Topica Native X Review Summary

NativeX is a Vietnamese online ESL platform for adult professionals. They pay advanced English speakers $10-15/hr to teach 15-45 minute classes of 1-6 students. 1 year of experience and a diploma/associate degree is sufficient, with no TEFL required if you majored in English teaching, but you must be available for 7 slots a week or 13 a fortnight.

NativeX Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Open to both Native and Non-Native Speakers (with a suitable proficiency certificate)
• A full Bachelor’s degree is not required
• Teaching materials are provided
• Small classes (1v1 or up to 6 students)

Cons:

• Average pay rate
• 20% Vietnamese tax on earnings
• Adult students make this unsuitable for those who prefer teaching children
• Must be available for 7 slots a week or 13 per 2 weeks

What Is Topica Native X and Is It Legit?

Native X is a part of Topica Edtech Group, which was founded in 2008 to promote online education amongst learners in Southeast Asia and has been featured by reputable international publishers such as Forbes and Tech In Asia. Topica English training programs have since been delivered by 1,600+ teachers, to over 1 million students from Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Topica Native X courses are intended primarily for working adults (mostly Vietnamese) who wish to develop their language skills for professional career advancement, and include:

1. Basic English (BE) – The course is built for adult beginners who have very little knowledge or very limited exposure to English and wish to start learning English.
2. Further English (FE) – The course is built for adult learners who already have some knowledge of English but wish to build a more robust foundation. Learners will be exposed to the language in different daily and social settings around them and learn to use English effectively in these settings.
3. Workplace English (WE) – The course is built for adult professionals or college/university students who already have good foundational knowledge and wish to use English in a more professional/academic setting. Learners will be exposed to more in-depth discussion topics that require more advanced control of the language and different sets of English skills to study/work better.

Topica Native X ESL classes are delivered 1v1, 1v3, or 1v6, with teaching resources developed from the company’s partnership with National Geographic Learning and Macmillan Education, and following this lesson structure:

1. Getting acquainted and introducing the topic: The teacher asks leading questions to introduce the main topic of the lesson
2. Review Knowledge practice: The teacher guides students to review the vocabulary and grammar skills learned before class and practice them to consolidate memorization.
3. Apply knowledge: The teacher gives Guided practice activities for individuals/pairs/groups to help students apply learned knowledge to new situations and contexts, thereby helping students become more familiar and confident with their use of English.
4. Suggestive discussion: The teacher offers suggestive situations, helping students have more space to confidently apply the knowledge they have learned and express their own opinions.
5. Evaluation: The teacher will give comments and evaluations on good areas, errors, and points that need to be corrected so that students can review the materials available on the learning platform according to their itinerary.

Topica Native X online teaching takes place on an all-in-one proprietary Learning Management System (LMS) that is integrated with Zoom, the functionality of which is demonstrated in this recorded session:

How Much Does Topica Native X Pay?

A Topica Native X teacher salary is between $10-$15 (USD) per 45-minute class. However, this comes before a 20% Vietnamese tax, which reduces this rate to $8-$12.

There are opportunities to supplement this with year-round reward schemes and performance bonuses, and there is a Native X salary review every 6 months.

Payments are made on the 15th of every month via international bank transfer.

Topica Native X Hours and Schedule

Topica Native X lessons for small groups (up to 6 students) are mostly 45 minutes in length. There are some one-on-one classes lasting 15 or 25 minutes.

16 teaching slots are available on each day, Monday to Sunday, between the hours of 08:00 and 23:45 (Indochina Time), with increasing demand for the following times:

• Morning:
  • 08:00 – 08:45
  • 09:00 – 09:45
  • 10:00 – 10:45
• Evening:
  • 19:00 – 19:45
  • 20:00 – 20:45
  • 21:00 – 21:45
  • 22:00 – 22:45

Native X teachers register their “stable and reliable” availability for at least 13 slots every fortnight or 7 each week, with schedules updated weekly.

