Welcome back to our Teacher Feature Series, where we interview educators who teach online across borders. Today we introduce William Dyke, the Editing Team Leader for Course Products and the Teaching Operations Center at 51Talk/HAWO American Academy. Read about William’s path to 51Talk, his role producing and editing ESL curriculum for a rapidly growing edtech company in China, and what it’s like to design learning materials for online classrooms.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I grew up on the Seacoast of New Hampshire and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of New Hampshire. My academic interests focused on education and labor markets, which I explored in my senior thesis. I also studied abroad for a semester in Budapest, Hungary, which deepened my interest in travel and cross-cultural work.
After beginning my career as a teacher, I moved into program management coordinating short-term study abroad programs that brought primary school students from China to the United States. That experience combined my interest in education and international exchange. I later joined 51Talk to bring together my analytical background and classroom experience to help create ESL course materials for online learners.
How long have you worked at 51Talk?
I joined 51Talk in July 2016, and I’ve spent the past several years learning more about curriculum design and digital education products. The role has been a valuable opportunity to explore how high-quality ESL materials can be produced and scaled for online delivery.
What does your role as Editing Team Leader, Course Products & Teaching Operations Center involve?
As Editing Team Leader I manage a team of roughly ten proofreaders, copyeditors, and administrative staff. Our responsibilities include running the backend content management system, overseeing quality assurance for course materials, and copyediting all lesson content. We work closely with content development and graphic design teams to ensure materials are accurate, engaging, and ready for teachers and students. I report to the Vice President of Course Products and the Teaching Operations Center.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
There are many rewarding elements to the work, but my favorite part is collaborating with editors and writers to craft new stories for our reading and conversation lessons. We developed the CEJ (Communicative English for Juniors) world—characters like Timmy, Cindy, and Sam—that brings continuity and personality to our lessons. Seeing those characters come alive in lessons and hearing positive feedback from teachers and students is extremely satisfying.
Can you describe a typical workday?
I usually arrive at the office around 9:00 a.m. and start by reviewing my tasks and scheduled meetings for the day. I prioritize responsibilities, handle editing and QA work, and support my team where needed. A large part of my time is spent refining course quality and building systems that let my team operate efficiently without constant oversight. For example, we developed a feedback SOP so editors can provide consistent, actionable guidance to content creators and teachers without requiring micromanagement.
What do you like about living and working in China?
I’m a bit of a language enthusiast, and learning Mandarin has been one of the highlights of living here. Lately I’ve been focusing on improving my ability to read Chinese characters, which helps with workplace communication and deepens cultural understanding. I’ve also enjoyed making friends from China and around the world—adapting to a different cultural perspective can be challenging at times, but it’s an experience I value greatly.
Is online education the future?
The internet already enables companies like 51Talk to connect teachers and students across great distances, and it opens many opportunities for improving instruction. In the coming years we should focus on how technology can support personalized learning systems. Tools such as artificial intelligence have potential to help monitor progress and tailor instruction.
That said, I’m cautious about seeing technology as a cure-all. Strong teacher-student relationships and the development of critical thinking remain essential. Technology can augment and scale education, but it cannot replace the human elements that make learning meaningful.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m proud of the CEJ course materials we developed. I initially wrote for one of the earliest CEJ versions, and the project has expanded significantly. Now, many colleagues across curriculum and content are contributing to different parts of the course, which has become a core offering for our learners.
Where do you feel you have the most impact working with an international team?
Ultimately, our work benefits Chinese students. The most rewarding moments are watching a lesson you helped create being taught and seeing students engaged, smiling, and practicing their English. That immediate impact on learners is what motivates our team.
What cultural differences between the U.S. and China have stood out to you?
One broad difference I’ve observed is that American culture often emphasizes the individual, while traditional Chinese culture has placed more emphasis on the group. Historical experiences throughout the 20th century also influence how people in each country view education, authority, and social relationships, which affects classroom dynamics and expectations.
Which two books influenced you this year?
Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive helped me refine decision-making and time-management in an information-rich environment. Nicholas Carr’s The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google offered a thoughtful perspective on how major technological changes reshape society—helpful context for working in edtech.
Share something interesting about yourself.
I enjoy outdoor sports—lacrosse and soccer in school, and I’m a passionate snowboarder. I also write on my personal blog as a practice in clear thinking and to explore topics that interest me.
Any future plans?
My plan is simple: continue working with my team to produce outstanding courses that serve teachers, students, and parents.
