The Ultimate Tech Prep: The First Step to Your 51Talk Adventure

Gone are the days when earning without leaving the confines of your own home was impossible. Thanks to innovative opportunities such as 51Talk, people can now choose to become professionals while enjoying the comfort of staying in their houses. These perks allow people to have more time for their families, friends, and hobbies. They also get to secure their health, especially during unsafe times like the COVID pandemic.

Aside from the inviting privileges of becoming a part of 51Talk, joining the platform is also quite easy. You simply have to go through a series of assessment processes and accomplish a few requirements. The device you will use for teaching will also be evaluated. To prep yourself for the 51Talk tech check, here is the list of all items that your laptop or desktop needs to have:

I. An updated operating system

For Mac, your machine should have OS X 10.10 or higher. For Windows PC, on the other hand, the recommended operating system is Windows 7 or higher. Important: tablets and other mobile devices are not allowed.

II. A reliable processor

To make sure that your device can handle all tools and programs you need to teach at 51Talk, your processor should be Intel Core i3 6th gen or higher, Intel Core i5 to i7 4th gen or higher, AMD A Series A8 7500 or higher, or AMD Ryzen.

III. Enough memory and disk space

Running multiple programs in one go is often needed in teaching. Without the right memory and free disk space, your system will most likely slow down which could prove to be a problem during lessons. You need at least 4 GB of RAM and a minimum hard disk space of 100 GB to avoid system lag.

IV. A quality headset and microphone

Probably the most vital component in teaching is a good-quality headset with an extended, noise-cancelling microphone. This allows you and your student to communicate, teach, and learn seamlessly without being distracted by external noise.

V. An HD webcam

Part of teaching is using visual aids and showing some gestures in front of the camera, which is why it is a must to have a camera that can capture videos and images with 720p resolution. It can be an external or a built-in camera.

VI. A quiet and clutter-free teaching space

You need some room to move around when you teach. Sometimes, dancing and some awesome moves are needed to teach effectively. Your teaching station should also allow proper lighting for your students to see you clearly. You can creatively design your background, but make sure that it is organized and will not distract your students.

VII. A wired Internet connection

For a steady Internet connection, you need at least 5 Mbps of speed. The connection should be DSL or fiber optic and wired to your desktop or laptop through a LAN cable. LTE and USB connections are not acceptable. Other forms of wireless connections are also not allowed as they pose the risk of getting disconnected during a teaching session.

Easy and hassle-free, right? With the right skills and equipment, being a 51Talk teacher is just within arm’s reach. Becoming a part of the 51Talk community is both rewarding and exciting. You can give it a try yourself! Simply visit the official 51Talk website and have your tech ready.