Online English education platform 51Talk recently held its mid-year press conference as it continues to celebrate its 10th year anniversary. Brand updates were announced at the press event, with actress Maine Mendoza being introduced as 51Talk’s newest brand ambassador.
The award-winning comedienne shared that she finds it an honor, as well as a very rewarding experience to represent 51Talk.
“I said yes to 51Talk because I felt that the values and ideals that 51Talk stand for appealed to me.I felt that, on a deeper level, nakakarelate ako because they value genuine connections with people, and they recognize and reward hard work,” Mendoza relayed.
“I also am very honored to be an instrument to promote 51Talk’s livelihood opportunity to Filipinos, especially now when the country is reeling from the impact of the pandemic,” Maine added.
She believes that being an online English teacher at 51Talk is an ideal opportunity especially for those who juggle many roles in life and desire a flexible schedule.
“I hope that my being 51Talk’s ambassador will help reach out to more Filipinos to learn about this opportunity.”
Maine was formally introduced by 51Talk Country Head Jennifer Que, who shared why she is the perfect candidate to represent 51Talk’s 30,000 online English teachers. 51Talk had previously teased the identity of its brand ambassador in social media where it trended in Twitter with the hashtag #MaineMendozaFor51Talk.
“When she’s not on screen, Maine juggles other roles as an entrepreneur, advocate, and writer. She understands what it’s like to constantly explore endeavors that don’t just pique one’s interest, but also give room for self-improvement. Her lively personality, coupled with her entrepreneurial mindset and go-getter attitude, makes her an ideal embodiment of our 51Talk teachers,” Que explained.
Launched in the Philippines in 2011, 51Talk is a leading online English teaching platform that connects thousands of Filipino teachers to foreign students through live and interactive lessons. Due to their naturally cheerful temperament and proficiency in speaking English, Filipinos are considered ideal English language teachers for young foreign learners.
Providing livelihood opportunities in communities
Que also shared updates about the platform, starting with headways gained with 51Talk’s community-based teaching centers.
“In 2020, 51Talk launched its Third-Party Center Accreditation Program (TPCAP) to establish teaching centers in rural areas. These centers make the 51Talk platform more accessible to aspiring teachers who are otherwise qualified, yet lack the equipment or teaching space in their homes,” explained Que.
Currently, there are more than 150 TPCAP centers nationwide across 35 provinces, serving 3,000 teachers since the program was launched.
Teacher Reyna Love, a TPCAP center owner from Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, shared how the program changed her life, and the lives of 100 teachers using her teaching centers. From a single teaching center she opened last year, Teacher Reyna now owns seven centers in the city with more than 100 teachers under her tutelage.
“From the very beginning I really wanted to help others because I see their success as my success, too,” shared Teacher Reyna. “Most of my teachers are breadwinners of their families and workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.”
“Though the TPCAP program is only in its first year, we are gearing to open more centers all over the Philippines, so that more Filipinos would benefit from this livelihood opportunity, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” added Que.
51Talk from here onward
As part of its celebratory activities to commemorate its first decade in the industry, Que also announced that 51Talk named a planet after itself. Located in the constellation Vela, the “51Talk Planet” was recently certified by the Chinese Star Association.
“Yes, there’s now officially a planet called 51Talk out there in the universe,” Que exclaimed. “We believe that by naming a planet 51Talk, we are lighting it up as we help light up everyone’s dream to succeed in life through education.”
“It has been a fruitful first decade for 51Talk as we have delivered more than 150 million one-on-one English lessons to our learners, which in turn, provided income-generating opportunities to thousands of Filipinos. As 51Talk continues to lead the online English education market in China, we are aiming to attract 40,000 more teachers this year to accommodate the rising number of students using the platform,” Que ended.
