Teach English in Spain with CIEE

I taught English in Madrid through CIEE and was very pleased with the program. The most valuable aspect of the program for me was the level of support that I was given. There were some delays getting my visa and I was late getting abroad, but CIEE was in touch every step of the way and walked me through the whole process. They were very understanding and helpful and made a stressful process much easier. I would definitely recommend this program.

I found CIEE to be very helpful in getting me established for my first year in Madrid. It is a tough process moving to another country and they were here to do some of the hard work for me and make sure that I had everything in order for the move. Once here, during the orientation, I found that they were quick to ensure help and make sure that simple things like setting up a bank account or getting your residency card was taken care of.

I worked in a bilingual secondary school in Alcobendas, which is a suburb just outside Madrid. My commute was not very long and easy to manage, and my school also had 6 other auxiliars whom I got to work alongside. I lucked out that my coworkers were good company and were dedicated to helping the students.

The school’s facilities were not bad. There wasn’t any WiFi, but each room had a functioning computer and projector. A few didn’t have adequate audio systems (makes videos unhelpful). My bilingual coordinator (my supervisor) was extremely qualified, consistent, and organized—and I’m sooo greatful. I have had a few problems with some of the teachers (lack of organization/experience), and my concerns have been heard and addressed.

If I had planned better, I would have renewed for a second year in the program. Unfortunately, I’ll be heading back to the States. It’s been a fun ride though. :)

Teaching English in Madrid is a great experience whether you want to be a teacher or not. It has been great to understand the Spanish culture and get to know the children and families that your teach. CIEE did an amazing job bridging us into the program. It was more expensive but worth it , in my opinion. They guided us through all the paperwork and made sure we had friends and connections in Madrid so we were very confortable when they set us free to teach. I would recommend CIEE to anyone who is trying to teach English in any country.

I went to Cacabelos , Leon, Spain for three months to teach English to grades 7-12. I got the chance to stay with a host family who took the absolute best care of me. My host mom and dad were amazing cooks and fed me all I could eat. My host sisters and I got rather close as well, and even let me come hang out with their friends on several occasions. I met so many people at the school I worked at. So many of them went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and happy. I loved getting the chance to teach students of another language what it is like where I am from. you could tell they were baffled by anything I said because the USA is so interesting to them. I miss them and think about the experience I had every day. I wouldn't change it for anything and am so thankful that was what I decided to do once I graduated.

After graduating from college, I knew I wanted to move to Spain to teach abroad. There are a number of programs, but after doing my research, I found CIEE to be the best choice for me. I know the cost may make many participants hesitate, and it is a lot of money, but the support I got from CIEE was worth it. Especially as a first year Language and Culture Assistant, there are so many things to do and so many unknowns. From answering emails about the visa to making the process of getting our residency cards simple and streamlined, I was so happy to have CIEE there to help me with what would have otherwise been an overwhelming process. I knew I always had someone to turn to for accurate and timely information. For me, that was a weight off my shoulders! The other great thing that CIEE led me to were some of my very best friends in Spain. I made incredible friends during orientation! I'm so happy I chose CIEE for my teach abroad experience. It made moving abroad a much easier transition, and I couldn't have asked for a better year in Madrid.

I didn’t think about it twice or about what I would be missing back home. I thought about what I would gain and how after I have completed the year I could say that I said I wanted to teach abroad and I did. You can apply for the program on your own but since it was my first time living abroad I appreciated the support given by CIEE. The two week housing they provided along with the general information presentations were great and I’m glad CIEE took care of most of the paperwork.

Pay is pretty low since it comes through the Community of Madrid, and I truly lived paycheck to paycheck but it was a great experience. I didn't love it so much for the work aspect as I did from the perspective of living in Madrid. It's the kind of program where you go to your job and tolerate it (at least that's how I felt), but in my opinion most people enroll as a means of living in Madrid. I did this program the year after graduating college as a break of sorts, but by the end of the year my long commute, high cost of living relative to salary, and feeling kind of useless and bored at work made me decide not to renew.

Use the ministry instead of the other programs to teach abroad. It costs less. Save up as much money as possible before you go so you can spend time exploring europe. I made it a goal to go to 1 new country a month! This program will benefit me in the future because I had to learn how to deal with issues such as the language barrier, how to work in the same class with another teacher simultaneously, and challenged me to grow personally. It was the mist difficult year of my life but it's also been the most life changing and rewarding!