Contracts are for 1 year (renewable), and responsibilities include:

• Checking the teaching schedule and notifications frequently
• Previewing lesson slides and studying teaching materials carefully
• Joining assigned classes and conducting substitute teaching when needed
• Completing class feedback

Teachers must also be willing to undergo training during onboarding and on-demand consultation sessions, as required.

Topica Native X Requirements to Become a Teacher

The requirements to become a Topica Native X online English teacher are as follows:

• Advanced English proficiency level (Native or Non-Native Speaker) with good pronunciation (equivalent to C1-2 CEFR or IELTS 7.0) 
• Possessing at least a Diploma/Associate Degree (Bachelor’s is optional)
• 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate (not required if your major was in English Teaching)
• At least 1-3 years of teaching experience
• Highly disciplined and proactive
• Comfortable teaching with technology
• Stable internet connection with at least: Ping <20ms; Upload > 20Mbps; Download > 30Mbps according to this speed test (a screenshot will be required as proof)
• A webcam, headphones, and microphone
• Private laptop with the following specifications (a screenshot of these will be required as proof):
  • Operating System (OS) of at least MacOS 10.9 or Windows 10 Professional 64 bit
  • Hardware with 8GB RAM and a CPU with at least 4 cores or clock speed of at least 1.8 GHz
• Skype account (for communication), Google Chrome browser, and Remote Control for Tech Support, e.g. Team Viewer or Any Desk

You will also be required to provide the following documents when applying for Topica Native X jobs:

• A recent CV updated within the last 3 months
• Clearly scanned copies of degrees and teaching certifications
• Scanned copy of English language proficiency certificate (if applicable)
• Screenshots of computer specifications and internet speed test
• Scan/photo of your passport page (for Foreign Teachers) or both sides of ID card (Vietnamese Teachers), with at least 6 months validity remaining (Passport/ID number can be hidden for confidentiality)
• A self-introduction video (1-2 minutes) in English – with neat appearance and clear verbal communication: briefly introduce yourself, your teaching experience, and methodology

Topica Native X English Teacher Application Process

There are 4 stages to the Topica Native X application process:

1. Submit an application
2. Conduct a teaching demo
3. Receive offer, sign contract, and start training
4. Complete training and start teaching.

You can apply to become a Topica Native X teacher via several methods:

• Email your CV to [email protected] with the subject line ‘[Insert Full Name] – Online English Teacher’
• Register your interest through their Facebook page or +84 911 380 075 (for Skype, WhatsApp or Zalo)
• Through the Native X careers page
• Complete this Topica Native X application form with the following details:

1. Personal details
   1. Full name (it should be the same name and order as on your passport/ID)
   2. Gender
   3. Date of Birth (same as on your passport/ID)
   4. Nationality (same as on your passport/ID)
   5. Personal email address
   6. Phone number
   7. Skype/Zalo contact (Skype ID is preferred)
   8. Current location (including your current state/province/city and country)
2. Technical check
   1. Access www.speedtest.net => Click “Go” => Enter results (should be at least: Ping <20ms; Upload > 20Mbps; Download > 30Mbps). For a precise result, teachers should use their personal laptop to check.
   2. Computer hardware
3. Job Expectation
   1. use Google Drive to upload the required documents into ONE folder and paste the access LINK. Sharing settings can open only to [email protected]. Folder name: ‘[Insert Full Name] – Documents’
   2. Your availability to take classes (the schedule should be stable and reliable)
   3. Expected start date
   4. Expected number of classes per month
   5. Expected pay rate per class slot (45 minutes) (before tax)
   6. How did you hear about this job vacancy?
   7. Have you worked with a Vietnamese company before?
   8. Other information you would like to know about this position.

Due to the volume of applications received, not all applicants will hear back from the company. Shortlisted candidates are usually contacted within 2 weeks via Skype or Zalo, with others saved to a talent pool for future opportunities.

Native X Reviews – What Is It Like Working for Topica?

