The English teaching landscape is filled with a lot of online schools connecting teachers with young learners. With this in mind, it will be somewhat challenging for teachers to find one giving the best offer in terms of payment and scheduling. However, BlingABC is certainly one of the options to consider. According to Bling ABC reviews from teachers, it’s a great company to work for.
Many of these online English schools typically offer either a great schedule or great pay. It’s not easy to find one offering both options. But like everything, there’s always an exception to the rule. And this exception is BlingABC. Keep on reading to find out why it’s such a popular option for teaching English online.
Teaching ESL online with BlingABC
What is BlingABC?
BlingABC is an English teaching company based in Beijing, China. It was established in 2017 by the New Oriental Education & Technology Group, which is the first Chinese education and training institution listed at the New York Stock Exchange.
Its goal is to connect Chinese children with the world through its online teaching platform. The company delivers its resources to the children in the comfort of their homes. It hopes to create and nurture a learning community that provides a high-quality English education to Chinese students.
The company also provides educational professionals with the opportunity to reach their career goals. Aside from its academic objectives, the company also aims to develop within its students a cultural and emotional understanding of the world.
Aside from the notable pay, the company also has a fixed schedule per semester. The fixed schedule means the teachers will have an idea about their teaching schedule weeks before the classes will start. All the teachers have to do is to provide their available time and the company will create the schedule for them.
This is great news to a lot of teachers who like to know their teaching schedules way ahead of time. It also means they don’t have to stay online waiting for a student to book a class with them. This company is quite similar to ALO7 in terms of this.
Do you want to travel? They why not consider teaching ESL in China?
Bling ABC review
What are the Requirements to Teach at BlingABC?
Even as BlingABC provides a great deal for its teachers, it also has a rather strict set of requirements. The requirements of the company for its teachers are as follows:
- Native English speaker
- A Bachelor’s degree
- TEFL/ CELTA/TESOL or a valid teaching License
- ESL teaching experience (Experience in teaching children is an advantage)
Technical Requirements
Aside from the personal and professional requirements for the teachers, the company also has a set of technical requirements the teachers should meet before they can teach on the platform of the company.
The technical requirements are as follows:
- Desktop or a laptop (tablets and other similar mobile devices are not acceptable)
- Intel i5 processor or its equivalent with a Benchmark score of 3500
- Minimum 4G RAM (6GB RAM or better is recommended)
- Monitor screen resolution of 1289 x 720
- Windows 7 or macOS X10.2 operating system
- HD built-in or external camera
- Headphone with a microphone and a stable input and output
- Wired, stable internet connection with a speed of at least 20 Mbps
How Much does BlingABC Pay?
As indicated earlier, BlingABC offers a rather notable pay scale for its teachers. The payment is based on the number of classes and qualifications of the teachers. The base pay for every 40-minute class is from $14 USD to $18 USD. This is equivalent to around $21 USD to $27 USD per hour.
Teachers with an exceptional teaching background and outstanding performance can earn an hourly rate of up to $38 USD.
The teachers also get the chance to have their base pay increased depending on their TICO score. The TICO score is the evaluation system of the company. The score is calculated every month, which means the teacher’s base pay may increase if they performed exceptionally well in the previous month.
Another benefit the teachers get when they work with BlingABC is they are fully paid for classes canceled by the students within 48 hours before the schedule of the class. This is a benefit not normally offered by other English teaching companies.
Bonuses and Incentives
In addition to its notable schedule and pay, the company also offers several bonuses and incentives for its teachers. These bonuses and incentives are as follows:
- Perfect attendance bonus, substitution bonus, and weekend bonus ranging from $2 USD to $6 USD per class. Teachers can receive multiple bonuses at the same time under specific situations.
- Referral bonus of $100 USD for teachers who successfully refer candidates who will teach with the company
- Excellence Package Program where teachers will receive a more competitive payment package and other perks if they maintain a high quality of teaching, dedication to the company, and perfect attendance.
How do you get Paid?
Teachers at BlingABC can expect payments to be made on the 10th day of each month. But their banks will determine when the payments are actually posted into their accounts.
The companies pay their teachers through direct bank transfers due to legal and financial reasons.
BlingABC Contracts and Taxes
Similar to other English teaching companies, BlingABC considers its teachers as independent contractors. Due to this, they are responsible for filing and paying their own taxes based on their local laws. The Management and Services Department of the company can also assist if it’s necessary.
The company offers a six-month contract to its teachers with the first 20 classes serving as their probationary period.
Teaching online with BlingABC
What’s the Recruiting Process Like at BlingABC?
