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Katie Dobie - Associate Coordinator, 2009-2010
"I believe that CTLC is a truly unique organization amongst the myriad of foreign teaching programs in China. CTLC is a great option for
people who wish to learn or improve their Chinese, live in a foreign country, make new friends, and gain valuable teaching experience.
During my time in Shenzhen, I taught first-year high school students, most of whom were accustomed to having a foreign teacher incorporated
into their weekly schedule. I was given a lot of independence in my classroom and developed my own curriculum based on my students' interests
and English level. They were fun, motivated kids and I enjoyed the challenge of engaging older students.
In CTLC, there are over 100 foreign teachers that create a built-in support system, as well as CTLC returning teachers and on-site  staff who are here to assist in the first months of your new life in China.
Chinese classes twice a week help ease the language barrier and the difficulty of transporting yourself into a completely new culture.
I can't say enough about the city of Shenzhen! It has become a home to me. The weather is beautiful, the population is young and friendly, and the city itself is modern while surrounded by natural beauty."
Kris S - 2008-2009
"I participated in the CTLC program for two years and it was wonderful. The coordinators were supportive and helpful,  and the program is well organized.
They will go through great lengths to ensure your time in China is successful and rewarding.
Shenzhen is a great city to live in China, especially if you've never lived in China before; it is a great balance of China with western comforts.
There is always something to do and it is easy to travel to other places, both inside China and out.
I taught middle school both years, and the students really make the job fun and rewarding; their smiles and dispositions never failed to brighten my day.
The other teachers in CTLC were wonderful and friendly and I feel I have made life-long friends.
This was truly a life-changing experience for me and I would do it again in a heartbeat!"
Bruce and Rosemary Barrett - 2007-2012
"My wife Rosemary and I have taught in Shenzhen for four years under the auspices of CTLC. We have found the leadership to be responsible, caring,
and constantly endeavoring to improve the program and conditions for the teachers here. We have encountered many challenges and problems, but those
are part of life in China. Examples are constant changes on the part of the school administration, frustrations with living conditions,
difficulties in communication and general culture shock.
Having said this, we find teaching here to be very rewarding, and we love our students and fellow teachers. It has to be emphasized that teaching
is
much more than jetting into your classroom for 45 minutes and then jetting out to party. Becoming part of the school means that you are available
to students and teachers for questions and advice on English, western culture; taking part in school activities, hanging out with teachers and students
at lunch and dinner, etc. This pays huge dividends in the form of lasting friendships, a great working relationship with your school and a sense
that what you are doing makes a difference in people's lives for the better. CTLC encourages this attitude, and we completely agree.
I teach 15-16 year old students in Senior One. Each class has an average of about 50 students, with some as few as 35 and some as many as 60.
The level of English of most of my students is fairly low; many cannot get beyond "Hello, how are you?" However, some are quite advanced, so trying
to teach to the middle can be a challenge. Most are well-behaved, but there are always a couple of classes that are very disruptive and loud.
On the whole, I enjoy my students very much and form many friendships that outlast the school year.
I know nothing about other programs, so cannot compare them with CTLC.  We found the TEFL training to be adequate, but unable to prepare us for
real teaching - I suspect it is impossible to be "prepared" for China - you just have to experience it for yourself. CTLC's benefits seem to be fairly standard practice for these kinds of programs, and we have no complaints about reimbursement, salary, health care, etc. We have not used on-campus school accommodation, so I will not speak to that issue.
I am originally from Kansas City, Missouri and my wife Rosemary is from London, England. We have traveled quite a bit and have lived in several countries; we find living and teaching in Shenzhen to be exciting, fascinating and unpredictable. We very much appreciate CTLC for giving us the opportunity to teach in China!"
Gwyn Lewis - On-site Coordinator, 2008-2012
"I came to Shenzhen in 2008 with the intention of spending a year teaching advanced English students in the heart of a cosmopolitan city while studying Mandarin Chinese. While I did end up learning conversational Mandarin, the rest of my experience wasn't quite what I'd expected. Mid-way through TEFL training, I found myself volunteering to teach primary and junior students in one of CTLC's most remote placements. Working in living among poor factory workers and migrant workers was challenging, but it gave me a passion for teaching and an insight into Chinese life that I wouldn't have otherwise found.
It's now my fourth year in Shenzhen. I came back in 2009 and moved to the heart of the city,  still teaching primary but also working as part of the team of Associate Coordinators. I returned again for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years, this time no longer as a teacher but instead as the full-time Coordinator for CTLC, working with a great team of Associate Coordinators to help new CTLC teachers excel in and out of the classroom. I've found China to be a fascinating place to live in work, and now consider Shenzhen home.
Regardless of where you are in the city, and even with a solid grasp of Chinese language and culture, life in China is still an adventure every day. It requires a lot of flexibility, a sense of humor, and a roll with the punches positive outlook. A big part of the reason I've been able to thrive here is the friendships I've made with other CTLC teachers. Beginning with the training in Beijing, you experience China as a group, relying on each other when situations are especially frustrating, and laughing together at some of China's eccentricities. You will also have the on-going support, both in the classroom and in daily life, from the CTLC staff, all of whom have spent at least one year as a teacher with CTLC.
Moving to China was one of the best decisions I ever made. It isn't always easy, but it certainly is always interesting."
