Have Fun Teaching English Online and Staying at Home

Let’s face it. The way we work nowadays has changed dramatically. With this, people’s priorities have changed. With ongoing technological advances and the need to maintain international relations people are relying more and more on online communication.

With the restrictions of the recent pandemic, the employment scene has been transformed and people are looking for new opportunities to achieve a better work-life balance. Flexibility has become the key soft skill that everyone needs. Keeping this in mind, teaching English online is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling jobs out there at the moment.

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What can teach English online offer?

As English remains the common language adopted in many aspects of life, such as business, science, and technology, more and more people are investing in language courses. This would provide them with better opportunities in the job market, and would provide you, as a teacher, a stable source of income.

There are many benefits to teaching English online:

• you can teach from the comfort of your home (or while traveling)
• you can choose to approach it as a full-time job or as a side hustle
• you can decide your work schedule and your clients
• you can follow the career path that suits your needs
• you get to be creative and have an impact on people’s lives.

 

Flying solo or in a flock?

As a freelance teacher of English as a foreign language, the first decision you need to make is whether you want to go out there on your own and create your own brand, or if you want to be the support of an online teaching company. Of course, there are pros and cons either way.

To help you decide, think about your personality. Are you into business? Do you have strong marketing skills? Can you confidently sell your services without doubting your abilities? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you might enjoy flying solo. If not, you might want to consider working for an online teaching company.

 

‘Solo’ freelancing

As an independent freelancer, you’ll find that there’s a lot more than being a good teacher. First of all, you need to put your name out there. For this, becoming a social media butterfly is necessary. Get your potential students to know you by offering free content, such as videos, demo lessons, and exercises. Set up a friendly website for your potential students to be directed to. A website is your chance to introduce yourself and showcase what you can offer.

While this might sound all fun and games, remember that there are more serious aspects to think about, such as cancellation policy, payment agreements, and student recruitment, of course! The main advantage is that you can choose your own hourly rate.

Teaching for an online company

Working for an online teaching company can be the ideal option if you want to stay out of the ‘businessy’ aspects of freelancing. Most of these companies can make your life a lot easier. They provide the students and the lessons are (often) designed for you. All there’s left for you to do is to access the ready-made lessons and get familiar with them before your class, log in at the right time and teach!

From Asia to Latin America, you’ll have the chance of meeting people from all over the world and improving their lives. Most online students that join these platforms are keen to learn and equally excited about sharing their culture with you. Tip: Think about the time difference depending on the time zones you and your students are in.

Effectively, you would be a freelance teacher offering your services to an online company. However, as they find the students for you, they will take a cut. Generally speaking, it is difficult to gauge a rough salary, because it depends on how many hours you choose to work per week. However, the hourly rate usually ranges between $7 and $25, depending on your qualifications, experience, and specialization. But, of course, every online company takes a different approach. Let’s have a look at some of these companies in more detail.

 

Open English caters mainly to the Latin American market. The requirements to work with them are:

• to be an English native speaker from North America
• to have at least one year’s teaching experience
• to hold a TEFL qualification
• to commit to teaching a minimum of 10 hours per week

In return, they’ll offer you:

• a choice between one-to-one or group lessons 
• a choice between adult and junior (8-14) students
• ready-made lessons
• a flexible schedule to fit around your life
• professional development
• an hourly pay that ranges between $7 and $13, depending on the time of the lesson.

 

Topica Native caters mainly to the South Asian market. The requirements to work with them are:

• both native and non-native English teachers are welcome
• to have a clear neutral accent if non-native
• to hold a degree if non-native
• teaching experience is not necessary, but it is preferred
• to commit to teaching a minimum of 5 hours per week

In return, they’ll offer you:

• small class size (up to 6 adult students)
• ready-made lessons
• a community of teachers
• a flexible schedule
• an hourly pay that ranges between $10 and $16
• free training for new teachers.

 

Class gap works in a slightly different way. With this company, you can teach English or any other language or subject. They match teachers with students from all over the world.  You decide how much you want to earn per lesson and how many hours you want to work per week. You will also have to create your own lessons and materials. They will manage everything for you, from charging the students to transferring your earnings into your bank account. Your students will review your lessons, which will help your profile as a teacher gain reputation as a teacher, resulting in more students hiring you. In return, Classgap will take a commission.

To sum up, teaching online can be the career change that you have been waiting for. It is fun, flexible, and offers freedom. Always do your own research before committing to working for an online company.