E-Joy English Review Summary

E-Joy English is a Chinese ESL company still hiring Native English Speakers from the US, UK and Canada to teach children 1v1 online. They pay $16-20 for a Bachelor’s degree, TEFL/TESOL certificate, 1 year of experience, and 10-12hrs/wk during peak times, however, trial classes for new students are unpaid.

E-Joy English Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Reasonable option for those who miss Chinese students
• Regular, long-term bookings (once trials are converted)
• Easy to request leave
• Lesson plans and materials provided
• Friendly, professional atmosphere

Cons:

• Must teach a free 30-minute trial class with each potential student (plus 2 during the hiring process)
• Must provide a fixed schedule of 10-12 hours a week during peak times (6pm-9.30pm BJT)
• Unpaid prep time
• Chinese timezone won’t suit everyone

What Is E-Joy English?

E-Joy English Online Language School is a legitimate ESL company that was established in China in 2009 and is still hiring overseas teachers in spite of that country’s “double reduction” policy. As of 2022 they had over 200 teachers and 3,000 students, and have since embarked upon a recruitment drive.

Classes are one-on-one with Chinese children, primarily between the ages of 4-15 years.

Lesson plans and teaching materials are provided, though teachers may supplement these with their own games or activities as well as choosing a distinct background.

All E-Joy teachers must be familiar with the ClassIn platform, and the company has provided the following training video to help with this:

Here is also a recorded example of how an E-Joy English class is conducted:

E-Joy English Salary Information

The E-Joy English pay rate ranges between US$16-$20 an hour.

Payments are made via PayPal or Stripe on the 12th of each month, with teachers covering any transaction fees.

E-Joy English Hours and Schedule

E-Joy online classes last 30, 45, or 60 minutes. A short report is filed following each lesson, as well as a progress report for every 10 classes a student completes.

E-Joy prefers teachers who can provide a fixed schedule for the convenience of its younger students, and are available for a minimum of 10-12 hours a week during the peak times of 6pm-9.30pm (Beijing Time).

The company also requires that its teachers provide a free 30-minute trial class to every potential student. Student information will be given ahead, and a report must be completed afterward covering what the student did well, suggested improvements, and how you would continue helping the student improve their English skills should they sign up with you as a long-term regular.

This video provides advice on how to convert these trial classes:

Teachers may reschedule classes in case of emergency or request a leave of absence with 24 hours notice. Students are required to give 6 hours notice for any LoA.

E-Joy contracts are for 1 year, and a month’s notice is required before resigning. Teachers are evaluated on their strengths and areas of improvement every 2-3 months and this influences what students they are matched with.

E-Joy English Requirements

Here are the E-Joy requirements to become a teacher:

• Native English Speaker from the USA, Canada, or UK
• Bachelor’s degree or above
• TEFL or TESOL certificate
• Minimum of 1 year of teaching experience
• Familiarity with the ClassIn platform
• Can provide a CV/resume and headshot photograph
• Able to provide a fixed schedule of 10-12 hours a week during the peak times of 6pm-9.30pm (BJT)

E-Joy English Application Process

There are 5 stages to the E-Joy English hiring process:

1. Submit your CV/resume and a 1-minute self-introduction video to [email protected] or [email protected]. For the video (which will be used to promote you to families):
   • It should be clear and attractive (audio, visually, and background)
   • Start with: “Hi, everybody, I am Teacher [insert name] from…”
   • Mention your location, that you are a Native English Speaker, and what your teaching experience and teaching ideas are.
   • Demonstrate your character and personality.
   • The school name – E-joy English Online Language School – must be shown in the video.
2. Short interview covering your past experience and teaching style (with an opportunity to ask questions of your own).
3. Watch training videos on how to use the ClassIn platform, how to prepare for trial classes, how to adapt to different learner levels, and how to give an effective warmup and conclusion, among others.
4. Pass a multiple-choice quiz based on the training videos with a score of 50 out of 55.
5. Teach 2×30-minute demo/trial classes: 1 with a lower-level student, plus 1 with a more advanced student. Teaching materials and student information will be emailed at least 48 hours beforehand, followed by an evaluation afterwards of your strengths and improvements for any future classes. The video below provides 6 essentials to include for a successful class:

Studying the training videos is key to passing the quiz and teaching demos.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted further.

E-Joy English Reviews – What Is It Like Working for E-Joy English?

The E-Joy English Glassdoor page gives the company an overall score of 4.7 out of 5, with 100% willing to recommend them, though this comes from just 7 reviews currently. I have collated all the comments from these E-Joy reviews, which offer conflicting opinions of the scheduling, with some liking the control they had over their hours and time off while others found it too fixed and the timezone too inconvenient. The rate of pay also receives mixed views, with complaints about uncompensated prep time, though there is an appreciation of the company’s friendly professional atmosphere:

• Advantages:
  • “Able to control your own time off. Students sign up with you specifically, so you have a predictable schedule.
  • You were able to choose your time schedule and the students are really nice. There are some students that are quite naughty but it can be managed and their students last to their students till the end of his/her work.
  • The healthy easy online environment and the pay are extremely reasonable. No downsides really. Students and Company are just amazing.
  • E-Joy pays a fair hourly wage for tutoring. You only work with one student at a time. The company has reps who find out your specialties, then match you to the student for a half-hour free session or launch right into classes. I worked with both male and female students, ranging from age 10 to 18. You have broad latitude on how you work with the kids. I really enjoyed working for this company and the kids are amazing.
  • You choose the schedule you want.
  • Gray [sic] company to work for, professional but a stress free environment.
  • I love the staff; since this is a smaller school, it has a real family atmosphere. I personally know many of my fellow teachers, as well as the owner of the company. They are professional, yet friendly and caring. There is more leeway if you need a day off for personal reasons, or if the student needs to take leave.”
• Disadvantages:
  • “Unpaid prep time for lessons.
  • It’s a fixed schedule. Once you submitted your available time for the whole week, it can’t be changed anymore.
  • It’s not an ideal job if you are living in PST during the winter, given how early you have to get up to teach Chinese students. The kids frequently canceled their sessions after I went to bed, making for a frustrated tutor getting up at 2 AM for a sparse schedule! The company also pays through Paypal, which means that you effectively work for an hour free each month to cover their fees!
  • Ask for a lot of prep work that you dont get payed for.
  • Less than average pay rate.
  • The pay is a little lower, but this is outweighed by the friendly atmosphere.”

There is currently only one teacher review on the EJoy Indeed page, which again complains about the pay, though they enjoyed the regular students and their classes:

Conclusion – Is E-Joy English Worth It?

There are not as many options to teach Chinese students online these days, and so E-Joy English will appeal to those who have missed this. While the pay offered is lower than one would have expected a couple of years ago, it is not out of kilter with current industry rates. However, not everyone will be comfortable giving free trial classes, though any conversions are retained as regular students.

Check out our full list of online teaching jobs for other opportunities.