Job Discussion Forums

[CNexpatesl]

Anyone work for 51talk or have experience with them?

Recently got a job with them and passed training. I haven't really been able to get any students and neither have other teachers I've spoken to. Yet the company expects us to learn the software and start teaching even though they won't give us any students. The way their system works is, the students pick and choose teachers. Teachers are supposed to open slots in their schedule and any students that see that you're available will choose you if you they like you. Well they don't seem to have a lot of students since most teachers can't seem to get students. Are they a reliable company or not?

[MuscatGary]

Maybe because they've expanded massively in the Philippines where they're paying Filpino teachers just under 2 dollars an hour.

[maueuewome]

According to Bing and the International Labor Organization, Working 10 hours a day and five days a week, that's just under one and half times the avg salary in the Philippines in the bottom quintile of the world's average.



But we've been to the Philippines and were bummed out by the extreme difference of the poorest and richest. I don't think the average wage shows that. America has been a strong ally of the Philippines for a long time. I wish the development there wasn't so weak. I think when there's so much poverty, there's problems like there is in the south.

[Modernist]

[jimpellow]

This may be coincidental, but it just seems slow all over. I make all of my non-ESL income online through three schools which are based in France, Saudi and Japan. I recently relocated from Colombia to Armenia which allows me to have slots for prime time in all three countries. October is the start of peak season traditionally in the online school world and I was expecting to be slammed. All three are reporting that they are historically slow. I am sure there are exceptions, but it seems to me that the world economy is going into a major funk that economic "experts" six months from now will finally figure out. The other factor with the Chinese online market is that too many players have moved in. And yes, more and more "thrifty" Asian students are preferring the Filipino route. Stick with it, the online world can be liberating in many ways but it often takes persistence to be successful in it. All the best.

[bograt]

Why do people seem to assume being a Fillipino automatically qualifies you to teach English? I've tested lots of them at IELTS and they rarely get above a six. Sure if they have the qualifications, they're probably OK but I wouldn't go on nationality alone.

[CNexpatesl]

They're still hiring native speakers, even though they have a Filipino division and staff. And they pay native speakers higher wages. The only reason I applied was because I was told I'd be given a set schedule and provided with students, but so far they haven't come through on their promise.

And working online from the comfort of your home > commuting to school and teaching in person, especially if you already have a day job and wish to make some extra cash in the evenings.

[HaveAGoodRest]

I went through the whole online teaching application thing this past fall when moving back to the US from China. Honestly online teaching is not even worth anybody's time in applying. The ads are essentially a bait-and-switch. They just have so many unreasonable demands like "work 2 hours within a 4 hour period for $25 an hour, but you might get paid for 1 hour if you're lucky if a student shows up, plus 15 minutes of filling out extra forms, and minus $10 because the student's WiFi dropped out once." Just not worth the time playing games. Better to just get a land-based job.

[Hermosillo]

Seems to be good money is selling "how to" as opposed to actually doing.... The Milineals seem to be especially prone to believing in Island TEFL type themes. The Chines online companies are horrible. Bonuses are offered, but never paid, teacher is at fault for all technical glitches. Micromanagement and control, ridiculously useless training videos. Make them pay first. Mining coal is more honest than the digital nomad life, and you can include online teaching in that.

[Hermosillo]

Seems to be good money is selling "how to" as opposed to actually doing.... The Milineals seem to be especially prone to believing in Island TEFL type themes. The Chines online companies are horrible. Bonuses are offered, but never paid, teacher is at fault for all technical glitches. Micromanagement and control, ridiculously useless training videos. Make them pay first. Mining coal is more honest than the digital nomad life, and you can include online teaching in that.

[jimpellow]

Success as a digital nomad, through online teaching or another avenue requires a certain personality type, that to be quite frank, a lot of teachers simply are not.

I don't bash all those who desire to do it, but simply can not, nor should those who are unsuccessful at it do the reverse.

[Lack]

[suphanburi]

There are a few outfits like DaDa who actually pay you for your contracted hours but expect you to be logged in and available during your time.
They pay full pay at your contracted rate for teaching and 1/2 pay for standby time. They also penalize you for time off (missed days during contracted work shifts) or for being late to check in or for scheduled classes.

Other outfits like 51talk allow more flexibility in terms of when and how you work but in return there is no assured income. You open slots and hope for students to choose you based on your profile and intro video.

At the end of the day you have to choose which is better for you if any at all.
You can opt for the stability of firms like DaDa with the restrictions they place on you or the flexibility of firms like 51Talk and the lack of stability and assured income that comes with that flexibility.

.