Magic Ears

What: Magic Ears allowed native English-speakers to earn money teaching English to Chinese kids online, but is now largely dormant

Expected pay: $18 to $26 per hour

Husl$core: NA

Commissions & fees: NA

Where: Nationwide 

Requirements: Must pass screening interview; have high-speed internet and Skype; ESL credential; teaching experience (experience outside a traditional classroom is considered).

Magic Ears Review:

Magic Ears enlisted freelancer to teach English to young Chinese students, but is largely dormant thanks to policy changes in China.

Although it was once a great opportunity for people who didn’t mind getting up in the middle of the night to teach, there’s little to gain by signing up now. (Oddly, the site still takes applications.) The site is largely dormant.

How it worked

In the event the site eventually revives, this is now it worked:

Teachers were expected to work from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Beijing time during the work week, and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (Beijing time) on weekends.

Beijing is roughly 12 hours ahead of New York time, so U.S. teachers were working in the wee hours of the morning or late at night. Magic Ears paid $9 to $11 per half hour in base pay and offers $1 hourly bonuses for showing up a few minutes early and for teaching at peak times. There is also a less well-defined “performance bonus.” 

Teachers also said that MagicEars’ was more hands-on, providing more advice about your teaching style. (The curriculum is set. What you add is personality and props.) That’s something teachers either love or hate.

The site also will pay you to refer additional qualified teachers to Magic Ears at a rate of $10 per resume.

Recommendations

Until and unless policies change in China, you’ll find little (if any) work here. We suggest you apply to tutor through Wyzant, AmazingTalker or iTalki — all vibrant tutoring platforms — instead. 

What their teachers said: (From Glassdoor)

I have been with ME for 8 months now and they are nothing short of phenomenal to work for. They not only care about the students but they truly care about their teachers. They put so much work into listening to us and to making us better teachers and are always reachable, pleasant and respectful. You are not penalized for being sick!

I absolutely love working for Magic Ears! They are friendly, accommodating, helpful, fair and kind. The company provides helpful feedback and pays great! They have a very diverse teacher pool.

Competitive pay. Diligent feedback. Great online portal. Friendly staff. Particular about details, will point out even little areas you need to improve. The hiring process takes a while, but again they are working to be the best and they want to make sure you will fit well with the company.