Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid

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.