No, but an interest in teaching is necessary. You will also have to be kind, caring, and patient, as well as possess an enthusiasm for educating young children. That said, CIEE encourages candidates with TEFL or teaching experience/certification, English degrees, and other translatable skills to apply as they are highly desirable to our partner schools in South Korea.
All placements are in a 45-minute commuting radius (on public transport) from downtown Seoul. The placements are in private schools teaching predominately three to seven year olds in an immersion school environment.
Your CIEE program fee covers many things related to preparing, training, and supporting your experience. This includes valuable program support before you go and in-country as well. We are your reference board and problem solvers should you need advice or assistance. Additionally, your program fee covers your pre-departure school assignment, an in-country orientation program, one-way transfer from orientation to your host school, insurance coverage, program handbook, teaching guides and tools, visa application acquisition, and housing. Please refer to the compensation section of this website for details.
You must have secured your bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the CIEE Teach in South Korea program. However, you can apply while your degree is in progress. If this is your case, please submit a letter from a university professor, advisor, or registrar confirming when you are expected to graduate. Please address your specific situation with CIEE staff.
If you’re an expected spring semester university graduate, you’re eligible to apply for the August program. If your diploma is not available at the time of your application to CIEE please obtain a letter from your academic advisor or university registrar that confirms you are on track to graduate in May. IMPORTANT: CIEE will need your actual diploma by early June! If your school’s regular schedule to issue actual diplomas does not coincide with this deadline then upon request CIEE can provide you with a letter that has previously been successful to expedite this process. Without your diploma we are unable to obtain essential visa documents from the Korean authorities that are required to secure your E2 visa.
No. In fact, most schools prefer that their foreign English teachers do not speak Korean, as to be the best English language examples possible. However, having some knowledge of the local language will benefit your day-to-day life.
No. All of the partner schools are relatively close to one another, so meetings between friends can be arranged. There are not always multiple placements available in the same school at the same time. As well, all accommodations carry long-term contracts and are single-studio accommodations, so shared accommodations are generally not an option. Boyfriends and girlfriends are difficult to place together because the school is concerned about losing two teachers if there is a difficulty with one of the teachers or with the relationship. If it is important to be placed with your significant other, consider another country for teaching. Married couples are encouraged to apply to either China or Thailand as the regulations and placements are much more flexible in those locations.
At the current time, yes, all placements are with four to seven year old children. For very qualified teachers, there may be opportunities to teach into the intermediate school level. We hope to expand the offerings at a future date.
