The Ultimate Guide to Teaching English Online with a Company
2020 has seen a drastic change in the educational space with many schools and companies shifting to remote learning. However, what many people don’t realize is that there is an established and thriving market for online English education companies that can provide a viable income for ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers.
Teaching online may seem completely foreign to those that have undergone training as an English teacher through a TEFL or TESOL course, which prepares you solely for in person teaching. While many of the same principles apply, landing and thriving in an online teaching job can be a bit tricky. In this guide, we’ll show you how to land an online teaching gig, make money, and succeed with an online English teaching company.
What are online English teaching companies?
There are hundreds of companies based all around the world that offer either group or one-on-one lessons for non-native English learners. Some companies may focus on students from Latin America while others might exclusively have students from China. But what all of these companies have in common is they want English language teachers.
Online English teaching companies connect you with students using their own platform or another separate platform like Skype. They often have their own curricula and lessons, though some may have you prepare your own. These companies may be based outside of your home country, but they do have ways of paying teachers whether it be through PayPal or another means. You’ll set up your schedule (or have an assigned schedule) and teach during certain time slots, even if your student is twelve hours ahead of you in a completely different time zone!
Why should I teach online?
There are many perks to teaching English online including:
Freedom to travel and live where you like. Online English teaching companies and their students are located all around the globe, and you don’t necessarily need to live in those countries. You can make money while you work from home, while you travel around, or as an expat in a different country. There are even teachers that will teach for a few weeks in one country then move to another country and continue to travel around.
Flexibility in hours and times. Many companies let you set your own schedule and open certain slots. This means that you can take two weeks off for that vacation or to visit family when you need without much worry. It’s also a job that isn’t usually from 9 to 5. While some do have fixed times and minimum number of hours a month, those jobs offer stability in the number of classes and hours you teach, guaranteeing an income.
No need for an Education or English major. Several companies simply require a Bachelor’s degree in any subject (we’ll get more to requirements later), so you don’t need a Bachelor’s of Education or have a major in English.
No need to spend time recruiting students. The company will have the students sign up with them so they can choose you as their teacher. If you try to teach independently, you’ll have to do all of the work of advertising, finding students from other countries, and dealing with getting paid. While some companies may have you do videos and write bios to make you a more attractive teacher for students to select (in essence, marketing yourself), you won’t need to actually need to get students to sign up with the company.
Minimal planning and grading. This one’s a big one for many teachers. Many of these companies have their own platform and curriculum that they have developed. You don’t need to spend hours creating lesson plans and marking student work. Instead, you only need some time to review the lessons and prepare what props you’ll need (more on this later).
How much can I make by teaching English online?
There are a number of factors that determine how much you can make teaching online.
Keep in mind that if you get to pick your own hours with the company, you can decide how much to work and when you work, meaning your income can vary widely. You’ll usually need to be available to teach during “peak hours” when students are most likely to want teachers (e.g. not during work or school).
Most online English teaching companies usually pay around $12 to $25 an hour based on your experience, your performance on demo lessons, and your qualifications. Don’t worry too much about having a lower rate to start with as you can build your experience and possibly have a pay raise or switch to a different company once you get some experience under your belt.
While this might not sound like a lot, think about how much money you could earn monthly. If you work 20 hours a week at $15 an hour, you’ll be earning $1200 a month. So with a part time job, you could earn quite a bit of money!
In addition, a lot of these companies give referral bonuses for recruiting new teachers that are successfully hired into the company. These may range from $30 to $100 per referral! So asking your friends and family to join can also get you some extra cash.
So how do you actually get paid? Companies often have a preference for which countries their teachers come from partly due to payment issues. Usually the companies have a preferred way of paying their teachers, whether it be directly through their bank account or on Paypal. Keep in mind that there may be international transfer fees, so you’ll want to inquire about that after getting hired.
What do I need to start making money with one of these companies?
So what exactly is required to start making money with an online English teaching company? There are a few requirements, but not as many as you might expect.
Make sure to check with the specific requirements for the company you are interested in as each company has their own standards. Common criteria that these companies use include:
A Bachelor’s degree. Most companies require a minimum of an undergraduate degree in order to get hired. Some do not, but they offer lower pay and your options for companies that will hire you will be limited. In addition, some companies may hire individuals who are currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s program.
Nationality. A lot of these companies prefer hiring individuals from native English speaking countries, and some may have a more specific preference for certain countries. For example, some companies prefer teachers from the UK based on their accent while others choose to hire North American teachers. If you aren’t from a country in which English is the first language, you may need to prove your English proficiency level. Keep this in mind as you look for which companies may hire you.
Experience. Having teaching experience online or in the classroom is always a plus if you are looking to teach online. This might also help you negotiate for a higher starting wage.
TEFL Certified. An important step for nearly all online English teaching companies is to earn a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. Even if the company doesn’t require this, you will be in a pool of applicants who do have TEFL certifications, so it’s highly recommended so you’re not last on the pecking order. After all, obtaining a TEFL certification isn’t a bad idea as it will give you the essential skills and knowledge you’ll need to become a good teacher.
There are many types of TEFL or TESOL courses. Some are based online while others are in person. An in person course is a great way to get hands-on teaching practice and offers a solid foundation for both teaching online and in the classroom. On the other hand, an online TEFL can be completed from home. Make sure that it’s from a reputable company, and look for one that has a module or add-on course on how to teach online.
How can I apply for an Online English teaching job?
