<p>My daughter is going to graduate college in May, with a liberal arts, basically non-marketable skills, degree. Naturally, she has been thinking about what to do after that, and the latest idea is to teach English in Thailand for a year before applying to graduate school. A college professor friend of the family recommended that she check into an organization called CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) which seems to be practically perfect in every way. And that’s my concern. How can it be so wonderful, in reality? Has anyone on this forum ever heard of this group and has anyone had any experience with them? We are trying to get as much feedback as we can from as many sources as possible. Mama Lion stuff…</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of CIEE. I just spent a few minutes on the website, and here’s my issue with it – in Thailand, you earn about $4,800 for eight months work, but pay CIEE about $2,000 in fees. And they can’t promise that your loan payments will be deferred. Frankly, I’d be cautious about any program that charges you money. Financially, that seems like a worse deal than Americorps, and I thought that was low pay.</p>
<p>CIEE has been in business a very long time - since the late forties or early fifties, I believe. They were a key resource and information clearinghouse for kids wanting to work, study, or just travel abroad in the days before the internet. </p>
<p>I can’t offer up-to-date information, but I did work closely with CIEE on a professional project during the mid-1980s. I had nothing but positive impressions of the organization and its work at the time. (franglish, feel free to PM me if you’d like details.) </p>
<p>No organization is perfect, and I agree with fireandrain about checking out any program that involves fees, but CIEE is well established and reputable.</p>
<p>I have heard wonderful things about CIEE, and know they’ve been around for a long time, can’t remember details. I have a prospective grad in a similar situation. There are a number of programs for teaching English abroad. One problem right now is that it is past deadline for some of the best, like Fulbright and JET in Japan. Those are highly competitive, and I think far less pricey. </p>
<p>My S went on a program to China for far lower cost, and after he’d learned the ropes, found his own job. He did Americorps as well, and don’t think you can compare the two, in terms of life experiences, though both are low pay and he’s had loans deferred for years now due to very low income. His life has been quite interesting however! </p>
<p>Regardless, Thailand certainly is a beautiful and friendly country to spend time in, with low cost of living.</p>
<p>Our D got an international teaching job through Search Associates: [Teaching</a> Abroad | International Teaching Jobs - Search Associates](<a href=“http://www.search-associates.com/main.html]Teaching”>http://www.search-associates.com/main.html)
It worked out reasonably well for her - she taught at the international school for 2 years and is still living/working in that country. Since cost of living was very low she was able to save for graduate school, even though salary was fairly low by U.S. standards.</p>
<p>My DD’s best friend is currently teaching English in Spain. An organization (Cultural Ambassadors of Spain) visited her school before college graduation. It is a program through the Minister of Education. She receives a stipend, teaches 16-20 hours per week and does loads of traveling to different countries within Europe. She and two other American girls share an apartment and are having an absolute blast. She won’t have saved any money in the bank from this gig, but she’s having the experience of a lifetime. She left the first week in September and will come home in July. One of the girls with whom she shares an apartment loved it so much, she stayed on for an additional year.</p>
<p>My friend’s S (graduated last May) is teaching English at a girls prep school in S. Korea.
Friend says after an initial adjustment period, her S is having a great time. I don’t know what company he went through though.</p>
<p>my friend’s s is teaching in Thailand. I asked if it was CIEE as my dd had done study abroad with them in the middle east .
she said:“it may have been something like TOEFL. Is that possible? I can find out if you would like. I do know that the organization facilitated the job that he has now, which is with a company called Learning is Fun. He is really enjoying the experience though it is fairly arduous in that he goes to different schools every day (and often two in a day) in varying parts of Bangkok. His travel time alone is mind-boggling but the substantial raise (in Thai terms) they gave him this year in an effort to try to keep him there more than makes up for it, by the sounds of things.”</p>
<p>let me know if you want more info from her as her son is still in Thailand.</p>
<p>As Thumper mentioned, I have a little information about teaching abroad. My daughter taught in China for a year after getting her bachelors degree in education and sociology. A friend of hers taught in Thailand starting about 6 months after my daughter. My daughter visited her twice and said that her friend had a better school and set-up then she did. Both got paid a pittance but cost of living was extremely low and the experience was certainly worth it. I can find out the name of the company that my daughter’s friend went through but it might take a couple of days. I do remember that there were a few incidences that were a bit scary. There were riots in the city where her friend was living and there was also flooding during the typhoon season. I think I was more appalled at that then either my daughter or her friend.</p>
<p>Thank you all so very much for your invaluable input! I knew there would be a whole lot of experience I could learn from, here on CC. The more I tell people about this organization, CIEE, the more great things I hear about it. I am excited for my daughter, and am very grateful to you all for your reassurance that this is a terrific idea.</p>
<p>Our family knows several kids currently in Thailand, one started out in Hong Kong, but found that too intense, so moved onto Thailand and is still there. It seems to be a lovely experience.</p>
<p>My DD wanted to become fluent in German and she found an au pair situation for a few months, she could have stayed for a year, they invited her, but she did not feel there was enough fluency to be gained as she was in a tiny town so stuck with the original 3-4 months plan</p>