If you’re looking for a better work-life balance or want a great work-from-home career, online teaching might be the perfect job for you.
Huge demand for English teachers combined with much improved online solutions means the market for online teachers is booming.
So, if you fancy learning about other cultures but can’t move abroad or you want to earn money from your living room, why not look into becoming an online English teacher.
Who can teach English online?
You might be told that all you need is a reliable internet connection and a Zoom account, and you’re ready to go. It’s not quite that simple. You might not need a degree, but you’ll likely need a TEFL qualification. You can find out more about how to teach English online no degree at The TEFL Org.com
Surprisingly, you don’t have to be a native speaker of English, although it does help. If English is your second (or third) language, you can still teach, but you may find it more difficult to find a job.
Also, consider your own skills.
Because teaching online is very different from teaching in a classroom, you will need to be creative. You’ll need to come up with fun games and activities to keep your students engaged. Excellent knowledge of grammar, speaking, listening, reading, and writing is also required. Finally, you should be a bubbly, confident, and patient person. Although teaching can be extremely rewarding, it can also be challenging, and staying positive can really help.
What does online teaching involve?
What doesn’t it involve? You’ll be in charge of
- planning and presenting lessons
- evaluating students progress
- giving effective feedback
You’ll support reading and writing skills, explain grammar points, and introduce new vocabulary while encouraging conversation practice.
Depending on whether you teach for an online company or go freelance, you may be required to produce all of your own lesson materials. And don’t forget the admin. You’ll be sending emails, writing lesson summaries and setting homework tasks.
However, online teaching isn’t like classroom teaching. You’re not faced with a pile of books to mark at the end of the day. Also, you won’t need to discipline students, and classes are kept small. Basically, it’s all the good parts of a teacher’s job!
Why choose to teach English online?
There are so many benefits to becoming an online English teacher. Firstly, you get to travel around the world without leaving your house. It’s such a great way to meet new people and learn about different cultures while not having to pay thousands of dollars to fly somewhere.
Secondly, you’ll definitely find work. The demand for online teaching is going up. The Financial Post reports ‘there are approximately 1.5 billion English learners around the world, with approximately half of them being non-native speakers.’ This figure is rising, and more and more people want to learn English.
Online learning is popular. Students find it convenient because they don’t have to travel to a language school or organise lengthy excursions overseas. What’s also great about having an online teacher is the 1-1 interaction students get. They feel seen and heard, which goes a long way in helping them make significant progress with their language learning.
Online teaching’s other big plus point is the convenience you’ll have. You can work to your own schedule. Choose your own hours. Choose class sizes and abilities. It’s a job where you can make it fit you and your lifestyle. You can’t do that with many other jobs.
How do I find an online teaching job?
This depends very much on the teaching experience you already have. If you’re new to teaching, it may be best to work with an established company. But do your research first. Find out what they pay, how many hours you’re expected to work and what help and support you’ll be given.
This article by the British Council is a helpful guide on how to get started.
If you’ve taught before and want to have more earning potential, setting up as a freelance teacher might be the way to go. There are definite benefits of setting up on your own. But remember, you will need to do more than just teach.
You’ll need to:
- Be highly competent with technology
- Be able to market yourself successfully
- Be responsible for all lesson prep
Many people have grown successful businesses just by becoming a freelance online English teacher so if you have that ambition, go for it!
How much money can I make?
Expect to make between $10-$40 an hour, depending on your experience and qualifications. If you work for an online teaching company, you may be able to get a pay rise if you meet certain conditions over a while.
There are ways to earn more if that’s what you want. You can:
- Get your TEFL certification
- Have a university degree
- Teach more hours
- Teach during peak times
Now’s the time to get online!
If online English teaching sounds appealing, it’s definitely time to start researching more into it. Covid-19 pushed the majority of learners online, and it looks like many of them are staying there.
It’s flexible and convenient and can provide you with a steady income. It may not pay as much as face-to-face teaching, but it does offer other benefits.
If you love teaching and learning about different cultures but don’t want to make drastic life changes, you’ll enjoy online teaching. No expensive plane tickets. No start-up costs in a new country. You don’t even have to give up your current job because you can fit online teaching around any hours you already do.
You’ll be able to save money, take holidays when you want and make work fit around your other commitments. That’s why you’ll find plenty of parents and students teaching online.
There’s plenty of online jobs, but you’ll find online teaching rewarding and fun.
Why not consider what a learner would like from their online lessons? Take a look at another one of our articles.