There are hundreds of online English teaching companies. So how do you know which ones to apply for and what you need to do? It comes down to how well you fulfill the requirements set by the company, personal preferences, and research.
Be part of an online teaching group. There are many Facebook groups that bring together online English teachers and prospective teachers. Some groups are specific to a company while others are more general where you can ask for recommendations. You can even find a mentor who will help walk you through your interview and give you the best chances at getting hired (and often giving them a referral bonus).
Invest in equipment needed for teaching online. In order to teach online, you’ll need the right equipment including a fast computer, high-speed internet connection, good lighting, a webcam (either on your computer or an external one), and a good headset with a microphone. Many companies do require over the ear headsets to establish a level of professionalism, but you don’t need to break the bank with this at first. You can start off simple with a ring light and an ethernet cable as well to improve your internet speed. Also, depending on your unique circumstances, these purchases might be tax deductible.
What is the application process like?
Applying for an online English teaching company is similar to applying for any job with a few notable differences. The entire process is online from application to hiring. Some companies may have a slightly different process, but here we’ll break down the common steps for applying to one of these companies.
Initial application. In this first step, you’ll upload your resume or CV and fill in the company’s application which will include your basic details and information about your qualifications and experience. Once they’ve verified that you meet their basic requirements, they’ll get back to you with next steps.
Virtual interview. Once you have passed the screening process, you’ll have a chance to interview with a staff member from the company over Zoom, Skype, or another web conferencing platform. This is your chance to answer interview questions and show your personality. You can also ask them questions about the company, but make sure you’ve done your research first!
Demo lesson. Finally, many companies require a demo or mock lesson once you’ve applied and passed the interview. This may be right after the interview or it may be scheduled at a later date. This means that you’ll either teach a lesson to a veteran teacher from the company or actual students. In the most common scenario, a veteran teacher will act like an English learning student, making mistakes and sometimes acting confused on purpose to see how you would handle those situations. Some companies also have specific traits that they are looking for in a teacher like good corrections, classroom management skills, and timing. Acquaint yourself with these expectations as well as considering some general tips for teaching online below.
Hired! The company will get back to you about whether or not you’ve made the cut. Sometimes this happens right after the demo lesson. Be prepared to negotiate your pay. They’ll ask you for documentation such as a scanned copy of your Bachelor’s degree and your TEFL certification. They’ll let you know of the onboarding process, and you may need to take part in a training.
How do I nail the demo lesson AND be a great online English teacher?
Teaching online can look and feel very different from teaching in a classroom. For one, you usually only have a small number of students online with many companies only having one-on-one lessons. Additionally, you won’t physically be present for classroom management techniques that work only for in person teaching.
So here are 7 tips for how to develop your online English teaching skills.
- Find and use props and realia. Online companies often require that you have several “props” in order to support student learning during the lesson. This includes puppets, toys, real objects, and flashcards. If you’re teaching a lesson on fruits, why not get the fruits you already have in your kitchen? Or if you’re talking about the days of the week, use the calendar on your wall. Another type of prop that is more versatile (and travels well!) is the “digital” prop. Computer programs such as ManyCam and CamTwist allow you to use digital props and pictures. While they do have free versions, consider a paid version if you’re serious about online teaching.
- Get acquainted with using Total Physical Response (TPR). TPR is a staple in teaching online. This is when you use your body language, facial expression, and hand gestures to help convey meaning when you are speaking. It can look something like cupping your hand to your ear when you are expecting an answer from students or miming biting into an apple if you are teaching the word “apple.” You can find numerous videos on TPR on Youtube.
- Work your enthusiasm and energy. Smile, smile smile! It can be a bit exhausting, but teaching online, especially with younger students, requires you to be friendly and animated. Give virtual high fives and use funny voices. This can make the class more engaging and exciting for your students. This also helps prevent any possible classroom management issues that may come up. A student that is having fun is less likely to be off task!
- Focus on positive corrections. The main reason students and parents pay to learn from you is because they want exposure to native or near-native level English. That means they want you to correct when a student pronounces a word incorrectly. Praise students for effort (not correctness), but rather than letting mistakes go, circle back and practice with students by bringing your mouth close to the camera (hope you’ve brushed your teeth!) and clearly enunciating the word or phrase. This allows the student to see how to correctly form the word with their mouth.
- Have patience with your English learning students. Your students don’t speak English as a first language, so before you jump in and expect quick answers, remember that it takes time to learn a new language. Don’t rush your students, and if they seem like they’re stuck, you can help but never speak over them.
- Speak clearly and slowly. As someone who has a strong grasp of the English language, you may talk quite quickly, but it is important to enunciate and speak naturally while also slowing down. Now this doesn’t mean acting like a slow motion video and stretching out the words. Instead, focus on giving space between the words and sentences.
- Increase the amount of time your students talk. Also known as: decreasing your talking time! It’s natural that you may want to fill up the time with talking, especially if you have a shy student, but these lessons aren’t for you to practice English, they’re for your students! Give them as many opportunities as possible to speak by encouraging full sentences in their responses, not answering your own questions, and not interrupting students.
While you may not get hired by every company you apply for, the key is to be persistent. Remember, there are hundreds of online English teaching companies.
To get TEFL certified and find out more about how to teach English online, presentations from teachers working for big online ESL companies, and exclusive access to a database of over 100+ online English teaching companies, join Ninja Teacher’s Online TEFL Course.