Teaching Through Inclusive Companies like CIEE. A rip off?

Per your CIEE question - I'm actually a previous participant. What CIEE does is contract as a middleman with the Spanish Government's program exclusively in Andalucia. The monthly stipend they guarantee you is the government's monthly payment for the 12 hours a week you will work at a bilingual public school. For those who qualify for the program it's an excellent way to improve your Spanish, expose yourself to Spanish culture and travel. The government program exists all over Spain, but you are in no way guaranteed with your application placement in your choice city / community, etc.

Why choose CIEE? - For all of the reasons they list on their web site. But if you're prepared to make the move without extra assistance then there's no reason to waste your time or money with CIEE.

If you have any further questions I'd be happy to help.

You can fine more info on the government's program at this web site: http://www.mepsyd.es/educa/jsp/plantilla.jsp?id=140i&area=internacional

I'll go into detail, but the short answer is that it totally depends :)

I have been accepted to be a participant for this year's CIEE Teach in Spain program (in the interest of full disclosure), but I don't work for the company or anything, so hopefully you'll view this response as relatively unbiased.

For what I wanted out of teaching English in Spain, CIEE isn't a rip off at all. As an American, getting a legal job teaching in Spain is quite difficult and I wasn't willing to take the risk of working under the table (no contract rights, minimal job security, etc). There is a program through the government of Spain that does nearly the same thing for free http://www.mepsyd.es/exterior/usa/en/programs/us_assistants/default.shtml and that can place you in any region in Spain, but to me, there were some drawbacks there, as well.

First, while you can choose your region, you can't choose your city (with the exception being Madrid, where nearly all placements that I've heard of within the region are very close to Madrid proper)...which, to me, sucks. I'm more partial to living in a a certain type of city (a big city versus a super small town, etc) than where exactly that city is...and in having seen my fair share of super depressing Spanish towns in Castilla, the thought of possibly being there for 9 months was kind of scary. With CIEE, they don't make guarantees, but you can at least pick three cities, rather than whole regions.

Secondly, I've read a couple of horror stories about schools not paying their conversation assistants in a timely manner through the government program. While I'm sure this is not the norm, reading those stories really inspired me to want to have the support of an American institution to be a third party mediator should something like that happen to me.

If you've lived in Spain before, the program is only $850, which really isn't that bad. On every site I've researched on going it alone, it's recommended that you have 5K in cash saved up before you really get going. To be able to pay some of the expenses up front to have a guaranteed job is (at least, to me) worth not having the stress of wondering when you'll find a regular job.

Also, the 700 Euro salary isn't much, but in Andalucia, it's enough for room, board, etc. plus a little extra for fun. Also, that 700 Euros comes every month (so no half paychecks around Christmas time, for example) and is only for 12 teaching hours a week. On an hourly basis, that's not a bad pay scale at all...and there's plenty of time to give private classes to augment income.

So...if you are risk averse (like me) but still want the adventure and experience of teaching English in Spain and aren't lucky enough to have an EU passport, I don't think CIEE is a bad way to go...at least from this end of it. I'll let everyone know if I end up hating their program!

If you participate in one of these government-sponsored programs can you also have a second job? I am wondering whether this gets you a work permit or not. When you say private lessons, do you mean doing that basically under the table?

Also, when the term of the program ends, then what? Are you required to go back to the US or can you find another job?

Actually, I found the answer to my own question in the FAQ section of the official Web site. Bad news, it says:

Can I get a support job while in Spain?
It would be illegal to get a paid job because you will have a student visa.

After the year is over, must I return to the US? I am looking for a way to permanently stay in Spain, and I was thinking that after the year I can look for another job there.

Your visa will only allow you to stay as a student during the time allowed by in the grant. In some exceptional cases you could apply for a second year as a teaching assistant.

If you want to stay beyond the period allowed by the grant you will have to apply for a different type of visa when your contract as an assistant ends.

Baltimore, I think it IS a rip-off. CIEE just gets you a job as a NORTH AMERICAN LANGUAGE & CULTURE ASSISTANTS IN SPAIN, though the Spanish Ministry of Education. That 700 euros comes from the government, and you could apply for the job yourself without having to pay anything. http://www.mepsyd.es/exterior/usa/en/programs/us_assistants/default.shtml In fact, the website even says: "It has come to our attention that some unscrupulous people are offering to falsely provide services for a fee."

I am in the process of applying for the ciee program now. why should i do the ciee program over doing it through the spanish ministry of education? what added benefits will i get from ciee?

I've been doing this program without the help of CIEE for the last two years. I can't really see any benefits in applying through a middleman. There has been much talk/controversy about the program and its taking away of spots for other NALCA applicants.

