ZEBRA ENGLISH Interview Questions
& Process

You'll need to deliver a practice lesson to show your abilities. I was allowed to use props for my video interview, which was helpful. The interviewer was friendly, and it was a positive experience overall.

You can apply on the website with your basic info and email. Then you send a 1-minute intro video so that they can see how comfortable you are on the camera. If they like your intro video, you will get invited to send a recorded mock class. After you pass the recorded mock class, you will be invited for a live mock class.

I was about to quit online English teaching but I got recommended ZebraEnglish and decided to apply. They told me less than 10 minutes later that they were impressed with my application and asked for a 5-minute demo. I had a lot of trouble recording the demo on their site using their platform, but I eventually managed to record it using my computer and uploading it. I prepared by watching successful teachers and my video was a little over 5 minutes but under 6. Less than 2 days later, I checked my application status and it said "Though we were initially impressed with your application we decided that you are not a good fit." However, looking at Glassdoor, all the interview reviews were unsuccessful and "Not a good fit." So I'm not sure if that's the real reason or if they're on a hiring freeze. It has, however, reinforced my decision to leave online English teaching.

The interview process at Zebra English is quite lengthy and involved. It started with an application and video submission. Then, I had to install their software for a demo lesson. Passing the demo led to a second demo lesson. The software was a bit buggy, with some controls not working in the practice room, making it hard to get ready. Before the demo, there are about 2-3 hours of training videos to watch, plus gathering any necessary props for the lesson material. The demo mentor said they'd act like a 3-year-old with limited English, but they seemed older, maybe 6-7, and spoke much better English than expected. After the demo, I got feedback. The mentor gave good suggestions but also advised against a specific teaching method (TPR) that was actually shown in their example video, suggesting it was too advanced for the student they were playing, which seemed contradictory. They also suggested avoiding another TPR, and their reasons were logical, but again, it was in the example video. Each step mentioned a 3-business-day response time via email, but it took much longer between stages. Ultimately, I got an email saying they didn't think I was a good fit after further review and wouldn't proceed, with no specific reason. Despite my 6+ years of online ESL teaching experience, it felt like a waste of time.