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

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.

I knew that I wanted to teach in S. Korea, but I wasn't sure what steps I needed to take, what forms to fill out, how to get a TEFL, how to find a school, ... (the list goes on and on). CIEE was there every step of the way, answering my questions and helping me achieve my goal. There were times while I was taking the TEFL course where it felt like I was wasting my time, and I didn't think that teaching would be for me. But thankfully, I decided to stick it through thanks to the open communication of multiple CIEE staff members and their friendliness. The day before my flight from the U.S. to S. Korea, my visa was lost in the mail. I had to track it down, frantically calling every post office I could think of. At one point, there were 2 CIEE staff members who were spending their Friday morning helping me call around, dedicated to making sure that I got on that plane the next day. We found the visa, they called me to answer any final questions I had (and to calm me down), and sure enough, here I am writing this review in my apartment in Korea! Everyone has been great, and the program made this entire process MUCH easier. It also was nice knowing that I was never alone, and there was a group of people on my team, working behind the scenes every step of the way.

I have used CIEE twice to go abroad. The first time was when I studied abroad while still a university student, and the second time is now. CIEE is a great organization that is very understanding of situations that one might have and are willing to help as much as possible. Without their help and assistance, I might not have been able to go abroad, so I’m forever grateful to them.

CIEE’s support doesn’t stop once you’re abroad, but continues in the best way possible. They give you the opportunity to create your own network of people by having orientations which allows you to meet other CIEE participants. Also, although you come through CIEE, they don’t force you to do anything. We have the freedom to make our own memories, have our own experiences, and solve our own problems. But, when you’re in a bind and really need help, CIEE is there. Just remember: CIEE is there to help, but you should still be responsible and make wise choices.