Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid

CIEE is a great program. They made the visa process very easy. They connect with the AuxMadrid program in Spain which is excellent. I couldn't be more satisfied. You are a Language and Cultural Assistant in the community of Madrid. You will be placed at a school of your choosing for this program, either an elementary school or secondary school. I choose secondary and I am very happy because I teach middle schoolers and high schoolers. You always have a co-teacher, because you are only the assistant. You do not need to be in charge of grading or classroom management, what could be better than that!

It is FREE to teach in spain when applying through the government. The only difference you will find when applying through CIEE is their advertised "comprehensive support" including health insurance and orientation programs. The health insurance only covers emergencies, so you have to pay entirely out of pocket to see any doctor in any other circumstance. It also does not cover ANY public medical facilities, so you have to see expensive private doctors who you must pay out of pocket and then simply hope the insurance company (itself owned by CIEE -- i.e. a racket) pays you back at some point. The "support" is almost exclusively email-based and all the information they provide is readily available online. The orientation information is also readily available for free. Basically, you're paying almost 3000 USD for a week in a hotel and an email address to which you can direct questions. Not worth it. None of the answers provide any information that you can't just google. The only redeeming quality, as far as I'm aware, is that the Spanish government will place you in any Spanish city while CIEE guarantees a place in the Community of Madrid (but not the center of Madrid). Unless you have never traveled overseas and will be completely overwhelmed by any bureaucratic or administrative processes, don't waste your money.

So I paid the fee, I don't wanna repeat how much cause it just reminds me of what I lost. I came late because of Covid restrictions, and they literally didn't give me a single dollar for food, or hotel accommodation as promised. They didn't even recommend me a place to stay.

On top of that, I had to go to the emergency room for tonsilitis and their insurance policy has ignored me for 5 months about my reimbursement. I had an emergency and called the 24/7 emergency hotline (i mean i do pay for it) the representative picked up as if I was a burden. I wasn't even calling at a weird time it was 10am!

I got ripped off. They made me read my documents myself, do everything myself, and when
I emailed them for help, they just said "read the document".

This isn't my first studyabroad program. I've gone abroad with API, Barcelona SAE, and they were absolutely accomodating. They were helpful. Picked up the phone when I had emergencies even at 2am without complaint. One girl from Barcelona SAE helped me by just being my mentor and talking to me when I felt homesick.

I'm giving them a 5 because the people in the program are pretty nice. I'd apply through the ministry, Fullbright, or any other study abroad program.

I'll say one nice thing, but if you have never traveled abroad and want someone to hold your hand, I guess CIEE would be your last choice. There are other great third parties that will actually use your money to help you.

The process of moving to Spain is confusing. Moving during a pandemic is even more complicated, with constantly changing legal restrictions. CIEE made an overwhelming process manageable by providing step-by-step guides for everything: applying for a VISA, registering as a Spanish resident, getting a residency card, etc. Additionally, they sent out periodic email updates to participants letting us know about travel restrictions and curfew changes throughout the year. CIEE does carry a hefty price tag, which is why some auxiliars opt to apply directly through the Spanish government. However, when I talked to participants who applied through the govt, I was often shocked by how little information they were provided with. They had to figure out on their own how to get a TIE card, how to renew for the next year, etc. For me, CIEE was worth it.

I just wanted to write this because I’m truly impressed with the return on investment from the Teach in Spain program. Spanish bureaucracy in general is a nightmare from what I’ve gathered, but the whole Covid situation makes it so much more ridiculous. But CIEE has been on point every step of the way.

From guiding us through the complex process of getting our visas back home, to welcoming us into Spain and laying out every single step from that point forward. They really do make the insanity that is Spanish bureaucracy as simplified and painless as possible. Their customer service is always amazing, and they're always happy to help resolve whatever issue you’re having. Definitely worth signing up for.

Different programs offer different levels of support during your time abroad. One of CIEE's biggest selling points is that they offer you continued support during your time abroad in case anything comes up. For a little while during the Coronavirus outbreak CIEE was offering us support and updated information, but then they decided that they were going to shut down their operation suddenly in many countries. Almost all of the 'continued support' that they had to offer us came from email updates. The rest of Spain is working from home, so I do not understand why they couldn't do the same in order to keep us informed. I was already a bit dissapointed with what I got out of the program given the price, and now I want to warn other people of what might happen to them. This is the nightmare scenario of moving abroad, and one of the main reasons to use a program, and CIEE abandoned us. STAY AWAY FROM THEM.

My transition to Madrid was nothing but easy and carefree due to the helpful and constant support I felt from the CIEE staff. Their pre-departure guides were available for step by step instruction which made the process stress free. Once arriving to Madrid, the orientation taught me what I needed to know about living in this new city, my job, and allowed me to meet new friends! I always felt I could ask for help if needed! Overall, teaching English to students has been such a fun and rewarding experience that I would recommend for anyone wanting to grow and discover new places!

As a professional educator I was apprehensive about teaching abroad because I assumed everyone participating in the program would be fresh out of college. Although many are, there are still plenty of other link-minded adults moving abroad. This was a perfect way to refresh my passion for teaching and gain new skills and experiences to bring back to my classroom. CIEE made the transition so easy providing all the necessary information to make the move as simple as possible! Working only 16 hours a week and having three day weekends to travel has made it the most enjoyable year of my working adult life so far.