Cody Coltharp - 2008-2009
"I joined CTLC because I wanted to travel around Asia, and teaching English was the hottest ticket. After some rampant googling, CTLC seemed to me the best option, as it was the oldest and most established. Honestly, I wasn't totally convinced it was some internet scam until I was on a plane bound for China with another fellow CTLC'er.
The first month abroad was a jump into ice water. Due to the Olympics, our  training was in nearby Zhuhai, which, aside from hours and hours of TEFL and Chinese lessons, was also important for forming the social bonds that would keep us sane during the wild year ahead. With over 100 recent graduates from all over the world, it didn't take long to strike up some really great friendships.
There really isn't anything you can read or study that can prepare you for being completely submerged in unfamiliar territory. I studied Chinese like mad before going, but when the bus lady is screaming at you for the right change, your feeble "Knee How" won't get you very far. At the same time, saying this phrase to any of the staring hordes will release peals of smiles and laughter, followed by handshakes and probably an offer to buy you lunch and/or marriage proposals.
Teaching in China is the same - nothing really prepares you well enough for doing it. CTLC provided as much support as possible, but it's something you figure out only after hundreds of blank stares let you know to slow down your voice, and stop using words like "dichotomy" and "antidisestablimentarianism". And have fun. It can be completely frustrating, hilarious, and intensely rewarding, sometimes all in the same class.
One of the really big draws for CTLC for me was time off for travel during Chinese New Year. My girlfriend (who I met through the program... awww) and two of our friends toured the coast of Vietnam on rickety mopeds, explored the canal cities of the Mekong Delta, and the haunted ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Without any experience in world travel whatsoever, I'm pretty grateful for that first opportunity. I've traveled quite extensively since then, but nothing comes close to the magic of that first trip.
I've been in China for three years now, the first year being CTLC, the last two writing and illustrating a digital comic titled "The Pale". I love the culture, and living here affords me the opportunity to spend the insane hours the project requires. CTLC was my foot in the door- it provided an organized support system, friends, and some great memories."
Alastair Dickie - Associate Coordinator, 2009-2010
"China was maybe my Plan G. Perhaps H. I forget. My last year of university coincided rather neatly with the biggest global financial meltdown of the century, so all my meticulous plans (those would be A through F) involving me strolling out into an outrageously lucrative graduate position with 10am starts, nonexistent office hours and a modest three months paid leave sort of evaporated. Throw in what even before the credit crunch was an unemployable English Lit degree and I was rather buggered.
A friend took pity on me and mentioned she was going to China to teach with the British Council and that I should look into it.  I did. I really had nothing on. I did a bit of background research (I.e. Google + "teaching in China…") and stumbled across CTLC. I found it about five days before the April deadline and my application went in the next.
The things that really stood out to me over other programs were the sheer number of teachers, the on-site support and the experienced oversight. No other program has over 100 people in the same province, let alone the same city; no other program has a China-hardened coordinating team there all year round to help out, and no other program gives you 100% bona-fide hands-on teaching (TEFL is solid, but no amount of theory can prepare you for a real classroom riot) at Peking University before the school you have to teach at for a whole year. You arrive in Shenzhen as prepared as it is possible to be.
I turned up in Beijing, August 2009 with no Mandarin, no teaching experience and no clue. I've now been here two years. Turns out I had a hidden knack for primary teaching (something to do with comparable mental ages), turns out I love living in China - negligible cost of living, I can see Hong Kong from my dorm room and I've travelled nearly everywhere in SE Asia on my holidays- and it turns out even though I made a decision that has shaped the last two years of my life in all of 24 hours, it's the best one I ever made.
Put it this way: when I was there, I thought nothing could ever come close to beating my university experience. CTLC has blown it out the water. Sure, it's not exactly Five Star Luxury Living: my room fills with an inch of standing water every rainstorm, the city can get hot and unpleasant at times, it can get incredibly frustrating dealing with the culture-clash and the constant stares/ill manners you get for being a foreigner here, and finding decent cheese is a complete and utter nightmare, but I honestly can't recommend it enough. I will remember this for a long long time."
Jessie Warren 2004-2010
"I can lay claim to being the longest lasting veteran of CTLC at six years, so that might tell you something. While teaching here may not be for everyone,
I thoroughly  enjoyed it. While there are plenty of bright, curious, fun students, you might have problems with lack of motivation and discipline with others.
It's easy to get jaded, but if you take your job seriously and apply yourself 100% to every class, you'll love it. It's a great exercise in creativity to
come up with new lessons, manage your classes, keep students interested and learning all at once. The challenge is to stay motivated.
I don't think the training in Beijing was entirely adequate, but it did prepare us somewhat for teaching in Shenzhen. It doesn't take a rocket scientist
to teach English in China, and if you commit yourself in training, you'll be ready.
I can't speak for other programs, but from what I've heard, CTLC seems the way to go. The money may not be all that much, but it is enough to live
comfortably, and the rewards and benefits are outstanding. The support network of over 100 fellow teachers and coordinators cannot be appreciated enough.
You've always got someone to back you up if problems arise, and because of the lifestyle, working hours, vacation time, etc you'll be envied by all your
friends back home.
Regarding Shenzhen, some people love it, some people hate it. I fall in the former category. There is something for virtually everyone in this city. You can make of it what you want. If you need a taste of home, the foreign community is expanding every year, with new shops, cafes, live music, events, services, etc. You can let China's toughness wear you down and become cynical or you can take it in stride and treat each new day as an adventure. Either way, Shenzhen is a very exciting and fascinating place to be."
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