English Hunt Review – Should You Work Here?

English Hunt is a Korean ESL company that has various divisions serving multiple countries, including a US-to-Japan digital ESL program (called the SRJ Program) that connects Japanese students (mostly primary-to-middle-school age) with US-based teachers.

As we will explore in this English Hunt review, the platform operates in unique ways that set it apart from competitors that provide similar online ESL instruction to Japanese students – differences that may stand out to you as a prospective tutor, depending on your preferences.

Let’s get into the details.

Learn more about our top 14 picks for teaching English online to Japanese students. 

What Are the English Hunt Tutor Requirements?

Here, we’ll break the English Hunt tutor requirements down into three main sections: general (including certifications), previous teaching experience, and technical requirements.

General Requirements

First and foremost, you must be a US resident with native English-speaking skills to work with English Hunt in a capacity as a tutor. You’ll also need at least a 4-year degree from an institution of higher learning.

However, if you don’t have a degree yet, you can still qualify if you have four years of “teaching experience” OR a substitute teaching certification.  

Unlike some other online Japanese ESL platforms, English Hunt does require teachers to have an accredited certification for supplying English instruction to foreign learners.

These can include, per the company’s requirements, a TEFL or TESOL. TEFL Hero offers a fully accredited 120-hour online TEFL course at an industry-low $99. Given the higher pay rates that certified teachers earn at schools across the globe (both online and brick-and-mortar), this is a wise investment if you want to accelerate your career in the field.

 So, to briefly recap, successful applicants will:

• Be a native English-speaking US resident
• Have a BA in any field of study
• TEFL certification

Or, if you don’t have a BA, one of the following qualifications will suffice:

• Have four years of teaching experience OR
• Have a substitute teaching certification

Teaching Experience Requirements

Per the credentials listed above, if you don’t have a degree, you must have attained 4 years of teaching experience (loosely defined) to successfully apply to English Hunt.

If you already have at least a bachelor’s degree, you don’t need any teaching experience to be considered.

Technical Requirements

For effective online teaching, you’ll need the following equipment, software, and technical capacities:

• PC or laptop with internal or externally attached webcam
• Headset with attached microphone
• Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint)
• Internet connection at a minimum speed of 25 Mbps. Check your web connection instantaneously and for free here.

English Hunt pays teachers directly via their US bank accounts, so you’ll need one of those as well.

English Hunt Salary (How Much Can You Make)?

Teachers on the English Hunt platform earn $14.50/hour – a respectable rate that falls in the mid-range in terms of the industry average. As a part-time gig, teachers get between 8-12 hours per week. So, on any given week, you can expect to earn between $116-$174 in take-home pay.

The major upside of English Hunt’s pay schedule is its simplicity: no frills or outrageously labyrinth ins-and-outs to consider, just a solid hourly rate with very few strings attached.

English Hunt does direct deposits into your US bank account monthly. They will also provide an accompanying tax form (1099) due to your status as an independent contractor, which is your responsibility to file in accordance with the law.

What’s the English Hunt Application Process Like?

To get started, you’ll need the following documents:

• Photo
• State or federal ID (passport, driver’s license, etc.)
• Resume
• Certifications and/or academic transcripts
• Cover letter (not necessary but helpful)

The application process for potential teachers interested in working with English Hunt follows:

• Fill out the generic application form
• Supply the documents above
• Conduct Skype interview
• Get onboarded with (paid) training
• Start teaching

You can begin the application process here.

What Is the English Hunt Teaching Experience Like?

Owing to the vast time differences (Japan is literally on the opposite side of the world as the East Coast of the United States), the hours of operation are unique.

Teachers are expected to be available during a window of roughly 4am-7am Eastern time.

Basically, if you are a night owl, you will thrive schedule-wise. If you are an early-to-bed type, perhaps not so much.

One of the biggest advantages of working for English Hunt is that, as the tutor, you have no responsibility for curriculum development. Other platforms require teachers to come up with their own lesson plans and materials – not English Hunt.

Because the company is primarily in the ESL content-creation game, it has its own well-developed curriculum, complete with materials and lesson plans. All you have to do is briefly review said material before class and get to teaching!

All classes are in one-on-one format, so you don’t have to worry about unruly class sizes (which often occurs on other online ESL platforms).

English Hunt Teacher Reviews

English Hunt has a 4.9/5-star rating on Indeed out of 19 reviews and a 4.5/5-star rating on Glassdoor out of 24 reviews from teachers who either have worked previously or are currently working for the company. If you compare these employment satisfaction figures to other online ESL platforms catering to East Asian clientele, they are quite decent.

English Hunt Positive Reviews

Given everything we’ve covered so far, the overwhelmingly positive feedback is not surprising. The major benefits of English Hunt are its relatively generous, straightforward pay structure and the support from the staff.

English Hunt Negative Reviews

As indicated in the positive review above, a common complaint is the odd schedule that teachers must commit to. However, it should be noted that this requirement is not unique to English Hunt – these companies have to accommodate their Japanese customers’ preferences, and their customers want to learn at a time that is convenient for them (namely, in the afternoon after school or work).

Also, although the pay rate is decent, there is limited opportunity to receive a pay increase. Many ESL platforms offer incentives to stick with the company in terms of escalating pay rates over time, but not English Hunt.

English Hunt Tutoring Alternatives

If you want to explore your options more fully in terms of online ESL work for Japanese students, consider these alternatives to English Hunt:

• Lyngo Review
• Cafetalk Review
• Okpanda Review

Bear in mind that, among Japanese-oriented ESL platforms, English Hunt is among the higher-paying. However, many, such as Okpanda, have much less restrictive requirements to join (no degree or certification requirements).

English Hunt FAQs

Here, we’ll cover a handful of the more common frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to working with English Hunt.

The Bottom Line on Teaching English With English Hunt

As far as online ESL work goes, English Hunt has a few standout pros:

• Decent pay structure with very few catches or complicated schemes
• Friendly, helpful staff to troubleshoot issues
• Pre-produced curriculum and teaching materials (limited prep for lessons required)

The downsides are:

• No performance or time-based pay increases
• Time commitments required at odd hours (4-7 am Eastern US time)

If you have a degree or significant teaching experience, English Hunt is a higher-tier platform than some other ESL sites with slightly higher pay rates. The company generally receives positive reviews from current and former teachers.