Even as the requirements of BlingABC for its teachers are somewhat strict, the interview process is similar to other English teaching companies. The process is as follows:
- Submit your application through the website of the company
- Pass the initial screening
- After passing the initial screening, you need to go through an interview through Skype. This part includes a 20-minute demo class
- Once you pass the interview and demo class, you’ll have to attend an orientation where your device will also be checked.
- You are also asked to participate in an on-board training session.
- After the training session, you’ll be asked to conduct a 30-minute mock class with at least two members of the staff acting as students. The lesson is provided in advance and you should show your mastery of the platform and your ability to conduct an engaging class.
- After demonstrating your teaching skills, you will be asked to join DingTalk and submit your class availability. DingTalk is the communication tool used by the company to stay in touch with their teachers and allow them to check-in before their classes start.
- Prepare for your classes
While the actual teaching is conducted using a desktop or laptop, you can download DingTalk into your smartphone so you can easily access it. You’re required to check-in at least one hour before the class or else a substitute will be assigned to your class.
Tips for the Interview
At this point, you may already be excited to send in your application to BlingABC. But before you click on the “sign up” button, you may want to go through the following interview tips for the company.
Before the interview, you should prepare the following:
- A quiet and well-lighted teaching area where there are no background noises
- The devices (laptop/desktop and network connection) should be working properly
- Review the demo class material properly
In addition to preparing for the interview properly, you should also do the following:
- Be punctual and avoid being absent from your scheduled interview. So, you should make sure to plan properly because multiple reschedules will result in an unsuccessful application
- Prepare for the demo class ahead of time. Review the demo class materials assigned to you.
Candidates will be evaluated on the following aspects regarding the Demo lesson:
- Total Physical Response (TPR) and demonstration
- Appropriate input to the students in terms of word usage, sentence length, and speaking pace
- Attitude towards teaching
- Use of supplementary teaching tools
- Correcting errors
- Your energy levels
- Giving instructions efficiently and effectively
If you keep these tips in mind while preparing for your interview, you’ll have a better chance of becoming a teacher at BlingABC.
What is the Work Schedule Like?
As indicated earlier, teachers will know their schedule way ahead of time. While the teachers provide their availability to teach, the availability schedule should be within the teaching hours of the company. The teaching hours are as follows:
- Monday to Friday – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM BJT
- Saturday and Sunday – 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM BJT
Teachers are also asked to be available to teach for at least eight (8) hours each week.
The school also follows a semester/term format. With this, the teachers will have a fixed teaching schedule for each semester/term. They won’t have to wait for hours on end for a student to book a class with them. The schedules are normally available two weeks before the start of the semester/term.
The semesters/terms followed by BlingABC are as follows:
- Winter term: from January to February
- Spring term: from March to June
- Summer term: from July to August
- Fall term: from September to December
The BlingABC Teaching Platform
Even as BlingABC offers different class sizes for its teachers, a class normally has three students. There are also some programs where the class will have six, twelve, or even 30 students. But the teachers should meet specific requirements to teach classes with a large number of students.
The English classes offered by the company are designed to support the development of the students based on a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) perspective. With this in mind, the company offers the following English classes:
- BlingABC Phonics Courses – to help students develop phonemic awareness early
- KET Courses – to prepare students for KET (Key English Test) and provide them the confidence they need in using English as a part of their everyday lives.
- BlingABC World Explorers Courses – to encourage and develop the understanding of global cultures among the students. It also aims to enhance the English speaking and public speaking capabilities of the students.
The company also offers the BlingABC AI through its BlingABC App to help them prepare as well as review their class sessions. It allows the students to prepare, review, and take some quizzes that can complement what they learned during their online classes.
BlingABC FAQs
There are a number of common questions that people have about working for this company. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.
Is BlingABC legit?
According to BlingABC reviews, they are certainly a legit company. Teachers like their online teaching platform, materials and rate of pay. It’s one of the more highly paid online teaching gigs as they are quite selective about who they employ.
How do I apply for Bling ABC?
You can apply for Bling ABC by following these steps:
- Submit an application online.
- Pass the first screening.
- Attend an interview and do a 20-minute demo class.
- Attend orientation.
- Participate in training.
- Complete a mock class.
- Join DingTalk and submit availability.
- Wait for students to schedule classes.
Who owns Bling ABC?
Bling ABC is owned by New Oriental Education and Technology Group. They are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and have been in business for almost 30 years.
How long are BlingABC classes?
BlingABC classes are 40 minutes long.
The Takeaway on BlingABC
Despite being a relatively new English teaching company, BlingABC is an appealing option for teachers who are looking for stability and good pay while pursuing a career in the online English teaching industry. According to the BlingABC reviews from teachers, it certainly looks like one of the better online teaching companies to consider.
Have your Say about Bling ABC
What are your thoughts about this online teaching company? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about it. We’d love to hear from you.
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