The Baloo Academy

Who we are

First online English-language academy in the world where teenagers teach teenagers conversational English.
Baloo Academy is a tutoring platform allowing native and fluent English-speaking teenagers of 14 years old and above to teach children and teenagers around the world eager to speak English.
We offer one-on-one lessons of 50 minutes duration in our state-of-the-art virtual classroom with modern online whiteboard and AI at your disposal.
Our lessons are an equivalent of an immersion in an English-speaking setting with active, direct interaction with native or fluent speakers who are your peers, not boring adults.

Why Baloo Academy

Teenagers speak a different language to adults - communicating with your peers in English is more interesting and fun.
Age matters - it is easier to learn a foreign language and get a good accent when you and your brain are young.
Direct interaction with native speakers (humans!) removes the language barrier: you may be learning English for years but still can’t speak it.
We use a unique methodology that makes our tutors confident and articulate and also allows our students to make leapfrog progress in spoken English.
Our tutors get certificates and recommendation letters upon completing the courses.
“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand” Xunzi (Confucius)

How it works

Sign Up to Become a Baloo Tutor or Student!

We will connect you with a peer, so you can start learning or teaching!

Start Learning/Teaching.

Your tutor will guide you through the first lesson. He will explain what you will be doing during the lessons and what you need to prepare for each lesson.

Plan Your Lessons.

Speak with your tutor about what days work for you, book your lessons and start preparing your homework!

Show Off Your New Linguistic Abilities!

Congratulations! You now speak English at a B1 level. Invite your friends to also become Baloo Tutors and Students!

Introducing Baloo the Dog

The inspiration for the name of the Baloo Academy comes from the founder’s dog, also called Baloo. He is a 3 year old Bernese Mountain Dog, whose kindness and eagerness to learn were foundational reasons for naming the Academy after him.
Baloo the dog is starring in the educational videos we are using at the Academy. You can watch an example of a Baloo Video here.

BALOO Academy is FREE.
Lessons are free of charge for children from underprivileged backgrounds. Kindly register yourself or your child if you do not have the means to pay for private English lessons.
A place will be offered when a tutor becomes available. We have a waiting line for our tutors, please be patient.
A free course is limited to 6 lessons.
We reserve the right to decline you a space if we find out that the information you have provided is not correct.
We are looking for sponsors to help maintain this platform free of charge and promote it around the world.

Baloo tutors

Our tutors are native or fluent English speakers of 14 years old and above coming from well-known International and British schools who have good grades in English Language at school.
After completing each course tutors get official signed certificates from the Baloo Academy acknowledging their results in helping children and teenagers around the world to learn English. There are several tiers:
- Blue – tutors who completed 6 hours of tutoring (Blue Certificate).
- Silver – tutors who have completed 12 hours of tutoring (Silver Certificate).
- Golden – tutors who have completed 18 hours of tutoring (Golden Certificate and Baloo Academy T-Shirt).
- Black – tutors who have completed 24 hours of tutoring. (Black Certificate and an official recommendation letter for universities and future employers).

Research suggests that direct interaction with peers with no supervision of adult teachers is extremely efficient in learning the English language. Studies show that students using such a framework were able to build up vocabulary to handle everyday conversation, gain confidence in speaking and develop skills to initiate, maintain and terminate a conversation. Self and peer feedback was more efficient than grades, and teacher’s absence was welcome by participants.

You will become a better learner yourself once you have been in “teacher’s” shoes.
Your grades are likely to improve.
You will acquire communication and teaching skills and become more articulate.
You will get insight into the lives of teens from different countries, often from less privileged backgrounds, and this will help you to understand the world better.
You will obtain valuable first soft work experience that will be very helpful for university applications.

Benefits for Baloo students

You will develop the skills and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations in English across a wide range of topics.
Your accent when you speak English will improve.
You will understand a native English speaker.
Your life will be transformed - spoken English is key to getting better jobs and better education in every country on planet Earth.
You will get direct insights into a life in a different country, this will broaden your horizons.
You will receive motivation to study.
You will become a better learner for other subjects, your grades will go up.
Upon completion of a course of 6 lessons our students get an official certificate from Baloo Academy certifying their success in learning English.

Testimonials

Edward, 17, London

I never thought that teaching was so challenging! It seems easy but keeping the attention of the student through the lesson is actually really tough. I was grateful for all the tips and training I have received from the Baloo Academy to be a better tutor. I now have so much more respect for all my teachers at school!

John, parent, Geneva

My child has gone through a very difficult period in life before he discovered Baloo Academy through his friends. Tutoring another child from another part of the world worked miracles on him. He feels better about himself and life in general. He started studying again at school and his grades went up. We cannot thank the Baloo Academy enough for changing the life of our child.

Karim, 15, Turkey

I have been studying English for several years but was afraid to speak English with anyone. Thanks to my wonderful tutor Ksenia I managed to get over my fright and feel confident to talk to total strangers in English

Dalia, Morocco

I am super thankful to the Baloo Academy and to my tutor Stefanos for helping me learn how to speak English. I am ready to ask my way around London if one day I will go there!

Cicero and the Art of Conversation

Cicero (106-43BC) was a famous Roman stateman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher and writer.
Cicero was considered one of Rome’s greatest orators.
Cicero was the first to set down the rules of good conversation respecting “alternation” among participants.
Below are these rules which are still relevant to us today:

- speak clearly
- speak easily but not too much, especially when others want their turn
- do not interrupt
- be courteous
- deal seriously with serious matters and gracefully with lighter ones
- never criticise people behind their backs
- stick to subjects of general interest
- do not talk about yourself
- never lose your temper

Baloo Academy suggest all students and tutors read these rules and add only one additional rule:

- listen carefully to your counterpart

“Silence is one of the greatest arts of conversation” - Marcus Tullius Cicero