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Bitu Review Summary
Bitu is an English learning app hiring 1v1 online teachers for 25-minute conversational classes with Vietnamese and Thai adult and child students. They pay Native English Speakers and Filipinos $10-11 and $3-5/hr respectively, and require an ESL teaching certificate, though you must pass a 5-stage application process.
| Pay (per hour): | $10-11 (US, UK, CA, IRE, AUS, NZ) $3-5 (Filipinos) |
| Nationality requirements: | USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines |
| Degree/diploma required? | No |
| Teaching certificate required? | TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, etc. |
| Teaching experience required? | 2 years preferred |
| Student ages: | Adults and children |
| Class size: | 1v1 |
| Class length: | 25mins |
| Minimum hours (per month): | 10 (20 classes) – depending on demand/seasonality |
Bitu Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Currently recruiting lots of teachers
- No degree required
- Adult and child students
- Fixed schedules plus the option of picking up instant classes
- Teaching materials provided
Cons:
- Lower pay rate for Filipinos
- 5-stage hiring process, involving an application, interview, trial classes, training, and probation
- Only a small number of teachers have shared their experiences thus far
- Wants a minimum commitment of 20 classes (10 hours) a week
What Is Bitu English Speaking App?
Bitu, also known as Bitu English Speaking Club or Bitu Vietnam Co., is an English language learning platform based in Southeast Asia. Founded in June 2020 in Hanoi, Vietnam, it has since grown to more than 1,000 teachers and 200,000+ users, with offices in Bangkok, Singapore, and Manila.
The majority of Bitu students are currently Vietnamese or Thai, from age 4 to adult, and with English levels ranging from beginner to advanced.
In March 2022, a 1-to-1 learning feature was introduced to the platform, prompting the current drive to recruit hundreds of new Bitu English tutors, which the company calls ‘moderators‘. These use an in-house application called ‘Bitu mod‘ for teaching (demonstrated in the video below), and Telegram for communication.
Teaching materials are provided, with students choosing from over 10,000 free-talk conversations covering topics such as work skills, health, family, love, food and drink, among others. Lessons tend to follow this structure:
- 5-8 topical questions
- 2 sample answers for each question
- 8 vocabs and 2 structures, or 5 phrases, slang words, and 2 idioms (depending on the student’s level)
Below is a video introduction to the company and what it is like to be a Bitu moderator:
Bitu Salary Information – How Much Do They Pay?
The Bitu rate of pay differs depending on your nationality:
- Teachers from the USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand receive $10-$11 an hour.
- Teachers from the Philippines receive $3-$5 per hour.
Monthly bonuses are available for performance, teaching extra shifts, and receiving positive student feedback, though there are also penalties should you miss a confirmed class, mis-evaluate a student’s level, or receive bad ratings or complaints from students.
The Bitu English Speaking Club salary is paid twice a month via Payoneer or PayPal.
After 6 months of working for Bitu, moderators will also receive a teaching certificate.
Bitu Hours and Schedule
Bitu ESL classes last 25 minutes.
Moderators are able to work a fixed or flexible schedule, with booked classes and/or picking up instant calls. Hours can be part-time or full-time between 7am-midnight (Philippine Standard Time), though there is an expectation to teach 20+ weekly classes depending on student demand and seasonality.
As lesson plans are provided, prep time is minimal, and support is available 24/7.
Bitu Requirements
The teacher requirements to become an online Bitu moderator are:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- National of the USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Philippines
- Good English accent, with excellent verbal and written English communication skills
- Teaching certificate, i.e. TEFL, TESOL, etc.
- An energetic, professional, patient, and resilient personality, with dedication to students and education
- A teaching environment free from noise and distractions
- Laptop or computer with an HD-capable webcam and noise-canceling headset
- High-speed stable internet connection
- A Telegram account
Previous experience as an English teacher (1-2 years) is an advantage, though training is provided by the company.
Is Bitu English Speaking Club Hiring?
Since Bitu introduced 1-to-1 conversations on its platform in March 2022, it has been on a major recruitment drive to hire hundreds of new moderators.
What Is the Bitu Application Process?
There are 5 stages to the Bitu hiring process:
- Bitu English application – email your CV and 1-minute introduction video to [email protected] (it is legitimate despite being a Gmail account), or by filling in this sign-up form.
- Bitu interview – on Google Meet. This is an opportunity for you and the interviewer to decide if your skills and character align with the company’s needs and culture.
- Bitu trial classes – also on Google Meet. 2×30-minute lessons; one with beginner students, the second with intermediates. Documents are provided with a lesson format, topic, and sample video, and an observer is present to assess and provide feedback.
- Bitu training – on Google Meet. A teacher manager will help familiarize you with how Bitu operates and provide practical methods to conduct classes efficiently.
- 1-month probation – The classes in your first month will be supervised and listened to at random by the company to ensure that you are following their rules and standards; failure to do so will result in termination.
Bitu Reviews – What Is It Like Working with Bitu English Club?
As Bitu is still a relatively young company that has been running 1v1 classes for just over a year, only a few teachers have shared their experiences of working there thus far.
There are a couple of Bitu ESL reviews on Indeed that talk positively about the lesson materials, management, and respectful students, though they have conflicting views of the pay rate, number and convenience of the hours:
- (Rating 5/5) I like BITU because of their flexible time and good salary rate. However, there are not a lot of students during the daytime. Materials are provided and the lesson flow is a free conversation with topics. You have to be conversant by nature so you can go with the flow. Pros: Very flexible time, Respectful students; Cons: Not so many students.
- (Rating 4/5) At first glance the school seems strict, but after you start management is very nice and understanding ,especially when you have an emergency. Although working most weekends isn’t ideal you can balance it most of the time. Pros: Great students, full schedule; Cons: Awkward hours, low pay.
Some more Bitu English reviews from teachers are buried within the Google Play store, though they are not as balanced and lack detail, simply talking about how rewarding they found it to teach English:
- “This app is amazing and as a grouptalk moderator,it was a wonderful experience. It helps people to speak English well and improve your communication skills. I highly recommended this apps! [sic]”
- “As a Group talk Moderator, it was a great experience. I learned to communicate with other people, especially with people of other races. Teach them, and guide them in their practice of speaking the English language. I also learned a lot from them. I really recommend this app. Helpful to everyone., 😉”
Conclusion – Is Bitu Worth It for Teachers?
Bitu is a growing company keen on recruiting lots of new teachers. However, their hiring process is quite demanding, with you needing to pass 5 stages to become fully hired, which might not be worth the effort for those who consider the pay to be underwhelming. For other options, check out our full list of online teaching jobs.