Topica Edtech Group reviews on Glassdoor currently give the company an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5, with 46% willing to recommend them. While these figures include employees from across the organization, I have collated all the experiences shared by teaching staff below. These complement the schedule, lessons, and students, but criticize the pay, lack of communication and support:

• Advantages:
  • “Convenient remotes [sic] job if you want a home-based income
  • Clear salary structure and quick payout. Great chance to connect with lots of students across the country
  • The working schedule is clear and you’ll signed up for shifts one week before
  • it was everything good until they did not paid [sic]
  • Everything was not bad , employer and all
  • Teaching session is great with prepared document
  • Students are nice and lessons are not bad
  • Online english teaching at your own place. Teaching adults general English. Short classes 45min with a log in time 15min prior. Pre-plned lessons, just follow the slides and chat with the students. No paper work, no reports.
  • Work from anywhere. Nice students
  • The culture is great, love the bonuses
  • good hours. good pay. good students
  • Easy materials and Flexible hours
  • Working from home, you choose working hours
  • They provide materials, pay on time only with little delays
  • good support and training for teachers – clear guidance and communications – promotion considering every 6 months
  • Work from home, flexible, good to gain experiences
  • Pretty standard lesson materials, so no prep.
  • Flexible schedule, materials provided, adult students”
• Disadvantages:
  • “They are not paying you high
  • Very low salary for local teachers
  • Cold environment, almost no interactions with colleagues
  • not getting paid for the working hours
  • Salary is slow sometimes but it was bearable
  • Working slots are too much
  • unprofessional management, no one knows how to do their job
  • Pay is not the highest. Inconsistent schedule and the work load. Hard to get full-time hours.
  • Pay goes up and down unrelated to performance. Terrible communication.
  • Not really International company, quiet [sic] struggling with communication
  • needs more teacher traininig, both methodology and platform. also could provide training on how to work with/use teacher assistant during and off classes
  • First of all I what I am furious about it is the staff behavior!!! I didn’t receive my salary of 5 MONTHS ! And they can’t solve this problem until now! No one cares , no one responds ! This is demotivating and disrespectful attitude !! SO I need to wait centuries in order to get an answer from them ! Secondly, If you have technical problems during the class , so they always blame your internet connection ! Thirdly, the salary is low, 20% of your income = 8\10 lessons for free.
  • Teachers are just numbers and they don’t care about you, students are just numbers who bring in money and they don’t care about them, server failures are gonna be blamed on teachers, low number of scheduled classes,…
  • Rates are really low, not too many bonuses
  • sometimes need to cancel class because students had internet issues
  • Not getting the amount of working hours you applied for
  • The company isn’t flexible. – The staff will tell you your internet connection is unstable when it isn’t. – tone of staff is condescending.
  • I do not have any big issues.”

Topica reviews on Indeed provide an average score of 3.5 out of 5, though only 3 have come from teachers or tutors in the past year. They echo sentiments shared regarding the lesson materials and pay, whilst adding that technical issues can be challenging and they don’t always get the classes they want:

• “They constantly have technical issues, which makes it almost impossible to teach lessons. Difficult to actually get payment from them too. Pay is very very low.” (1*)
• “this company pays remote English tutors very low. Don’t consider working for them. There are a lot of rules and policies to cut tutors’ pay even more.” (1*)
• “Good place to gain teaching experiences. Lesson plans provided, good part time salary. Flexible for students who are still in university. Cons: sometimes you don’t get classes you want” (4*)

Conclusion – Is NativeX Worth It for Teachers?

While Native X accepts advanced English speakers regardless of nationality, a common downside of teaching for Vietnamese companies is the 20% tax, even when working from outside the country. This cuts what is already an average salary down further, perhaps too low depending on the costs of where you are living (though it is still higher than what some companies offer these days). Nor will everyone want to teach business-orientated adults, in which case perhaps consider alternative teaching jobs including ones offering child students.