Teaching On TopicaNative: What You Need To Know

With the plethora of online platforms offering English language lessons to learners, and teaching positions to English teachers and tutors, it is difficult to know which online teaching companies are legit.

We’re going to get to the bottom of this by asking those who know best: the teachers themselves.

In this series, we’ll talk to teachers currently teaching online in 2026 and ask them the important questions.

Meet Kim, a former TopicaNative teacher

Why did you choose TopicaNative?

I came across TopicaNative during a time when I was looking to expand my skills and experience in the TEFL industry. At the time, I was working for iTutorgroup, which mainly focused on teaching English to children and adults across China and Taiwan. TopicaNative focused on the Vietnamese market, and so this appealed to me as I enjoyed teaching English to different nationalities. 

Read more: Teaching On Itutorgroup

More than this, TopicaNative appealed to me because it offered: 

• • A flexible schedule that allowed me to work for more than one company
  • Pre-made lesson plans and materials
  • Consistent bookings made by the company – giving me more time to focus on the quality of my teaching
  • Clear teaching objectives and criteria for each language level. 
  • Adult-only classes

I have found that it’s more convenient to work for a company that manages the bookings for their teachers as it reduces wait time, administrative time, and resources. 

TopicaNative takes care of everything – all you have to do is prepare and arrive on time! 

What’s been your experience on TopicaNative?

Although I don’t teach for TopicaNative anymore due to my decision to seek other opportunities, my employment with TopicaNative lasted for approximately 3 years. 

During that time, I taught English to Vietnamese adults across job titles and academic backgrounds. Most of the adults who attend TopicaNative classes are either students in college or university, or were looking to advance their careers by improving their English. 

Read more: What Is EAP? A Guide To English For Academic Purposes For TEFL Teachers

As we all know, English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and so for many Vietnamese students, English is viewed as a form of currency and a strategic tool to get ahead in the job market both locally and internationally. 

My time at TopicaNative had its ups and downs, like any job has, and I most certainly gained a significant amount of exposure to Vietnamese culture. With that being said, I’d say the most standout pros and cons while working at TopicaNative are: 

Pros

• Great way to supplement an existing teaching income since adults usually take on classes at later hours of the evening and night, making it easy to balance teaching children and adults on different platforms due to their differences in time availability. 
• TopicaNative specialises in adult-only classes, so it’s great if you have a preference for teaching English to adults. 
• Lesson plans and materials are provided by the company. All you need to do is come prepared to teach. 
• Payments are always on time. Made on the 10th of every month for the previous month’s work via Bank Transfer in USD.
• Compensation is moderate from $8.5 – $16.5 an hour, depending on your experience, qualifications, and nationality. 

Cons

• The TopicaNative platform doesn’t allow students to share their cameras, which can be slightly depersonalising and make it difficult to gauge the interest and understanding of the students, especially when there is a significant language barrier. 
• The materials are pre-made and follow strict guidelines and time allocations, which can sometimes be repetitive and inflexible. It is therefore recommended to bring your own je ne sais quoi to the classroom. 

What are the requirements to teach on TopicaNative?

The great news is that the application at TopicaNative is quite straightforward. 

All you need is a: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university,
• a TEFL certificate,
• an updated CV highlighting your most relevant work experience, and 
• a copy of your passport. 

Once you have submitted your documents, you will be invited for an initial interview screening and then a demo lesson with one of the recruiters (on condition that your initial application is successful). 

If you are successful and offered a position, you will then begin the training phase, where you will learn more in-depth information about the company, its teaching methodology, and work culture. 

Once that’s complete, you will be required to complete one more demo training session with a real student(s). If you pass this stage, your account will be fully activated, and you can then begin submitting your schedule and teaching right away! 🚀

How easy is it to start teaching?

Looking back on my time at TopicaNative, I’d say that it’s pretty easy to get comfortable with the platform. The onboard training provided by the company teaches you how to use the platform, all the way from logging into the platform, uploading materials, and filling in your student feedback form. 

Another great aspect of TopicaNative is that they have a steady flow of students and do not appear to overhire teachers. This meant an even distribution of classes for all teachers. I was generally fully booked for the time slots I provided. 

No-shows were also paid, so if a student or group of students did not show up for their class, you were still compensated for your time. TopicaNative also had a teacher assistant on hand when needed for translations or technical assistance. 

 How do students find teachers?

What I loved about working for TopicaNative was that the company allocates students to the teachers, so I didn’t have to spend any uncompensated time on creating materials to market myself or reach out to students. 

TopicaNative lays the foundation; you just need to arrive on time, smile, and be ready to teach a stellar English class! 

What is the pay structure?

With that being said, there has been contestation surrounding the hourly rate at TopicaNative, with some teachers complaining that it’s below par. 

