Best Teacher Review Summary

Best Teacher (AreYouBT.com) is a Japanese online ESL company that hires any English speaker with good grammar. No qualifications or experience are required, and teachers can correct writing and make recordings in addition to teaching 25-min Skype lessons. However, the pay is low and you must work exclusively for them.

Best Teacher Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Low barrier to entry, with no qualifications or teaching experience required
• Asynchronous tasks available in addition to video classes – allows for picking up flexible work at short notice
• Provides an option for tutors who are more confident/stronger in reading/writing than speaking/listening

Cons:

• Low pay
• Must pass several tests and an interview involving a trial lesson
• Exclusivity agreement – You may not work for other companies at the same time
• Cancellation penalties

Is Best Teacher Legit?

Best Teacher inc. (not to be confused with iBestTeacher and also referred to as ‘AreYouBT’), is a legitimate online English tutorial company based in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 2011, their legitimacy is underlined by having raised more than ¥51 million in funding before being acquired by Sapix Tozemi Group in 2016.

About Best Teacher Online Teaching

Best Teacher online English tuition is offered synchronously and asynchronously, mostly to Japanese adults (tutors are not required to have any knowledge of Japanese):

• There are the usual live 1v1 classes, typical of most online ESL companies, that are conducted over Skype here lasting 25 minutes. These will often involve correcting scripts that the student has prepared themselves, followed by free-talk conversation.
• Tutors may provide voice recordings for students to listen to for practice in their own time.
• Teachers also provide grammar and writing corrections through typed message exchanges with students.

Best Teacher/AreYouBT Salary Information

Best Teacher/AreYouBT.com pay rates vary depending on the task the tutor is carrying out:

• 25-min live classes earn ¥340, equating to around $4.60 an hour (at the current exchange rate)
• A full set of conversation recordings pays ¥50 (around 34 cents)
• ¥10 (approx. 7cents) is paid for a single recording, replying to student messages and editing conversations

AreYouBT teacher salaries are paid each month via Paypal, subject to meeting a ¥1000 earnings threshold.

Best Teacher Hours and Schedule

There is no minimum hours requirement, and Best Teacher/AreYouBT.com does not require a fixed schedule from its teachers. There is, however, more student demand during evening peak hours (Japan Standard Time), so you will have more chance of work if you are available then.

While Skype lessons are conducted live, asynchronous tasks, such as recordings and written corrections, can be picked up whenever you have some spare time, though they must be completed within an hour of being accepted.

AreYouBT.com/Best Teacher Requirements

No formal qualifications are required to become a Best Teacher English tutor; you may apply without any degree, TEFL/TESOL certificate, or teaching experience.

The company accepts both Native and Non-Native English Speakers with good grammar skills.

However, a major catch is that you must work exclusively for Best Teacher and no one else at the same time.

Technically, you will also need:

• a computer
• internet connection
• webcam
• headset
• Skype account
• Paypal account to receive payments

AreYouBT.com/Best Teacher Application Process

The Best Teacher job application form requires that you submit the following information:

• Email address
• Password
• First and last name
• Skype ID
• Birthday
• Country of birth
• Country of residence
• Nationality
• Gender
• Paypal account
• Written description of occupation and academic career (100 characters or less)
• Self-introduction (this will be on your introduction page for students to read, if hired):
  • Should be over 100 characters
  • Mention any of the following that apply:
    • Teaching certificates such as TESOL/TEFL/CELTA
    • Japanese language skills
    • Other language learning/teaching experience
    • Teaching/learning experience of examinations (e.g. TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Eiken, GTEC, TESOL)
    • Hobbies or things you like
• Internet connection speed test results
• Portrait photo
• Referral (if applicable)

Upon submitting this, you will receive a confirmation email allowing you to take a series of tests:

1. First, there is a written test in 3 parts (you cannot reapply to Best Teacher should you fail this):
   1. Grammar Test (10 questions)
   2. Category Test (10 questions)
   3. Correcting Test (10 questions)
2. If you pass the written test, you will proceed to a ‘trial test’ consisting of 2 further sections:
   1. Replying test (5 questions)
   2. Correcting test (5 questions)

Trial test answers are manually evaluated, with results provided a week later.

