Teaching English Online: How to Get Started

Teaching English online is becoming a more and more attractive option for people who want to work online from home or abroad. There are so many options for online teaching jobs. But, the question is, where to start.

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A good fit for you?

If you know how to teach English, you are one step ahead of the game. However, there are lots of opportunities for newcomers too. The most sought-after candidates are native speakers with a bachelor’s degree. Add on an accredited TEFL certification, like the one TEFLPros offers, and you’re golden. If you don’t fit into this box, don’t despair! There are still plenty of other options for you.

This career is great for:

• Living the nomad lifestyle
• Stay at home parent looking to make some extra money
• People who want to supplement their current income
• Teachers looking for something different
• Recent graduates who want to do some part time work
• Trying to teach English before committing to move abroad
• Anyone who wants to make a difference
• People who believe in life-long learning

What you can do NOW: Ask yourself which of these profiles best describes you and think about how teaching online can fit into your big picture plan.

Demand For English Teachers

The most important thing to know is that demand for English teachers is going up and up and up. So, you’ll likely find your niche. The beauty of teaching English online is that there are many new opportunities that were not available in the past.

What you can do NOW: Decide if you want to be part of an industry that offers stable work and also helps others improve their lives.

3 Main Routes to Teach English Online:

1. Online English teaching companies
2. Offering classes on English tutoring marketplaces
3. Building an independent teaching business as a freelancer

What you can do NOW: Ask yourself some questions. Which sounds appealing? Which do you think would not be your cup of tea?

Qualifications

Every platform is different but the three most common qualifications are: Bachelor’s degree, native speaker, 120-hour TEFL certification. Experience is preferred but usually not required. If you don’t have a Bachelor’s or you are a non-native speaker, it’s not to say you can’t be an excellent teacher and get a job, but it’s going to require a little extra hunting. 

What you can do NOW: If you aren’t TEFL certified, you need to make yourself stand out and get some proper training like the training provided on the TEFLPros Course.

Research

You will need to do some research on which companies would be the best fit for you in terms of your qualifications and what you want from the company – they are definitely not one-size-fits-all. There are 100+ platforms to teach on so it can be overwhelming. We live and breathe online education at TEFLPros so we can help you narrow this down so you can get to work fast.

What you can do NOW:  Begin to research different schools and narrow down what you’re specifically looking for. Do you want to teach adults? Would you prefer to teach with a platform that offers specialty courses in conversation or business? Having a goal in mind from the start will help you in the long run.

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Your Space and Schedule

Since your house (or whichever space you are teaching from) essentially becomes your classroom, you will need to prepare with props and other classroom supplies. In addition, you need fast reliable internet because many companies check this and have little tolerance for connection problems on your end. Make sure you have somewhere that’s quiet with limited distraction. Decide when you’re available to work. Keep in mind that the people you are going to be teaching are likely in a different time zone so your work hours may be a bit unusual. 

What you can do NOW: Choose your space and start thinking about what hours you could actually work. Get some fun props and a good grammar book!

What are you waiting for, get started now!