How to Start Teaching English Online: A Step-by-Step Guide
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Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
(Updated February 15, 2024)
You may have noticed that more and more people are being drawn to teaching English online these days. After all, what's not to love about a job that lets you work anywhere you want, allows you make your own schedule, and have lots of fun while doing it?
If you are looking to work as an online English tutor but wondering where to start, we'll guide you through the process step-by-step.
Breaking into this field is actually easier than you think.
1. Check the requirements
First, check the necessary qualifications before applying to any online English job. Although these vary from one company to another, here are the most important prerequisites:
Certification – A teaching certification is one of the most important credentials that employers require you to have. If you hope to teach with China-based companies, having a teaching certificate is also a must. You don’t have to be a certified teacher in your home country, you just need a minimum 120-hour TESOL or TEFL certificate, which you can obtain online at your own pace.
A bachelor's degree – While the majority of companies require teachers to possess a college degree, there are still plenty of others who don’t.
Country of origin – Most teaching job offers have that dreaded "natives only" line in their list of hiring requirements. But if you're a non-native English speaker, you can still find good teaching positions at a number of companies.
Teaching experience – A lot of companies look for teachers with at least one year of experience. But be sure to read the fine print. Oftentimes they will accept any experience with children, such as counseling, coaching, babysitting, or simply having children of your own.
Click here to take our short questionnaire and find out which companies you qualify for.
2. Choose where you want to work
If you’ve satisfied all the basic requirements, the next step is narrowing down your choices for companies you want to teach with. Let's explore the different options:
Option 1: Work for a company
There is a long list of language companies you can choose from, so how do you pick the one that suits you best?
Here are the most important questions you have to ask yourself:
Which age group do I want to teach?
Every online English school has a student type. For instance, some companies only cater to young learners, from approximately five to 15-years-old.
On the other hand, with other companies you can teach adults.
How many students do I want to teach at once?
It's also important to compare the class type and duration that each company offers. If you prefer to give one-on-one classes, stay away from companies that offer group-classes only.
If you think that giving group classes is your forte, you might be interested in teaching for a different company, which focuses on classes composed of up to four students. This type of class is generally longer, lasting from 25 to 50 minutes.
How flexible do I want my teaching schedule to be?
You should also take into account the minimum teaching hours a company requires. This greatly determines if you can create a more flexible schedule or juggle your time working for multiple employers. Many companies don't require teachers to work for a certain number of hours per week, but some companies do.
How much is my time worth?
This is obviously a big deciding factor for everyone. Although most of the companies we recommend offer competitive hourly rates, your monthly salary will also depend on the number of hours you teach. This is because many of the companies offer bonuses for teaching more hours.
At what time do I want to teach?
Make sure that the time zone differences between your students’ country and yours is manageable and will not have you working at inconvenient hours. If you live in central or western North America, teaching children in China might have you up very early in the morning.
Check out our Compare Companies page to help you narrow down your choices.
Option 2: Teach in an online marketplace
Our next teaching option is online marketplaces. Having your teaching profile in an online marketplace provides more flexibility in choosing your working hours, making lesson plans, and even setting your class rates.
The other upside of teaching in a tutoring marketplace is that you don't necessarily have to possess a teaching certificate or a college degree.
Working here is more competitive, however, so you need to create an engaging profile to stand out among a sea of teachers.
Option 3: Become a freelancer
You can also choose to work as an independent online English tutor . This could require some business and marketing skills, as you have to build your own client base.
(If this sounds like something you’re interested in, check out our blog article 7 Things You Need to Become an Independent English Teacher)
3. Check your equipment
What’s also great about online English teaching is that you don’t have to break the bank to get started.
You should at least have:
a working computer (with a built-in or external webcam),
a stable Internet connection,
and a headset.
Make sure that you also meet the technical requirements of the companies you want to work for. While most employers will require you to have a desktop computer or laptop, some of them may ask you to teach through a tablet or smartphone.
Some companies also have their own internal teaching platform that you have to download to your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Don't forget to check if these can be run on your computer's operating system.
4. Get some props and prepare a background
If you are going to teach kids, some props and a teaching background will also be necessary, especially for the job interview or demo lesson.
So what do you need, exactly? At the bare minimum, you'll need a puppet, some flashcards, and a whiteboard. And with the technological advances in the digital classrooms, whiteboards are being used less and less these days.
You can easily find these materials in your local store or online, and they're generally not pricey.
If you have younger siblings, nieces/nephews or other relatives you can just borrow some of their toys or plush animals for your demo class or interview.
Alternatively, you can make your own do-it-yourself sock or finger puppets using things around your house - let your creativity fly!
For your online teaching backdrop, don't feel compelled to have an elaborate one like you've seen in all these YouTube videos. A kid-friendly poster, a few stickers, some magnets, a map, or world flags go a long way.
The other option is to go super clean and minimal. If your background is clean looking with no distractions, you should have no problem getting hired. If you want to upgrade this later, you can add fun lights, digital images, or a globe.
Do you want more tips on setting up your virtual workspace? Check out our blog article “The Only Things You Need to Start Teaching English Online”.
5. Apply for the job
If you’ve checked the requirements, researched your options, and have decided what you’re looking for, it’s time to start applying.
First, make sure your resume is up to date. It’s not always necessary to send an actual file of your resume to an online English school. In many cases, you just need to fill out the company’s application page with your qualifications and experience. However, there are still some employers who ask for an applicant’s CV.
You may also need to record and upload a teacher introduction video as part of the application process. This is often a one-to-three-minute self-recording where you present yourself as a teacher, highlight your qualifications, and showcase your personality.
Some companies have specific guidelines with regards to making your intro video. But in general, the most important details you should include are:
Your teaching experience
Your teaching certification/s
Your educational background
What your lessons are like
Remember to speak slowly and clearly, record in a quiet setting, and use good lighting. Oh, and don’t forget to smile! You don’t have to be over-the-top like some of the teaching videos you may have seen online. Just let your personality shine through.
For more tips on creating your teacher introduction video, check out our article How to Make a Great Self-Introduction Video for Teaching English Online.
The company may contact you for an interview or a demo class, or both. Some teachers also undergo training before officially starting to give online classes.
Get started today!
There’s no better time to break into online English teaching. Whether you want to make it a full-time job or a side gig, let these steps give you a head start in landing your dream job teaching English online!
Complete our questionnaire to find out which companies you qualify for.
You can also check out this company comparison page if you are qualified for multiple companies and want to see which one suits you best.
(And once you’re hired, don’t forget to check out our tips for getting your first online English class.)