my class. I feel that the in country support had been very strong, my only regret is not attending more events to connect with more CIEE participants. My favorite memory so far was a weekend trip to the beach with my coworkers. Coming from the US Midwest, the ability to hop on a bus for two hours and arrive at the ocean was a thrill. I'm learning so much about myself and about this beautiful culture and I wouldn't change anything about how I ended up here. I would recommend teaching abroad to anyone, especially through CIEE.

Overall, I think this was a great organization to go through to complete my year of teaching abroad. You could constantly reach out to someone for support, and everything was well-structured and well-organized so that you always knew what to expect and what you needed to do in preparation for your departure. The TEFL course itself, through CIEE, was an added benefit. For everything, in terms of cost, it was well worth the money. On site, the teacher orientation was both fun and informative, and it was great to be able to connect with other teachers in the program. Additionally, I appreciated that our on-site contact person was very friendly, open, and always available - be it through call or chat - to answer any questions we may have throughout the year. From the resources to the support, I can safely recommend this program to other people considering teaching in South Korea.

I'm about 3 months in to my job at a private school and so far I'm loving it! In general, private schools put a lot of pressure on both student and teacher performance because the parents are investing a lot of money in the school. But for me the job so far has been very low stress and a lot of fun. Korea is insanely safe, and I have never once felt uncomfortable walking alone. There's a lot to explore, and every weekend I've been able to see a new part of Seoul or take trips to different areas of Korea. I think if you ever get bored here, you're doing something wrong.
One thing I have really appreciated about CIEE is their constant and quick communication. I always felt supported and knew that I could trust them to help me move halfway across the world.