The only benefit I can see? The company has its own set of spots, and if you're REALLY REALLY dead set on going to Andalucia, that could be your ticket.

thank you for replying. i am dead set, but i honestly would like to use that money for something else, like housing in spain.

HEYYYYY.

I am desparately in need of help.Ive been looking for a course that enable a student visa to me.I looked Instituto Hemingway, Bestprograms, TTmadrid, Canterbury tefl.But i cannot come up with an obvious idea.When i trust on a course i read bad experiences of people :S Can you help me pls. Which course should i apply to.

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Not sure if any of you all will see this since the last reply was months ago, but I'm currently in the exact same dilemma between the CIEE & govt programs. I've already applied to both programs and am waiting to hear back. For those familiar with the govt program, my priority # is borderline between the end of the initial placement offers or the beginning of the wait-list, so I'm sure I'll get a placement (even if it's not right away), but have no way of knowing where. I've been looking for a thread like this one that compares the two for over a wk!

I'm leaning towards the govt one to save the money because I feel like I can do the services offered (hotel & food during orientation, airport pickup, hotel for 1st 5 nights in teaching location) on my own for less.

However, like heyyitskatie, I'd prefer to be in a city/large town, or at least within commuting distance from one via public transportation or carpool if I teach in a small town. Does CIEE place more participants in larger areas than the govt? Andalucia is a huge region and guaranteed placement there does not seem to guarantee I won't be in a pueblo. Though from what I remember of studying in Sevilla for a semester, they do have a good bus system for travel to various cities.

For either program, you can legally teach private English classes/tutor to increase your income, you just cannot be employed in a business such as a restaurant.

Neither program seems to be a bad choice, and when it comes down to it, the "better" choice probably isn't the same for everyone. Now that everyone who posted is either currently in or already completed one of the two programs, I'd love to hear if you're happy with your choice & why (as it may assist me in deciding)!

> Not sure if any of you all will see this since the last reply was months ago, but I'm currently in the exact same dilemma between the CIEE & govt programs. I've already applied to both programs and am waiting to hear back. For those familiar with the govt program, my priority # is borderline between the end of the initial placement offers or the beginning of the wait-list, so I'm sure I'll get a placement (even if it's not right away), but have no way of knowing where. I've been looking for a thread like this one that compares the two for over a wk!

I'm leaning towards the govt one to save the money because I feel like I can do the services offered (hotel & food during orientation, airport pickup, hotel for 1st 5 nights in teaching location) on my own for less.

However, like heyyitskatie, I'd prefer to be in a city/large town, or at least within commuting distance from one via public transportation or carpool if I teach in a small town. Does CIEE place more participants in larger areas than the govt? Andalucia is a huge region and guaranteed placement there does not seem to guarantee I won't be in a pueblo. Though from what I remember of studying in Sevilla for a semester, they do have a good bus system for travel to various cities.

For either program, you can legally teach private English classes/tutor to increase your income, you just cannot be employed in a business such as a restaurant.

Neither program seems to be a bad choice, and when it comes down to it, the "better" choice probably isn't the same for everyone. Now that everyone who posted is either currently in or already completed one of the two programs, I'd love to hear if you're happy with your choice & why (as it may assist me in deciding)!


I'd do the government program, but that's because I see no sense in paying a placement fee for a program you can do for free. However, flexability and willingness to pretty much go wherever and make it work is part of the program.

One very important correction though... You cannot legally work in Spain (unless you're an EU citizen). Private classes are, technically, breaking the rules. You're here on a student visa, not a work visa. People might tell you that you can do private classes but "legally"...? I sincerely doubt the use of that word is correct.

Thanks for the clarification on private English classes! Do a lot of people teach them anyway, and how does that turn out for them? From what I've heard they sound fairly common, even though they technically break the rules.

Hi,

I'm a self-employed in Northern Spain. I've been here 9 years and am orginally from South Africa.

Another option is to come over as an English tutor and stay with a family for 3 months. (you can do this without any osrt of visa). If you want to come for longer- you could get the 6 month student visa (you would have to study Spanish to do this). You tutor them/their kids for 15 hours a week in exchange for board and lodging. It is NOT a paid position, so technically it's not a job. You would obviously have to bring enough money over for personal expenses. You can start at any time. In fact there is a high demand all year-round, not only in the summer months.

The advantage is that it gives you plenty of time to start studying Spanish, and start looking for a proper placement. In my research (I'm writing a book about Teaching English in Spain) I have spoken to numerous English academies who WOULD employ an American with the proper work permit. In fact, one of them went to far as to say they would even help them get the visa. This way you're still getting a taste of life in Spain, even if it's too late to work the 2011/2012 school year (according to the government programme for US teachers, the registrations are closed anyway).

Please contact me if you'd like more info on the Tutoring English in Spain programme.