Best Teacher/AreYouBT Interview Process

Those applicants who pass the trial test will be invited to an interview on Skype, which includes a 10-minute trial lesson where you will be expected to:

• Spend 1 minute on greetings and small talk to introduce one another.
• Role-play by alternately reading out dialogue from a script (sent in advance).
• Question and Answer to test the student’s understanding of the English used within the script.
• Introduce enriching vocabulary, phrases, and grammar related to the script. Ask the student to provide example sentences for any grammar that is taught.
• Give the student sufficient speaking time.
• If time allows, expand the conversation by asking the student for their opinion and/or experience relating to the topic.
• Sum up the lesson with free conversation.
• Give feedback based on the student’s performance – provide specific advice for areas to improve before the class ends.
• Consider giving the student homework for the next lesson.

Your teaching environment will also be assessed for appropriateness, and if anyone appears in the background or on microphone during the interview/trial lesson then it will result in an automatic fail.

Here are some Best Teacher interview questions that have previously been asked:

• Tell me/us about yourself.
• How did you find out about the company?
• Why did you apply?
• Why do you want to work with us?
• Do you have any teaching experience?
• What is your work now?
• How long have you been working as an ESL teacher?
• What materials did you use when teaching English?
• What was the most difficult thing about teaching in your previous company?
• Aside from teaching online, do you have any other job?
• Are you willing to leave your job to work here?

Best Teacher Reviews – What Is It Like Working for AreYouBT.com?

Best Teacher Reviews on Glassdoor give the company an overall rating of 3.3 out of 5, with 64% willing to recommend them (at the time of writing). I have consolidated all the Best Teacher comments that have been left over the last year, which talk positively about the flexible hours, nature of the students, and various ways to earn, with mixed views of the support staff, and complaints about the pay, cancellation penalties, and lack of training:

• Advantages:
  • “students available, you decide when to work
  • Available to work remotely is a pro
  • If you are a good teacher, many students will always book your lessons.
  • They provide good employee support.
  • The system and support are efficient and courteous.
  • They are ok towards employees, Flexible working hours
  • Flexible hours and very nice students, Good for beginners
  • 1. You can work whenever you want. Slots available 24/7 2. Students are mostly friendly and kind. 3. Offers a variety of ways to earn: Writing lesson, Correction, Speaking lesson. 4. Lesson flow is easy.
  • Flexible; you can cancel the class (but there’s a penalty: at least an hour before the lesson,200 yen; less than an hour, 400 yen, missing the class, 600 yen)”
• Disadvantages:
  • “very low pay, not very flexible work conditions
  • They take off your hourly rate if you have to cancel a class
  • Strict rules but sometimes unreasonable. Many downtimes because students are getting fewer. Payment per lesson is very low. No security of tenure.
  • The wages are a bit low compared to other online esl schools.
  • The pay can still be a bit more.
  • Low compensation per class, Not enough classes sometimes
  • Extremely low pay and rude HR Team
  • 1. A bit low on salary but on time. 2. No app and software dedicated to teachers. 3. Hard to track previous lessons. 4. No seminar, workshop or training to improve quality of teaching.
  • No matter what your reason for missing the class is (typhoon, earthquake, got sick, etc.), you get a penalty. Even if you provide certification they won’t accept it. Their reason is that if you know it’s typhoon season don’t open slots.”

Conclusion – Is Best Teacher Worth It?

If you lack qualifications, experience, and live in a cheaper country, then Best Teacher’s low barrier to entry offers flexibility with its various tutoring tasks. However, the poor rate of pay and exclusivity expectations mean that many teachers would be better off looking at other teaching companies we have reviewed for jobs that pay more.