No.1 China Option! Great Pay & Work Life Balance, 24/7 Support!

TFT offers a reliable, relatively easy way of teaching English in China, especially given the difficulties posed by the pandemic. Jaemi and the staff at CITPC (the state-owned organization that connects foreign teachers to Shenzhen public schools) are very helpful and provide guidance in every step of the way, both before and after you get to China. This makes the process as smooth and stress-free as it can be, given the situation. Possibly the biggest benefit is having peers going through this process alongside you, so you’re not alone.

When moving to another country — especially China — it is important to be proactive and ask as many questions as possible before you go, and collect answers from as many people as possible. Treat any undocumented reassurances or vague promises with a healthy dose of skepticism, and always press for specific answers. Find out as much about the actual teaching position as you can, and contact current teachers in China if possible. But be aware that many details here are naturally handled last-minute, so you’ll have to be willing to adapt. For example, CIPTC generally won’t tell you your schedule — or even which school or grades you will be assigned to — until you arrive in China. This may vary in other cities and companies.

If you are willing to put in the extra work, sacrifice having a support group of other peers, and take on some risk in the process, you may find positions with higher salaries or different work (other than teaching oral English to primary/middle school) at other schools, like private ones that TFT doesn’t work with. But for most people — especially those new to China, like I was — I’d recommend TFT.

Lastly, it’s helpful to know at least some elementary Chinese before you come. It’s technically not required, but it will make your life easier, so I’d recommend starting to study it as soon as you know you want to come. This also depends on the city and whether you live in an expat area.

Overall, I would say I am highly satisfied with the experience here in Shenzhen. But to write a proper review, I feel I need to break down the experience into it's 3 main parts - The Fewer Things (pre-departure and logistics prior to coming to China), CIPTC (Company on the ground, logistics in China), and the School you get assigned to.

The Fewer Things: Overall, quite satisfied with Jaemi and the team. Very genuine and friendly dude, very knowledgeable and attentive to any questions you may have. Programs a little pricey but I have no complaints in other aspects of the experience. Get's you to China as promised.

CIPTC: Basically the company on the ground (in Shenzhen) that serves as a bridge between you and the school that you will work at. Personally, I think they do a pretty good job of taking care of you and fulfilling their end of the contract, and have no major complaints. I think they could improve on their communication and reduce the hours of mandatory training some, and give a bit more time for people to settle in before throwing them into their schools. But my group and I did arrive a little later than anticipated (early October for me), so that may be the reasoning for the rush. But definitely expected to hit the ground running, which can be pretty overwhelming/stressful if it's your first time in China. I would advise a healthy level of skepticism when dealing with them, but personally I haven't experienced anything to warrant distrust or paranoia.

School: Basically unique to each person, as most teachers will only have 1 or no fellow CIPTC teachers at their school. So everyone experience differs. Personally, my experience with my school has been pretty good. It's a great location, great work environment, and the students are loads of fun to work with, especially the younglings if you get the chance.

In my experience, this is where most problems can arise. You're basically thrown into the deep end and expected to figure everything out, which can be pretty overwhelming and stressful at first. I would say I've definitely have had problems with lack of communication and oversight/mentorship, and you might feel pretty under supported at this stage.
I was pretty anxious and hesitant to reach out for a while, and it can feel like they don't really care about you and your classes, but I do think a lot of this is the result of language barrier and just cultural differences. And it does take 2 to tango. So I would advise being proactive and reaching out to your contact teacher from the get go and befriending other teachers as well. Once I finally did, it was clear they do care and want to help. So try not to take things personally and make the effort to communicate if you're struggling!

In general, I have really enjoyed my time living here in China. The work is fulfilling and enjoyable. I've made great friends, tried so so much great food, and have seen plenty of awesome sights in the city. Excited to explore the country more broadly this Winter!

In summary, if you're laid back, adaptable, and willing to roll with the punches, then you can definitely thrive in this program. I do think it requires a good amount of open-mindedness, understanding, and perspective, but you'll be sure to grow from the experiences here if you so choose to embark! Hope this helps! :)

My time in Shenzhen and my experience with The Fewer Things has been fantastic so far. I moved to Shenzhen in October to teach for a year, but I'm already considering staying longer.