For me, I agree and partially disagree. TopicaNative pays teachers an approximate rate of $8.5 to $16 an hour, depending on various factors. At face value, this does not seem like much, but when you factor in the cost of maintaining a website, marketing, as well as the administration required for sourcing students, and managing them as returning customers, the payoff is quite reasonable. 

For a South African-based teacher, this is a fair wage, and one can live quite comfortably. This, however, might differ for other nationalities based in countries like the US, Canada, UK, or Australia, as the cost of living is higher in those countries. 

What are the students like?

I find Vietnamese students to be respectful and hardworking. Most of your classes will be group classes ranging from 4 to 6 students per class, and will be audio-based lessons with only your camera switched on. 

Read more: A Day In The Life Of A TEFL Teacher In Vietnam

In Vietnam, teachers are placed high in the social rankings and are seen as valuable contributors to society. For this reason, Vietnamese students hold you in high regard and trust your guidance. 

It should, however, be emphasised that language barriers will exist in your classes, with only 5-10% of the Vietnamese population speaking English fluently. Patience and perseverance will therefore be key character traits to carry with you if you are to be successful. 

The great takeaway from all of this is that your skills will be contributing towards a growing economy, and you’ll be playing a significant role in empowering your students and their dreams. 

How does the student feedback system work?

When providing feedback to your students, it’s important to bear in mind their level and performance in relation to the lesson objectives. At TopicaNative, all teachers are required to fill out a feedback report on the day you completed the lesson (you have 24 hours to do so). Failure to fill out the feedback report on time will result in a penalty or worse – no pay! 

What does a typical day look like for a TopicaNative teacher?

A typical day at TopicaNative requires you to be present and logged into your classroom platform at a minimum of 15 minutes before the class starts. 

Lateness or absenteeism is penalised. Peak times are evenings during the week and mornings to evenings on weekends. 

Like many online companies, the most in-demand working hours are on weekends, and so you should prepare yourself to be available on weekends. 

 Is teaching on TopicaNative sustainable as a full-time job? 

In my opinion, TopicaNative is a great platform and source of part-time income when you are new to the industry and looking to supplement an existing source of income. 

But bear in mind: 

• Your working hours can fluctuate based on demand, and so it is recommended to have more than one source of income. 
• Although I had a great time teaching and meeting adult students across Vietnam, I wouldn’t recommend it as a long-term career, since the company provides limited growth opportunities. 
• Its no-camera-sharing policy makes teaching depersonalised.
• The lesson materials can be repetitive. 

Have you experienced any technical issues?

As with any digital roles, technical issues do happen from time to time. 

As a South African, I am sometimes faced with loadshedding – where we experience periods without electricity. In these circumstances, it’s recommended to have a backup UPS to keep your wifi router going and your laptop’s battery supply on. 

TopicaNative will most likely ask you in your initial interview what methods you have in place to protect you against electrical or internet supply disruptions – so be prepared!

TopicaNative is not without fault. 

Technical glitches can happen on the platform itself, where either the platform or students themselves experience technical difficulties. The good news is that TopicaNative does provide technical support to teachers during classes and can be reached directly on the platform. 

Does TopicaNative offer support to teachers? 

In terms of community and support, TopicaNative doesn’t really have a thriving community and is quite difficult to find online. 

There are, however, a variety of online spaces where teachers regularly provide updates and reviews on their experience teaching online. 

With regards to lesson planning, TopicaNative supports teachers in preparing for their classes by providing classroom materials and setting the lesson objectives. 

They even have a student manager system that places students in the correct level, so that you can rest assured that you are teaching a lesson to a student at the correct level. 

Would you recommend TopicaNative? 

In sum, I would recommend TopicaNative if you are new to teaching English online and are looking for an online teaching role to supplement an existing income or to add to the existing companies you are teaching for already.  The great thing about TopicaNative is that they provide the students and lesson materials for you so that you can focus all your energy on teaching.

The drawback, however, is that you are not able to see your students, the lesson materials can be repetitive, and you are not compensated for filling out the mandatory feedback reports. 

Personally, I experienced TopicaNative as a professional TEFL company that always paid on time, allowed flexibility, and provided a consistent stream of bookings every week. I would definitely recommend giving it a go! Enjoying the luxury of remote work with a two-day holiday hiking trip in Croatia. 

Disclaimer: At the time of publishing, TopicaNative was not actively hiring any new teachers.

Author Bio

Written by

Kim Bowers

Edited by Kirsten Colquhoun

Kim Bowers is a TEFL-certified instructor, writer, storyteller, and explorer based in a beachside town in the Western Cape, South Africa. With an academic background in Psychology and English Literature, her work has been shaped by her love for new experiences and empowering others to achieve their dreams. Whether it’s surfing, hiking to the nearest peak, tasting the world’s finest cuisines, or discovering the hidden corners of the globe, Kim is always willing to tell the tale. Read Kim Bowers's story →