HiTutor Review Summary

HiTutor is a Taiwanese company hiring Native and Non-Native speakers in multiple languages to teach adults and children 1v1 or 1v4 online. The pay is $2-12 depending on country, you must have a degree and 6 months experience, bookings fluctuate though the schedule is flexible, and the application is quick and simple.

HiTutor Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Offers a range of languages and courses to teach
• Chinese time zone for those wanting to replace mainland companies
• Quick and straightforward application process with no live interview
• Flexible schedule with no minimum hours commitment

Cons:

• Not transparent about what they pay – seemingly differs by country and is not the highest
• Hefty penalties for lateness
• Schedules are not fixed and bookings fluctuate
• Must be willing to teach both adults and children – cannot express a preference
• Teaching materials only provided for certain languages

What Is HiTutor and Is HiTutor Legit?

HiTutor was established in 2009 as a subsidiary of Dewey International Education Consultants Ltd., and is Taiwan’s first and largest online multi-language learning organization. They teach over 17 languages and 50 other professional and non-academic courses, seeing a two-fold increase in students each year to deliver 497,647 classes to 236,502 students.

While HiTutor draws its students from different countries, the majority are Taiwanese or from mainland China, and are aged between 7 and 70 years (though this does not reflect their language level). HiTutor teachers cannot express a preference for one group over another, and both adults and children may book their classes.

HiTutor classes are either one-on-one or in small groups of 3-4 students, and last either 25 or 50 minutes. The languages that HiTutor teaches include:

• Arabic
• Bahasa Indonesia
• Chinese
• Cantonese
• English/ESL
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Thai
• Vietnamese

Teaching materials are provided for the following classes (if you are delivering another language you will have to prepare your own, and it is essential that you complete any appointed materials before using supplementary ones):

• English
• Spanish
• German
• French
• Japanese
• Korean
• Chinese

Here is a video introduction from HiTutor:

How Much Does HiTutor Pay?

HiTutor is not transparent about what they pay their teachers, which is always a little off-putting from a company. This is because different nationalities reportedly receive different HiTutor rates, as anecdotally we have it that an American Native Speaker can be paid US$10-12 an hour, while a Filipino teacher may only be offered PHP120-150 (around $2-3).

If a student cancels with less than an hour’s notice or is a no-show (following 15 minutes of waiting), teachers will still receive half-pay for their class. Any teacher lateness is liable to elicit a 200% penalty, however.

Teachers will have their HiTutor salary paid every 13th of the month via PayPal or bank transfer.

HiTutor Hours

HiTutor peak hours are between 6-11pm (Taiwan Standard Time) on weekdays, and all day on weekends.

There is no minimum hours commitment, but HiTutor advises that you make yourself available for at least 20 hours each month to increase your booking rate.

Classes are 25 and 50 minutes in length.

HiTutor Requirements

• At least 6 months of teaching experience
• College diploma or higher (senior year undergraduates with 1+ year of teaching experience may apply)
  • A Major in a related field is preferred, i.e. English, Language, Linguistics, Education
• passionate about teaching
• good communicator

For Non-Native Speakers, a teaching or language certificate (B2 language certificate or above) is required. Fluency in English is preferred.

For Native Speakers, a teaching license or certificate is preferred, e.g. TEFL/TESL/TESOL/TKT.

HiTutor Technical Requirements

• Basic computer knowledge
• Desktop or laptop computer
• Headset with microphone
• Webcam
• Stable internet connection at home (preferably wired) with a minimum download and upload speed of 5 Mbps (you must test your speed here and send the results with your application)

HiTutor Application Process

There are five stages to the HiTutor recruitment process:

1. Application form
2. Resume and demo screening
3. Receive offer
4. Orientation including video system training
5. Teach online

To apply for HiTutor jobs, you can either send your CV/resume to [email protected], or the recommended way is to visit the HiTutor Career page and select one of the available positions that are listed. Once you do this, you will be taken to a HiTutor application form, where you will have to submit the following information:

• Email address
• Full name
• Nationality
• Mother tongue
• Currently reside in (City, Country)
• Messaging App. for contact
• Messaging App. ID
• Email address
• Contact telephone number (including country code)
• Level of education
• Graduated from (school name+country)
• Field of study (Major, Minor)
• Teaching experience (years)
• Teaching experience (courses):
  • Conversation
  • Grammar
  • Pronunciation
  • Business course
  • Exam course e.g., IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, GEPT, SAT
  • Writing
  • Children’s English
  • Other
• Teaching certificates, language certificates, qualifications (including score)
• Teaching language
• Self intro (50-80 words – describe your teaching experiences, teaching skills, and teaching features)
• Additional notes (work experience, outstanding reward, etc.)
• Available teaching hours (Taiwan Standard Time GMT+8)
  • Morning time, 06:00 – 12:00
  • Afternoon time, 13:00 – 18:00
  • Evening time, 19:00 – 00:00
  • Midnight time, 01:00 – 05:00
• Where did you hear about HiTutor?
• Internet Speed Test for JM class mode (send screenshot)
• Internet Speed Test for TP class mode (send screenshot)
• Upload your language and/or teaching certificates (if no certificates are held, please re-upload your diploma or degree)
• Upload your professional headshot (300×300 pixels, under 10MB)
• Screenshot of PC specification

You should receive the result of the initial screening within 3 days via email. If you are unsuccessful at any stage of your HiTutor application, you can reapply after ‘a few months’ have passed.

HiTutor Demo

If your application passes screening, you will be invited to submit a HiTutor demo lesson. This should be 10-15 minutes in length and recorded primarily in English or Mandarin, with at least 50% of the demo conducted in the target language. The demo should be structured as follows:

1. Warm up – Greet the student and introduce the lesson and topic briefly
2. Conduct class – Using clear instructions, share topic-related knowledge, check student’s understanding and give explanations if needed
3. Wrap up – Cover discussed vocabulary/phrases/grammar, etc., and say goodbye

You will receive a file with materials, or you may use your own. For English teachers, pitch the demo at Beginner-Intermediate level. For teachers of other languages, aim at Beginner level. HiTutor provides the following tips:

• Vocabulary: list key words and explain clearly
• Pictures: spark student’s interest in learning
• Conversation: explain the situation and practice speaking skills

Once recorded, email your demo to [email protected].

Here is an example from a previous candidate:

It will take another 3-5 business days for the HiTutor hiring team to review your demo.

Upon receiving an offer, you will have to complete orientation and training before your account is activated. This involves:

• System Training (15-20 minutes): A self-learning video introducing the booking system, class procedure, and company policy, etc.
• Teaching Platform Training (1-2 hours): A series of self-learning videos / manuals and a simulated platform to help you get ready to work from home independently.

HiTutor Reviews

The HiTutor Glassdoor page gives the company an average rating of 3.2 out of 5, with 52% willing to recommend them (at the time of writing).

Below is a summary of the main comments left by these HiTutor teacher reviews over the last year:

Advantages:

• friendly and conscientious staff
• flexible schedule
• easy to apply for leave
• kind students
• work from home

Disadvantages:

• sometimes not enough students/low booking rate
• schedule not fixed or stable/booking rate fluctuates
• inconvenient teaching platform that’s hard to use
• ineffective trainers
• lack of recognition for teachers
• salary reductions

There are contrasting viewpoints regarding management (seen as either ‘great’, ‘disorganized’ or ‘unresponsive’), and the salary (which is either ‘good’, ‘competitive’ or ‘low’, presumably depending on the teacher’s country).

Conclusion – Is HiTutor Worth It?

HiTutor might be worth considering for teachers wanting to retain Chinese hours away from mainland companies. The pay will be lower than they are used to, however, and booking rates can be irregular. Therefore, they are probably best considered as part of a portfolio of backup or subsidiary options, especially as the application process appears relatively quick and straightforward.

You can apply to HiTutor by sending your CV/resume to [email protected], or by submitting an application form through the HiTutor Career page.

A full list of other online teaching companies can be found here.