What is 51TALK?
It’s a home-based ESL school exclusive for Chinese students. They cater both kids and adults but 60% of their students are kids. Since most of their students are kids, you must be energetic and willing to go below your level to be able to teach these kids. If you are an enthusiastic teacher and is not shy to do the TPR (Total Physical Response) type of teaching then this company is for you.
Application Process
The application process usually takes 2-3 weeks. For the interview, they will ask you to say something about yourself and share your previous job experiences. Having +2 years of teaching experience is a plus. Then the next day, a technician will call you to check the compatibility of your computer. Once you pass their technical test, the next step will be scheduling for training that lasts 2 days (6 hours each day) or you can choose to have 1-day training for 12 hours. For lucky applicants, they can complete all process for just one week. But most of the time, the interview, and technical test are on the first week, training will be on the second week and demo lessons for the third week. Your schedule would depend on the availability of their trainers.
What You Need to Know
As for the training, they are quite strict when it comes to pronunciation and enunciating the words. They prefer applicants who have a neutral accent. You have to pass the first day of training for you to be scheduled for the second training. Mostly, teachers who can’t pass the first day of training are those who have a strong Filipino accent and don’t enunciate the words properly. Consider these training as a screen test. If you can’t pass their standard then you won’t be able to continue the application process. After passing your two days of training, you will be scheduled for a demo lesson with a Filipino training team. Of course, you have to pass this demo for you to proceed on the demo lesson with their Chinese management team. Take note, your demo lessons will determine your salary rate which starts from 50-70php per 25min class.
Tips For you to Prepare
Equipping yourself is a must like wearing a professional looking top before the interview. One of my batchmates used earphones for the training and he wasn’t allowed to join, thus he was rescheduled. There was this one applicant who wore a T-shirt and the trainer refused to start not unless she changes her clothes. The most important of them all is a stable internet connection. The moment you experience interruption on your internet, what you will expect next is you will be kicked out from the training and you will be given the advice to reschedule. One more thing, make sure to change your Skype’s profile picture before the training starts. You should look professional and must have a white background. And as I’ve mentioned, you need to enunciate the words properly most especially on “th” sound. In addition, always speak English while the training is ongoing, this way you can impress your trainer and prove that you are indeed suitable to be an English teacher.
Necessary Requirements:
- Desktop or laptop
- Headset with microphone and has noise cancelling feature
- Webcam with an anti-glare feature
- Wired internet connection, preferably +3mbps
- Clutter-free and clean white background
- Quiet working environment
Steps on how to Apply
Step 1: You need to go to their website and apply online
You can visit their website HERE
Step 2: You will receive a confirmation message through your mobile phone.
Step 3: Add their recruitment team on Skype and they will schedule your initial interview. From there, they will walk you through the application process and you will need to fill up a teacher’s form.
If you have any questions feel free to comment
Belle has been working as an English tutor for 3 years. She’s been with several online ESL schools teaching Japanese, Chinese and Koreans from super beginner to advanced level students.