How To Teach Online
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THE BASICS
Who can teach English online?
ANYONE can teach online and earn up to A$100/hr.*
When I say “teach”, I don’t just mean that you need to be a school teacher with a 4 year Education degree. While qualified teachers make up a portion of the online English teaching community, those from other fields can also be excellent educators.
*You need to speak English confidently, and any previous experience that you have in training or tutoring helps. Having a Bachelor’s degree or higher will raise your hourly rate and increase your job options, as will teaching qualifications, but you will learn a lot on the job and through a TESOL/TEFL course and certification. I’ll discuss this more. A warm personality and genuine desire to support others is a major asset too.
Quickly, there are two major acronyms in English teaching: TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and; TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Although technically different, TESOL is Australasian while TEFL is used internationally. Both will be used here.
Who will my students be?
The two main groups are school-aged children and adult professionals, with the two largest markets being in Asian and Europe.
Most classes are 1:1 (1 student, 1 teacher) or in a small group of 2-6 students, although theoretically you can teach as many students at one time as you want, but small groups are easier to manage and to give equal time to.
Some students have little to no language ability, while others are near-fluent. The ‘average’ adult students speak some English but want to improve, while young children might need to start with the ABCs. Adults want to learn for study, work, travel and business purposes, while parents are often hoping to give their children the best educational and future career opportunities.
The demand for online English teachers has never been greater. The pandemic has “led to a dramatic increase in online education users”, according to recent studies. Up to 2 billion people now speak some English, with many wanting to improve.
Where can I teach online?
There are two main ways that you can start teaching online: apply for a salaried job with a company, or freelance teaching.
A company provides the students (and, often, lesson plan material) with a set schedule at an hourly rate. As a freelance or independent private teacher, you need to find the students and provide the materials. There are pros and cons to both. See ‘Teaching Options’ below.
What's an online class like?
Most online English classes happen on video calling software like Zoom via your laptop or desktop connected to the internet. Classes are usually between 25 minutes to an hour (but can be up to 90 minutes for adults). Each student will sit in front of his/her own device – or on occasion – together in a room, and participate in the class.
You are usually guiding your student(s) through a lesson. It is often on a theme like ‘meetings’ for adults or ‘food’ for children. Most companies provide the lesson plan materials for you to follow, but you may also want to customise lesson plans provided, or create your own.
You may simply be asked to have a structured conversation with your student(s). You will make corrections, encourage responses, and support your student(s) to increase their confidence and conversational fluency.
You don’t need to learn another language as your classes will usually be 100% in English. If you speak an additional language(s) – even at a basic level – this will be an advantage for out-of-classroom communication, though.
Freelance/independent teaching may involve creating a specialised lesson plan based on your student’s goals, like a promotion.
You will also be required to complete some administration work outside of lesson times, such as writing a summary of the material covered, sending corrections/suggestions and assigning homework. You may need to write reports for parents or company on your student’s progress.
REQUIREMENTS
What are the requirements to teach online?
- 18 years or older;
- A fluent English speaker;
- Can pass a background check (if teaching students under 18) issued from your country of origin/residency;
- An accredited TEFL/TESOL certificate of 120 hours or more.
A background check is free for New Zelanders and $42AUD for Australians.
If you want to work as an employee for a company:
- Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. If you are from another country, please see our International page.
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher. This is required to work for 75%+ companies, although 25% of companies we have on our International Job List are for online English teaching without a degree. Note: Rates are often slightly lower for non-degree holders.
Freelance teaching don’t usually require a university degree, but will be helpful if tutoring university students.
You will usually need a scanned copy of your passport, drivers license and qualifications (sometimes requiring notarisation or an apostille). Please be careful when sending documentation online and do not pay money to a third party recruiter. These are often scams.
What equipment do you need for online teaching?
- Reliable internet – 10Mbps (or more) is best.
- Laptop/computer.
- In-built (or plug-in) webcam.
- Headset or microphone.
- Good lighting (like a ring light).
- A comfortable chair.
- Whiteboard.
- Props for children (puppets, cut-outs etc).
- Drawing tablet (optional).
The start-up costs to teach English online are incredibly low and you can improvise with many of the items above. When you first consider teaching online, it can seem like you’ll need an overwhelming amount of equipment. The reality is that you can start very simply and build up over time. For our full guide, read my Essential equipment to teach online post for comprehensive information.
Can I teach online with no experience?
Yes, you can teach online with no experience, but I recommend that you study a TESOL / TEFL certificate with practice teaching included if you’re a beginner. Study a TEFL certificate with Premier and get 10 hours of practice teaching via Zoom as part of your course.
CERTIFICATION
What’s the best online TESOL course?
Each TESOL/TEFL course will focus on slightly different things, but some of the main elements are:
- English grammar and linguistics – think verbs, adjectives and nouns etc;
- Teaching basics such as: how to plan and deliver a successful lesson, manage a classroom, activities and games etc;
- Observation of a classroom and/or practice teaching (actually teaching classes to your fellow students or with real ESL learners).
Courses take from 120 hours to 2 years to complete, with a basic 120 hour TEFL course able to be completed in about three weeks.
Is a TESOL/TEFL certificate worth it? Yes, a TEFL (or TESOL) certificate definitely worth the money! It gives you the foundation of English teaching, grammar and classroom management. This ensures that you’ll be ready to teach from day one.
MONEY
How much money can I make teaching English online?
New online English teachers make an average hourly rate of A$25/hr.
Skilled and qualified roles pay up to A$50/hr or more.
Those who teach independently can charge A$100/hr or more.
Note: As most companies are located overseas, they are not required to provide the same benefits and protections as Australian companies. You won’t be receiving Superannuation or benefits, so it’s best to save extra in case of emergencies/retirement.
