Idapted – Teach ESL (English as Second Language)

Idapted.com is a company I reviewed some time ago. However, it was not thorough and could use some more information. Idapted hires work at home agents to teach students how to speak common English. I do believe they deal mainly with students from China. However, one out of every five people on earth can speak English to some level competence. People from all over the world seek assistance with learning the English language, whether for personal reasons or business. Idapted has a focus of providing a service to this global need.

What is required to be an Idapted home based instructor?
While having any experience teaching or tutoring would absolutely give you an advantage of becoming an Idapted.com independent work at home agent, it is not necessary. More importantly is your ability to communicate. Idapted will be checking to see if you can understand someone with severely broken English and be able to communicate effectively.

What is Idapted’s hiring process?
While it has been some time since I began the application process, I recall filling out a basic Idapted application. Idapted will be interested in any type of education and teaching experience you may have had in the past. Again, it is not entirely  necessary but be sure to highlight any type of experience you have. In my case, I taught Sunday School at my church for several years. If I were to apply at Idapted again, I would point out how I educate my four year old at home for pre-education skills for preschool and kindergarten. There are many ways each of us have guided, taught and instructed others at some point in our lives. 

Additionally Idapted will check your basic grammar and typing skills and provide you with audio clips of Chinese students with very broken English abilities. You will need to answer the questions asked by the Chinese students in the audio file from Idapted. This is the part that gets a lot of people frustrated. The key here is to catch any keywords and basically make an educated assumption of what the student is asking. Then, confidently provide a response with clear basic English. If Idapted is satisfied with your application, they will offer you the opportunity to continue to the next phase of the application process, the certification. If you pass the certification phase, you will be offered a position at Idpated as their needs see fit.

What is the flexibility like at Idapted?
Idapted has a minimum requirement of 5 hours worked every 30 days. Their schedule allows you to ‘commit’ yourself in thirty minute increments. If you choose to work thirty minutes or ten hours, it will be up to you. Idpated gives advantages to those who work more hours. With opportunities to advance or schedule hours during peak times, there are incentives to working more hours at Idpated. Anyone with experience at Liveops, the basic structure of Idapted was created by one of the originators of Liveops. Therefore, you will likely see some similarities between Idapted’s scheduling process and Liveop’s.

How does Idapted pay?
Idapted claims they do not have a set hourly rate. Each session is paid at a set rate, which varies. Upon doing some reasearch online, I found a thread at WAHM.com where this information was shared about the pay:

It looks like we are paid per interaction. An interaction lasts approximately 15 minutes. The pay per interaction appears to be roughly $2.70 each. I believe we are expected to have four interactions per hour. So, there you have it! Approximately 10.80 per hour.

However, I have spoken to a previous agent of Idapted, from several years back, she claimed the ‘interactions’ would last more than fifteen minutes, lowering her hourly rate dramatically. It is something to consider when applying, but also be reminded I am sure a lot has changed over the years since she was an Idapted home based agent.

Idapted also claims there is potential to move up inside of the Idapted company and make more money.

Idapted pay schedule is as follows:

Idapted pays Instructor fees by check or direct deposit. Fees are calculated every two weeks. Pay period for the 1st to the 14th will be paid on the 1st of the following month, and pay period from the 15th to the last day of the month will be paid on the 15th of the following month. Balance below $10 will be rolled over to the following pay period; Idapted will typically not issue checks below $10.

What are the requirements of Idapted work at home agents? 
All interaction with Idapted clients is handled through their VOIP program. Therefore, a phone line is not needed. However, a silent background, free from distractions, will be necessary at Idapted. A headset and microphone will be required, Idapted will provide you with the information of their recommended headset upon certification. Further technical requirements are shared on Idapted’s FAQ page here.

• Read through the very helpful Idapted FAQ page
• Apply here
• Reviews of Idapted (Good and Bad)
  –WAHM Forum Discussion
  –Examiner.com Review
• More information from Idapted

Are there Alternatives?

If you are looking for more options or alternatives to Idapted, you can try the following:

1. VIPKid: This is an online education company that connects students and teachers globally through one-to-one personalized English language classes. They are often looking for teachers who are native English speakers and who have a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
2. iTutorGroup: This company offers a range of online educational products for students of all ages around the world, including 1-on-1 English tutoring. They have a flexible schedule and provide all the teaching materials.
3. EF Education First: EF offers online, in-person, and on-campus language learning. They have a program called EF Teach Online that caters to kids and adults wanting to learn English.
4. Berlitz: This is a global education company offering language instruction among other services. They have opportunities for online language instructors, making it a good alternative for individuals looking for work similar to what Idapted offered.
5. Rosetta Stone: While mainly known for their language learning software, Rosetta Stone also has opportunities for online language coaches, usually requiring fluency in the language they will be coaching in.

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