How to start English online for LikeShuo
When you teach for LikeShuo, you will be working for a long-running company that has garnered a decent reputation amongst both students and teachers. LikeShuo is part of the Meten international company.
What students do I teach when I teach for LikeShuo?
Recently the company divided into adults (general English) and children’s departments.
You will be expected to teach from Level 3 (moderate English) up to Level 12 (highly advanced). Most students prefer to focus on vocabulary and discussion and want to sound more natural. The students are generally well natured and teachers on the platform report having extremely enjoyable lessons.
Teacher Requirements for Teaching for LikeShuo
- BA
- TESOL/ TEFL / CELTA or equivalent
- Non-native speakers welcome!
The minimum requirements to teach for Likeshuo are a bachelor’s degree and a TESOL / TEFL / CELTA or equivalent.
How Much Does Likeshuo Pay?
*Update! April 22, 2021: Likeshuo started a “variable salary”. According to current teachers, your base rate will depend on how many classes you teach a month. (This is similar to Palfish). The more classes, the higher your base pay.
Likeshuo’s new pay rates are 80-120 RMB or $12.33-18.48 USD/hr.
- ~ $14 / 45 minute lesson
Teach for Likeshuo and earn roughly $15 an hour eventually. The following is in regards to the general English department. Wages at Likeshuo tend to start at around 90 RMB per 45-minute lesson, this amount is generally increased by a further 5-10 RMB after a probation period of 30 lessons has been completed.
Incentives, Bonuses and Perks at Likeshuo
Teach for LikeShuo: Incentives and Bonuses
Bonus for Signing up Trial Students
There are a multitude of different types of lessons and once you have been teaching with them for a few months you can start doing ‘demo’ lessons where you do an introductory lesson to students who are thinking of signing up to the platform, if they successfully sign up then you will be given 100 RMB bonus, for multiple sign ups in one month this bonus is increased and can go into the thousands however demo classes tend to be few and far between.
Bonus for Teaching More Classes
There are other bonus schemes in place. Teaching 60 classes will get you a bonus of 500 RMB ( ~ $75) and if you manage to teach 100 in a month then you will be awarded 1000 RMB (~ $150 ).
LikeShuo also rewards its teachers around 500 RMB (~ $75) for referring other educators to sign up with them. This can be done using a special affiliate link that you are given once you have signed up and been accepted as a teacher.
After the initial ‘golden’ period lessons do tend to dry up but if you have managed to grab some ‘Tutorial students’ (1V1) you should still be able to hit a decent amount of classes every month.
All About Class Bookings and Scheduling for Likeshuo
Likeshuo’s Class Bookings and Scheduling
Great for Consistent Bookings
Initially, teachers will find that they’re bookings are fairly consistent during their first three months with the company. If you’re looking for a job for a short space of time to help make ends meet, this can be a good option.
After the first three months, you will be encouraged to try and get more one on one students, this can be done by getting good reviews in your private classes (these classes tend to be 1 V 4 or 1 V 6 maximum) and advertising yourself on your ‘centre’ page which acts a bit like a social media platform.
The downside of submitting time on the platform is that you generally don’t find out your bookings until 12 hours or so before and if you have submitted a slot to teach you will get fined 10 RMB if you close that slot within 24 hours. Another negative is that students can book a class up to 30 minutes before the lesson so if you have a lot of slots open, you will need to check on them 30 minutes before the hour.
Note: Teachers are expected to log into the class 15 minutes before it begins or they will incur a penalty. The fines for not turning up to lessons are severe and can go up to 300% of the lessons fee.
Likeshuo’s Couse Material
Likeshuo Supplies the Course Material
No Lesson Planning Required
The course material is all supplied and the majority of the time you will be teaching general English classes. You run through a variety of topics with discussion topics, vocabulary exercises, dialogues all set out for you. The coursework was previously lacking in some areas but has recently been developed by teachers working for the platform and has been considerably improved.
Outside of teaching, there are often other avenues to make an income that stem from the platform. Some teachers are paid to develop new coursework; others have joined the new app that the site has launched and are paid to make video content. The scope of the company seems to be widening and they have seen a considerable rise in popularity over the last two years, becoming one of the main adult learning platforms in China.
Likeshuo Pays Directly to your Bank Account
Another benefit of the platform is that they pay directly into your bank account. A standard fee of 200 RMB is taken off you monthly paycheque to account for the transfer fees but this will allow you to avoid going through third parties like PayPal which take a considerable cut of your money.
In terms of internal communications, when you sign up to the platform you will do an interview with a TA. If your application is successful then this TA will become your advisor. The TA will help advise you on how to get more classes and can help deal with any issues you have. Some TA’s promote you to the booking team so establishing a good relationship with them is a key part of success with this company. Some teachers have reported difficulties contacting their TA’s and having a very unresponsive relationship with the people that hire them, this can be problematic down the line so check out internet groups to find out who the good TA’s are before signing up.
Teaching for LikeShuo is a great for tutors who want to teach adults.
Overall, LikeShuo is a great option for people who want to get started teaching adults. The initial months can be extremely lucrative but booking rates do tend to ebb and flow and if you’re relying on this as a main source of income it can be very unreliable. Generally, weekend bookings are always full and the evening from 6 pm – 11 pm BJT are fairly busy. The platform does operate for 24 hours and teachers in different time zones have reported mild success with slots open at unusual hours.
If you’re interested in this position, LikeShuo are currently hiring. Sign up below to use my referral link so I can guide you through the process.
TEFL TESOL Qualifications
There are many certifications that fulfill Likeshuo’s requirements. If you are in need of a TESOL qualification, you can purchase an affordable one (only 19 Euros!) through the special discount link below or learn about other certifications from this blog post.
Also, please contact me so I can help you complete the course with speed and ease. I can also offer coaching on getting started with this company which I have been with now for nearly two years.
My monthly salary has varied from $800 – $2000 depending on my availability so I can testify that you can see huge returns from the platform if you put the time and effort in.
