There are millions of Chinese-speaking students who are itching to learn English.
Online English teaching companies — like VIPKid, Gogokid, and Magic Ears — have been popping up to keep pace with the booming demand.
One of these online teaching platforms is SayABC.
This company is relatively new to the scene and can provide you with a flexible way to make money in your free time.
If you have teaching experience or are interested in becoming an online ESL teacher, SayABC is a flexible option.
In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know about SayABC, including the requirements to become a teacher, how much you can get paid, and how you can apply.
What Is SayABC?
SayABC is an interactive teaching platform that helps young Chinese-speaking students learn English.
Gig workers like yourself are able to use this platform to make money online by teaching English as a second language.
SayABC is based out of Beijing, China and has an established partnership with National Geographic.
As an online ESL teacher for SayABC, you’ll instruct small groups of students between the ages of five and 12.
Each class will have around four students and last 40 minutes.
Before starting class, you can preview all of your lessons, which are pre-planned by SayABC.
The platform allows you to teach English from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a strong and reliable internet connection.
You also have the freedom to set your own schedule and work when it’s most convenient for you.
Teachers will have a minimum contract of three months.
You’ll teach the same students two times per week based on the days you decided to schedule.
So what does it take to become a SayABC English teacher?
Requirements to Become a Teacher
SayABC requires you to be a native English speaker and prefers that you have a Bachelor’s degree with some teaching experience.
You also need to have the required equipment to run the teaching platform on your computer.
To become a SayABC teacher, you must:
Be able to complete a minimum of a 3-month long contract
Be a native English speaker
Have a desktop or laptop computer, a high-speed internet, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam
Have the Google Chrome browser
Have a minimum of one year’s teaching experience
Have a Bachelor’s degree (preferred but not required)
Have a TEFL, TESOL, or other teaching certifications (preferred but not required)
If you don’t have a Bachelor’s degree, there are still some opportunities to teach.
SayABC offers an internship program for those currently studying education in college.
While priority is given to those with a Bachelor’s degree, some teachers only have an Associate’s degree or are in their final year of college.
This will depend on how much teaching experience you have.
A Bachelor’s degree is required for contracts that are longer than three months.
So how much does SayABC pay?
Payment Information
SayABC pays teachers up to $19 for a 40-minute class.
This includes $13-$15 base pay and an extra $4 incentive for having good attendance.
Your initial base pay will be determined by your interview and onboarding process.
If you have more teaching experience, you’ll be able to command a higher wage.
You’re able to choose your own class schedule and how often you’ll be teaching, but there are also additional opportunities to substitute teach when an instructor is unable to make it to a class.
In some cases, you can be asked to cover for another teacher’s class with 24-hours notice.
These classes will pay you an additional $7 per class.
There are also opportunities to take over a class that’s currently in progress.
This occurs when a teacher loses connection and is unable to rejoin the class that’s taking place.
These classes will also pay you an extra $7 per class, plus your regular base pay rate.
You can set your substitute teaching availability to accept these last-minute classes within the SayABC teaching portal.
There are also trial class opportunities.
These are classes with new students who are trying out the SayABC platform.
You can make an extra $8 per class for every new student you recruit to use SayABC.
Payment occurs on the 15th of every month and is sent via wire transfer to your bank account.
Since SayABC teachers are independent contractors, you’ll be responsible for filing your own taxes.
Does teaching English sound like something you’d be interested in?
Let’s take a look at the application process.
Application Process
The SayABC application process consists of four steps.
Before beginning to teach, you’ll need to sign up, complete an interview, sign your consulting agreement, and complete your orientation and evaluation.
Sign Up
Head to the SayABC signup page to begin your new teacher application.
You’ll need to provide several pieces of personal information and professional information to complete your profile.
This includes your:
Name
Highest level of education
Teaching qualifications
Years of teaching experience
First language
Gender
Date of birth
Phone number
Skype ID
Country of residence
Nationality
Once your profile is complete, you’ll wait to receive an email invitation to schedule your interview.
Interview
When you receive your confirmation email, you’ll be given a link to set up your interview with SayABC.
Your interview will be completed through the teacher portal.
The interview takes 40 minutes and includes a 15-minute demo class.
Your demo class consists of you leading a mock lesson for a SayABC employee.
You should pretend like the class is the real thing and like you’re teaching actual students.
Your initial pay will depend on your performance during your interview and your previous teaching experience.
After the successful completion of your interview, you’ll be sent a consulting agreement.
You’ll need to sign your consulting agreement before you complete your orientation and start teaching.
Orientation and Evaluation Class
SayABC will walk you through its teaching platform and show you exactly how it works prior to you scheduling classes.
A mentor will show you everything you need to know to use the SayABC platform to effectively teach a class.
This will include showing you how to use note cards, feedback cards, and the student reward system.
You should ask as many questions as possible since your mentor will have a thorough understanding of all the teaching functionalities.
Once your orientation is complete, you can start scheduling classes through the teaching portal.
Scheduling Classes
After you’ve signed up, interviewed, and completed your orientation, the only thing left to do is set availability on your schedule and begin teaching classes.
You’ll be able to choose when you want to teach, but your teaching times will need to fall within the class schedule that SayABC has set.
SayABC classes last for 40-minutes and fall within the Beijing time zone.
You’ll be able to choose your availability from the class times below.
Monday-Sunday:
6:00PM-6:40PM
6:50PM-7:30PM
7:40PM-8:20PM
8:30PM-9:10PM
Saturday-Sunday Only:
9:50AM-10:30AM
10:40AM-11:20AM
When a lesson is booked within a time slot that you’re available to work, you’ll receive a notification email.
This will include all of the necessary class information, like the time, teaching information, and way to reach out for teaching support.
You’re also able to access the teaching materials, which are provided by SayABC up to one hour before the class starts.
SayABC will reward teachers who teach on a consistent basis.
You’ll be given booking priority if you’re able to fill more time slots on a regular basis.
Teaching Classes
When it’s time to teach, you can log on up to one hour ahead of time and preview the class materials.
You won’t be responsible for preparing your own teaching plans and will never have to interact with students’ parents — SayABC will handle all of these logistics for you.
You’ll be teaching the same set of students two times per week for a minimum of three months.
Small class size will help you get to know your students and provide the best education possible for them.
Before you know it, your students will be speaking English with ease.
Become an Online English Teacher
Whether you're from the United States, Canada, Australia, or any other native English speaking country, SayABC is a great opportunity to teach English from the comfort of your own home.
It allows you to set your own schedule, work from anywhere in the world, and make money part-time when it's most convenient for you.
Head to SayABC.com to start your application today.
Brett Helling is the founder and owner of Gigworker.com. Having worked in the gig economy for nearly a decade, he has mastered freelance, remote, and app-based work. You can learn more about his journey in his book, "Gigworker: Independent Work and the State of the Gig Economy", now available on Amazon.