Companies tend to offer part-time hours (10-20 hrs/week, on average), during the peak times for their students (before and after work and/or school in their time zone). There is also often a low and high range, so don’t be afraid to negotiate. See our complete International Job List for 50+ companies that hire Australasians, designed to help cut through the complexity of an enormous industry and clear, transparent information.
How do I receive payment from teaching online?
Companies pay via an online EFT, International Money Transfer (like PayPal or Wise) or direct bank transfer (fees occur). Freelance teaching may involve negotiating payment options with your students.
The range of online payment options and bank account fees is complex, so see our post “International payments for online English teachers (Australia & New Zealand)” for a comprehensive guide to finding the best way to save yourself some serious $$!
You will likely be working as a contractor if you choose to work for an online teaching company and may or may not need an ABN for any freelance work. Please consult a taxation professional or visit the ATO or IRD for more information.
TEACHING OPTIONS
When and how much can I teach?
As we mentioned, there are two main ways to teach English online; with a company and freelance/marketplace teaching.
There are often ‘peak hours’ – the times that most students want to learn – usually before and after work for adults and before and after school for children (in their time zone). Our job list provides peak hours and time zones for easy conversion.
Theoretically, there is no limit to the amount of hours that you can teach online, but the majority of salaried jobs are casual or part time. Most TESOL learning occurs outside of classroom hours and adult learners are limited by their working hours. Although, if you can juggle multiple jobs and/or build a freelance/marketplace business with regular students and/or groups of students, you can build a full-time income.
Teaching for a company
Pros
- Students are provided.
- Lesson plans are provided.
- Good for new teachers and beginners.
Cons
- Limited creativity/repetition in the materials that you will teach.
- Lack of control over hours, students and schedule.
- Peak hours are based on company location (usually before and after work and/or school hours).
There are more than 400 companies globally, on every continent (well, except Antarctica)! They provide the students and materials and you just sit down to teach. This is the easiest option, but the lowest paying, with an average of A$25/hr (before tax). How much you will be paid exactly will depend on multiple factors, including your qualifications and experience.
Note: It’s worth mentioning referral links, recruiters and mentors. These are all VERY common in the industry and mean that teachers are paid a small bonus to help train and recruit other teachers for their company. If you join any facebook or other social media group and say that you are looking for a job at a company and a handful of ‘recruiters’ will message you within minutes. Remember, they are being paid to recruit you and it is in their best interest for you to be hired so they may not always be 100% transparent about the company or the working conditions.
If you want current and impartial information, see our International Job List for Australians & New Zealanders.
Tips for getting hired at an online English teaching company
Applications can take time so don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear back immediately. Apply for multiple companies at once, if you want to get started ASAP. A good resume/CV can help.
How do I write a good resume/CV for teaching English online?
- Use a clean, simple template (Microsoft Office) and keep it to 1-2 pages.
- Grammar and spelling is important, download a free app like Grammarly and/or ask a friend to review.
- Keep language simple and clear so it can be understood by a non-native interviewer/HR.
- Only include teaching (or related) experience.
- Include contact info, including time zone, country dialling code (+61 etc).
- Add a neat, professional-looking headshot photo or introductional video (optional).
- Keep language simple, focused and highlighting your positives.
Read my comprehensive guide to online English teaching resumes/CVs here.
Avoid putting personally identifying information such as your home address, phone number or Passport/Driver’s License/Birth Certificate/Social Security Number on your resume. Please read my post: Digital security for online ESL teachers, is it necessary? before applying.
Freelance teaching
Pros
- Most flexible schedule.
- Highest rates of pay.
- Opportunity for creativity.
Cons
- Marketing can be difficult.
- Student retention is challenging.
- It is additional work.
Teaching independently is the more challenging option but also the most flexible and profitable. You can charge up to $100AUD/hr or more.
It involves selecting an area of specialisation to teach in (or a “niche”), finding students who are interested, marketing and selling your services to them, planning lessons, receiving payment and providing assessment on their progress. You might want to build a website, advertise on social media or create materials (like ebooks) that will encourage students to want to learn with you.
If you are interested in teaching independently, building your own website and attracting private students, click here.
Freelance (Marketplace) teaching
An alternative/middle-ground to freelance teaching is an English teaching marketplace.
Creating a profile on an English marketplace/profile site or platform means that there will be some foot traffic passing your services and you can look around and see what all the other teachers are doing, what services they are offering and how much they are charging.
You must often abide by rules around contacting students directly – so as not to ‘poach’ them – and cancellation/refund policies are those of the marketplace. You can usually charge more than you would earn at a company but less than if you started your own freelance business.
Tips for creating a freelance (Marketplace) teaching profile
In the digital world, there isn’t much time to make an impression. Therefore, it is critical that it represents you in the best way possible. A good profile photo needs to clear, well-lit and free from background distractions.
Consider what kind of teacher you are and who you are marketing yourself to. If you are targeting professional adults, a suit is an obvious no-brainer, with young-learner teachers free to wear bright colours and ‘clown around’ in front of the camera. Be creative; what matters is that you are representing yourself as best you can and in a way that makes you a desirable teacher.
Detailed information of online English teaching marketplaces is provided for you in my International Job List for Australians & New Zealanders, including time zones, fees and more. Plus, 50+ companies currently hiring for salaried jobs as well.
Summary
Teaching English online is not for everyone, but you’ll never know until you get in there and ‘give it a go’ and may be surprised at the skills you’ve used in another area and how well they work in the digital classroom.
I cannot recommend it enough for those looking for flexibility, the potential for travel and a rewardingly meaningful job. After being in TESOL for over a decade, I can’t recommend it enough as a legitimate, meaningful online role. Good luck and happy teaching!
