Become an Online English Teacher

If you imagine teaching English, your first thought might be of your old English teacher from high school standing at the front of a bustling classroom trying to teach you the finer points of Shakespeare. Online English teaching is quite a bit different.

Online English teachers work with non-native speakers to learn the English language, and all of this is done safely and efficiently online. While you can learn a new language thorugh apps like Idyoma, online teaching is another thing entirely.

In fact, thousands of Brits are teaching international students from their own laptop. Online teaching can be hugely rewarding for you, particularly if you’re someone who would love to experience other cultures and making meaningful connections with people around the world.

The increased demand for teachers means there’s a definite increase in students needing to access their learning through a digital method.

As someone with travel experience and individual knowledge, you might be ideally suited to a job in online English teaching, especially if you’re also looking to make some reliable money either as a side hustle or a satisfying career.

Why Becoming An Online English Teacher Might Be for You

Not everyone is suited to being an online English teacher.

Teaching English to international students presents challenges such as communication – it’s your responsibility to discover the most effective methods of communication if a student doesn’t have a good existing grasp of English or if they communicate in their first language primarily.

This is where your travel and language learning experience will be key.

By no means do you need to be a multilingual language expert, that’s just not realistic for most English teachers. If you have the ability to pick up meaning from basic speech quickly then this is the job for you.

Don’t forget, the more you teach your students, the better their understanding of English, so you’ll have a clear benchmark for their communication progress from day one of teaching your first student.

Similarly, teaching online takes a bit of self-confidence. Trust in your English and teaching skills, and your students will trust you too. Alternatively, if you’re someone interested in making the move to another country to teach in person, then online teaching is the best way to test your skills and see if teaching English works for you. You may discover that, given the global pandemic situation, online teaching could suit you even better, or at least tide you over until you can fully realise your goals.

That’s not to mention the ultimate convenience of online English teaching!

We all know the feeling of taking a seat in your comfy chair, pulling a throw over your legs and settling in with your laptop in front of you. Well, you can have all that every day as an online teacher. You can work from wherever in the world you might be, as long as you have a steady internet connection, a computer, and a passion to help others learn.

What Does an Online English Teacher Do?

The online English Teaching industry is booming. This means there are plenty of large online companies that are specifically created to provide you as a new teacher with everything you could possibly need to get started, as well as hosting all lessons, curriculum material, and messages with

students. Some of the big names to keep your eye on are TeachAway and EF English First, as these are the most widely used sites and are trusted by teachers and students alike.

Essentially, what you do as an English teacher online will depend on which company you choose to work with (you can teach independently but that’s another whole article).

On a daily basis you’ll be explaining and checking understanding of various themes and concepts as directed by your specific curriculum and class schedule. Most learning materials will be provided for you and for the students, so you just need to ensure you’re teaching to the best of your ability and checking in on your students to make sure they’re learning at a good pace.

Most classes will be 1-on-1 and will last for around 30 to 45 minutes. Similarly, an online class of students will usually include 4-6 people and last for around 45-60 minutes, giving you plenty of time to work through your scheduled activities.

You might also be surprised by the diversity of your students, and how much you enjoy learning from them too. Because many learners have a basic understanding of the language, you will often find that your lessons may be largely conversational in tone and less formal. This will help them to get a good impression of English in its native, informal tone.

Outside of lessons you’ll be responsible for writing lesson plans and summaries, marking and correcting tests and questions by email, and creating and giving homework.

What You Should Consider Being An Online English Teacher

In order to become an online English teacher there is a very specific requirement that maintains the standard of teaching and also gives you the skills to be a successful teacher. This qualification is called a TESOL or TEFL certificate, and we’ll go into more detail about that in the next paragraph to give you all the information you’ll need.

To get started right away as an online English teacher you’ll also need a secure and reliable internet connection (to avoid cut-outs during lessons), a computer of course, a Skype or Zoom account ideally as some hosting sites utilise these, and it’s helpful to be a native English speaker to ensure you have a strong grasp of the language and its nuances.

As with any ESL, you have a fair amount of flexibility, but as long as you teach the basics of grammar, tenses, listening, writing, reading, and pronunciations, your students will benefit hugely from your help. Consider trying out some teaching games for ESL students to keep things light!

Finally and possibly most importantly, you will need a friendly and passionate personality. If you’re a withdrawn person who’s not interested in new experiences or learning the differences in cultures, then teaching English to online international students is probably not your ideal vocation.

Give yourself time to gather the skills, qualifications, and necessary tools to become a great online ESL teacher.

Which TEFL Course You Should Take

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty qualifications. First off, don’t be discouraged by the idea of studying and achieving a brand-new qualification. Thousands of people successfully pass a TEFL course every year in the UK, and you can be one of them too with just a little bit of determination and study time.  

But which course is the right one to take?

As many English teaching courses are primarily focused on providing 1-on-1 and face-to-face teaching, it’s important that your TEFL course includes this aspect. This will also increase the number  of online English teaching jobs you can apply for.

It’s also down to your individual goals as to which course you will actually take, whether TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA. So choose wisely and make sure you pick the right one for you. As for where best to study your teaching qualification, check your local area for relevant courses which may be most convenient, or alternatively find online providers that offer your chosen certification.

How Much Do You Earn As An Online English Teacher?

There are more perks to the job than even the convenience and cultural experience. Online English teachers can earn a reasonable salary or just a nice additional side-income. It really depends on what you want from your teaching experience and how much time you can dedicate to it as a career.

Your experience level, additional qualifications, and reviews will also be a huge determining factor for how much money you can expect to earn teaching online.

On average, online English teachers make between £7-£10 an hour. So, if you expected to work 6 hour days for a 5 day working week with weekends off, you could earn around £210-£300 per week. This is pretty good when you consider the low overhead cost of working like this and the lifestyle flexibility it offers.

A crucial tip if you’re hoping to earn more is to pay attention to the rules of your hosting website. Some teaching websites have algorithms and systems in place that you can use to gain higher paying teaching jobs, such as specialist niches, large classes or unique learners, and get seen by more students to increase your workload.

Online teaching may not get you rich quick, but you can set your own hours, which is why the practice is attractive to both teachers and students.

The Boom Of The Online English Teacher

Learning online has become the daily norm for so many students worldwide. Giving international students the opportunity to learn English in an online format opens up the world to them, just as learning a new language yourself does for you. The industry continues to grow and evolve, so it’s sure to be an exciting field to work in, with plenty of opportunities to increase your experience and skills.