Golden Voice English Review – Legit Online Tutoring Job or A Scam?

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Thanks for stopping by to check out my Golden Voice English review. If you're interested in making money online, tutoring is a great way to do it while helping others. But is Golden Voice English legit? I'll answer that question as well others in this full review. 

Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for Golden Voice English. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not to apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info

What Is Golden Voice English?

Golden Voice English is an online ESL platform that teaches English to students in China (grades one through nine).

Teaching on Computer

Based out of Toronto, Canada, they also provide ESL tutors the resources, as well as a network of students, the opportunity to earn a decent wage from their homes.

Like other online tutoring platforms such as QKids and VIPKid, Golden Voice English (GVE) connects tutors with students through a live video chat, both one-on-one and in groups of up to seven.

More than just a video conferencing platform though, they also provide you with teaching materials such as pre-made PowerPoints and games that include recurring characters and story lines.

Is Golden Voice English a Scam?

Although more and more people are making money online today, it’s still one of those mysterious activities that many are skeptical about. And, with all the scams out there, who can blame them?

Many of the so-called legit programs and companies are even using deceptive tactics to rip people off. Fortunately, Golden Voice English is not one of those companies. 

Their online tutors do have some legitimate complaints, which I’ll get into a moment… but nothing that suggests Golden Voice is a scam.

How Does It Work?

Becoming a tutor for Golden Voice is similar to a traditional hiring process. They are not an online market place where anyone can join and sell their services.

Once your online application is completed and reviewed, a recruiter will contact you for a phone interview.

If you get the thumbs up… your next step will be an online interview with one of their Academic Operations Managers.

Successful candidates are then offered a tutoring contract.

Golden Voice Tutoring Requirements

It should be mentioned up front that Golden Voice prefers tutors that have a bachelor’s degree, as well as an ESL Teachers certificate.

They do however consider applicants on experience.

To meet Golden Voice’s official requirements, you must…

  • Have native English speaking fluency.
  • Be able to commit to a minimum of 8 hours per week, 6pm to 10pm China Standard Time.
  • Have a quiet and distraction-free home office.
  • Possess strong communication skills and the ability to interact with your students.
  • Have a minimum of six months ESL teaching experience.
  • Be able to pass a background and criminal record check.

Of course, they also expect punctuality and a passion for teaching and working with students.

Live Your Passion Everyday

Technical Requirments

There’s nothing crazy here… most modern computers should meet Golden Voice’s minimum specs… but it should be noted that a computer is required. Tablets and Chromebooks are not accepted.

If you have a PC, they are looking for…

  • Windows 7 or newer (32/64-bit) with an Intel Core Series processor (i3, i5, i7)
  • 4GB Ram
  • HD webcam (720p or greater)
  • Comfortable headset and mic with quality sound.
  • High-speed internet connection

For Mac Users…

  • OS X 10.10 or newer, also with an Intel Core Series processor (i5, i7)
  • 4GB Ram
  • HD webcam (720p or greater)
  • Comfortable headset and mic with quality sound.
  • High-speed internet connection

Software Requirements

  • Microsoft Office 2010 or newer
  • MS Internet Explorer 11 or newer (preferred), but also accepted are…
  • Google Chrome of latest version (minimum 61)
  • Firefox latest version (minimum 56)
  • Safari (OS X only) version 11 (minimum 8+)

How Much Does It Cost?

There are no specific fees paid to Golden Voice. Your only expenses are equipment and setting up a home workspace if you don’t already have one.

Another cost you might consider worthwhile is obtaining you ESL certificate which may improve your chances of being hired.

Golden Voice English Pay

Like most of these online platforms, finding out how much they pay becomes an investigation. Golden Voice only says they pay competitive wages.

I tracked down some information that says they pay $10 per 30-minute lesson, however… back to back lessons are not guaranteed. One tutor figured that on average, they were earning $16 – $18 per hour… which is similar to other online ESL platforms.

Payments are made monthly.

The Schedule

Two common complaints about Golden Voice (and common to all online ESL website) are that there are not enough hours, and the hours you do get are too early.

Depending on your time zone, your day can begin as early as 3am.

Hours are prescheduled and students are assigned to you through the GVE learning management tool.

But… this is only part-time job.

Students are scheduled between 6pm and 10pm China Standard Time, so at the most, you have 4 hours a day to work with.

Reviews and Complaints

Alright… all the juicy gossip about Golden Voice. 

I must admit, I was surprised that the reviews were mostly positive. There are so many “shady” make-money-online companies out there, it’s nice when you finally run into a good one.

The worst of the complaints is that some have reported communication challenges with management. If you drove down a street with a hundred companies, ninety-eight of them would probably have communication issues with management.

Other complaints, as mentioned above, common to all online ESL companies are that there are not enough hours, and you’re working with someone else’s time zone.

The trade offs of earning money from home are generally worth it.

One other complaint that came up a few times is that Golden Voice only pays once per month.

Typically… if you’re an independent contractor (online or offline), you would invoice your clients once per month, so as inconvenient as it may be, it’s not uncommon.

The positive comments are,

  • GVE provides formatted lessons with familiar characters which make it easier for them to teach, and more enjoyable for the students.
  • Contradicting one of the complaints… some say that they really appreciate the great support they get from Golden Voice.
  • Meeting new people and working with different cultures.

What I Like about Golden Voice

  • Teaching materials and resources are provided.
  • Decent pay rate for a work-at-home job.
  • Teaching students and seeing them grow and gain confidence while making money at home is a great combination.

What I Don’t Like

  • Although monthly pay is common, bi-monthly or even weekly would be better.
  • Not enough hours.
  • Tutoring does not provide passive income. It’s a straight labor job… trading time for dollars.

Final Thoughts

Golden Voice is definitely worth applying for, as long as it's something you'd like to do, and you're qualified.

These are, however, zero-leverage jobs, meaning you only get paid once. 

The true power of the internet is that you can get paid many times over for the same work, and there is a specific passive income strategy you can use which I explain here.

That's not to say tutoring is bad, it's just not the best long-term strategy for making for making money online if more time and freedom is your goal. 

I hope my Golden Voice English review was helpful, and if you have any comments or questions please share in the comments section below.

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