I came to China during a difficult time to travel, and as a result, the US visa process was very complicated. It is important to do a lot of research on your own during this process, so that you are aware of exactly what you need to do! That being said, Jaemi from TFT has been incredibly helpful with everything from day 1 until now. He has the experience helping send many people to China in the past few years, so his insight and expertise were invaluable. He has continued to be a pillar of support and communication since my arrival in China.

Additionally, all of us from TFT quickly became friends once we were all in China together, which was so nice to have a group of friends right from the get-go. I'm so glad that I met them, and I feel like we are going to be lifelong friends! I'm excited for the rest of the year to come :)

Hello! I'm so, so happy I applied to go to China with TFT!! When they promise nearly 24/7 support, they really mean it! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, my documents and legalization process took forever, but Jaemi was there for me at every step of the process and consistently assured me that it was okay. I never once felt abandoned or lost at any point during the long journey to China (both metaphorically and physically). I flew through South Korea to get here, and Jaemi consistently checked in on how I was feeling and even connected me to a member of my China cohort that was in Korea at the same time as me.

Over the summer before I left for China, TFT hooked me up with an incredible 120 hour TEFL course that I could break down and take at my own pace. As a result, I felt so prepared when I stepped into the classroom for the first time. As far as teaching materials, Jaemi sent out a ton of tips, videos, and Powerpoint game templates that have saved my life in the classroom.

Additionally, TFT has amazing connections to education placement/training companies in China! I am working in Shenzhen with an amazing company that placed me with the best school in Shenzhen (I'm totally not biased or anything...). My daily life as a teacher with this school is amazing! The kids are eager to learn and my Chinese coworkers love to chat with me during breaks and lunch. I feel supported and encouraged every time I go to work. Accessing teaching materials can be tough if you don't have a reliable internet connection. But everyone I've met through TFT has been more than happy to share their resources with me, which takes the stress out of building your stockpile of teacher materials.

Through TFT I've met so many amazing people and lifelong friends (including my current roommate!!) and I'm so glad TFT brought us all together. It makes moving across the world seem a lot less scary when you have a group of people waiting for you on the other side.

So, in summation, if you want adventure but feel a little nervous (and even if you don't!), then I could not recommend a program better than TFT China! I'm enjoying the adventure of a lifetime and it's all thanks to them!!

My first programme with The Fewer Things was with Thailand, had a great experience teaching and working there for a year!

After completing the Thailand programme I am now in final stages of the legalisation process to make a move again, this time to Hanoi in Vietnam! So far again endless amount of support and reassurance from the team by Jaemi and now the lovely new members Will and Molly and they’ve been more reassuring than ever, for this positive change to a new country I’ve never been to before with confidence and excitement!
I’m really excited to continue my dreams starting with new one in Vietnam, more adventures in Asia and further afield and teaching abroad in the new year.

I can definitely recommend the The Fewer Things for anyone interested in coming to China. The program director Jaemi is extremely knowledgeable and there to help with everything; from serious things like visa and flight assistance to smaller things such as where to buy a jacket . You never have to worry about support with TFT.

There’s also a group chat with the other teachers so you can share advice and make friends before you even leave your home country. Having around 20 friends on arrival made things much easier.

The Fewer Things are an amazing organisation. They can seriously help you get into China. The program coordinator Jaemi is extremely helpful and really dedicated to guiding people get through the difficult steps.
This has not been an easy process, and getting a Chinese visa is notoriously difficult, but I had support from very knowledgable people the whole time.
I couldn't recommend this enough. I am also working at a great school here and the support continues to be excellent.
Thank you for everything.

The Fewer Things is a great program that did everything one could ask in getting me to Thailand. I had no clue in where to begin and they walked me through every step that I needed and kept in contact throughout the process to make sure that I understood what I needed to do and what documents I needed to send at what time. If I had a question Jaemie was always quick to answer. My time in Thailand has been fantastic and I am pleased with my placement. It is a rural area but I do appreciate the more genuine Thailand experience that it provides. Even after I have been here they regularly ask me how things are going and that is appreciated. The school I am at has been very accommodating and has always been so nice to me. The accommodation is a little bare bones with a pretty hard bed but I do not mind it too much. Overall the value that The Fewer Things offers you is really good and if you have no idea where to begin with TEFL they offer you a great service that is definitely worth it.