I had studied abroad in Spain and was really hoping for a way to live abroad again after graduating. Teaching in Madrid was the perfect way to do this. It was the perfect experience for a recent graduate. I got to do something totally new and it gave me time and perspective to plan what I would do in the future.
CIEE was very helpful throughout the application process and facilitated a very smooth transition for me when I arrived in Madrid. I met so many great people, was able to immerse myself in Spanish culture, traveled all around Spain and around Europe and really enjoyed my job as a language assistant.

As I recent grad, I knew I needed something different than the typical 9 to 5 drag. I wasn't ready to jump into a career and I had always wanted to travel so this was the perfect fit. The past 10 months have been some of the best of my life. I made lifelong friends, traveled to a bunch of new cities and really immersed myself in Spanish culture. This program allowed me to discover things about myself that I never would have thought were possible which I know will help me when it comes time to actually re-enter the "real world."
I would definitely recommend teaching abroad with CIEE but I would also caution those that choose to do so. CIEE was fantastic when it came to pre-departure details. They helped with my visa and passport as well as preparing to apply for my temporary citizenship card in Madrid. They realy helped me feel comfortable with leaving the US for 10 months. However, CIEE made it sound like there would be a lot more support upon arrival which was only a little true. I had never left the United States before coming to Spain so this was a big reason why I chose CIEE. After a four day orientation, I still had no idea how teaching worked, where to open a bank account, how to find an apartment or where to buy a cell phone plan. They glossed over alot of key points that I think would have really been beneficial to me and my fellow teachers.
Overall, CIEE is a fantastic company to travel abroad with but I would hope that anyone who signs up under the same impression that I did, asks around before paying their program fee.

I loved my experience teaching in Spain and I'm so glad I did it. My goal was to travel, become more fluent in Spanish, and "clear my head" from the grind of my previous office job. I was definitely able to do all of these things, and make friends along the way thanks to the CIEE orientation and 2 week immersion program. The school I was placed in treats me very well, but CIEE did not do a good job of helping me out with the location and, as a result, I commute 3 hours a day, and it costs me 90 Euros/month (most people who are closer to the center pay only 20/month). Money is tight but because Spain is so cheap, it's enough to get by. Definitely happy I made this move.

It is a big adjustment moving to a big city like Madrid. I had never had the experience before even though I am quite well traveled and had visited the city before, I still didn't really know what to expect. CIEE offered a lot of support before the program started and after arrival to the city. I am very grateful that even after orientation was completed we continued receiving emails from CIEE that included information about different events and things to see in Madrid. I have learned so much in my time here and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in having a really different and unique experience, even if teaching isn't the long-term goal. I have always wanted to be in education and so this year teaching English has definitely given me a lot of really practical professional experience but I've also learned so much on a personal level as well. I have gotten used to being a lot more independent, navagating a new city on my own, and to making new friends in a really different context. One of the best things I've done with my time here is to take dance classes, where I met a lot of locals and have tapped into my passion of dance in a whole new place.

I would absolutely recommend taking the chance to teach abroad in a foreign country. It's such a different way to travel and experience the day to day life and culture of a country. I would not recommend paying the money to have a provider coordinate your position in Madrid. You will want to save your money for the other necessities that come with moving to a new place, especially a country capital. They add up fast! If you take the time to look for them, there are plenty of free options for information and help via Facebook pages, traveler blogs, and organizations for example City Life Madrid. The company CIEE provided a comfortable orientation weekend, a host family for the first month, and a basic level Spanish class. As well, throughout the year they provided resources and an occasional social event. However, there are other resources provided by the company that are also provided in other places for free upon arrival. Regardless of what you feel financially comfortable putting your money towards, it would not be a waste to make the investment of traveling to teach abroad. I will be returning to teach for a second year, possibly a third, and I think that speaks miles for how much I have genuinely enjoyed from this experience.

This is my first year truly living abroad. CIEE has made a truly wonderful experience with teaching seminars and email blasts offered every so often to update us, keep us informed, and offer programs to help us improve our experience here in Madrid as well as our teaching skills! CIEE made the daunting VISA process simple with step-by-step instructions and instructors and group leaders available with any questions along the way. The accommodations during the orientation program were phenomenal--offering breakfast daily, a safe place to stay, and helpful group activities during orientation. My group leader, Sandra Kinkaid, was super fun and insightful. Her awesome walking tours and friendly advice were invaluable during what could´ve been a very stressful first week here. I loved my year here so much, I´m renewing for a second! I highly recommend this program for first-timers
living abroad.