Why should I teach English online?

Online English teaching has never been a bigger deal, and it’s only growing. An industry worth tens of billions of dollars, online teaching is a huge opportunity for students and teachers. Today’s learners have easy access to high-quality English education, and with huge demand comes plenty of jobs.

There are so many advantages to teaching English online : you can work where you want, when you want, all while meeting people of different ages, from various backgrounds and with all sorts of reasons to learn. Online English teaching is a massive industry because it’s convenient for everyone involved, from parents and carers to solo travellers.

In this article, we’ll tell you what’s so great about teaching English online, with the help of some of our very happy graduates. 

Teaching English online means teaching anywhere

With TEFL, you don’t have to be rooted in one spot. Remote work has boomed since COVID, but online education has thrived for years.

Location independence is one of the biggest advantages of teaching English online. You can work wherever you want, plan around your life, and create your perfect workspace .

Or, you could be a digital nomad . More and more fantastic locations are becoming nomad hotspots, and new visas pop up all the time - look at Thailand’s Destination Visa , for example.

Online teaching is also an opportunity to meet people from all over the world. While teaching English abroad means you can interact with cultures and communities in person, online teaching is about building connections with people online.

You can interact with people you would never have met otherwise, learning about their culture, why they want to learn English, and how to teach them. Yvonne , a TEFL Org graduate, told us:

“(Online teaching) means you have continuity and can build up a rapport with your students. You get to know their individual personalities and little bits of information, such as what food they like or don’t like, and what pets they have, which you can incorporate into the lessons.”

So, don’t just think that only the TEFL teachers working abroad get to meet people from all over the place. You can, too!

Financial advantages of teaching English online

Another advantage of online English teaching is the ability to earn a living. While it can take time to build up to a full-time salary, you can make exciting financial choices in the online teaching world.

Platforms vs companies

It’s important to make a distinction here - online teaching companies and platforms operate a bit differently.

Teaching companies take on teachers as employees, and they’re often a good start for newer TEFL teachers. Usually, companies will assign your students for you, and your materials are provided, so you don’t have to spend time outside of classes preparing. However, lessons can be rigid, and some teachers find pre-approved materials and lesson plans limiting.

Platforms, on the other hand, allow you to advertise yourself as a teacher. You can make more decisions, like your fees and materials, but you must secure clients and handle more admin yourself. However, platforms usually take a commission - normally around 10-15% - so you get an hourly salary with a portion taken out.

They’re different ways of teaching English online, but there’s no wrong answer. If you can carve a niche for yourself, you earn good reviews on your platform or company website, and you’re popular with students, you can earn a decent living and find real job satisfaction.

How should online TEFL teachers set their prices?

Building a full-time wage can take a while, but hard work pays off. Working across multiple platforms is a good idea - not only can you potentially earn more, you’ll also gain experience from teaching different kinds of students. The more experience you have, the more you can charge, and you can develop a solid reputation by earning positive reviews.

How should you set your prices at first? Our graduate Jesica says it’s best to start low because the demand will be there.

“After doing a bit of research, looking at other tutors’ profiles, I decided to start with very attractive (low) prices. My focus was on gaining experience, practicing and getting better at teaching English, building a reputation, and having fun while doing it. 

“The response was immediate. Only a day after activating my profile, I started receiving messages and even had a trial lesson booked straight away!”

After teaching nearly fifty lessons in just her first month, Jesica was already plotting her route to full-time online work. 

You can save money by teaching English online

An additional perk of teaching English online is excellent news for your wallet. Teaching English online doesn’t just earn you money - it can save you money, too. Forget about commuting costs, takeaway lunches, or office wardrobes to budget for. Online TEFL teachers find they spend significantly less money than in a traditional job.

Online TEFL: the flexible career

If you’re looking for job flexibility, it’s hard to beat online teaching. For those with an ever-changing schedule (students and parents, take note!), there are plenty of options, and you don’t have to have a fixed calendar for months on end.

Online teaching for different lifestyles

With some hard work and good planning, there’s nothing quite as liberating as online English teaching. One of our former students, David , said that teaching with italki has given him the freedom and flexibility he’d always wanted. While you can work 9-5 online, a lot of teachers - including David - don’t exactly miss it:

“Would I return to a regular 9-5 in the UK? The answer is no. Getting a TEFL certificate and teaching with italki has given me the opportunity to be my own boss. I have a flexibility and work/life balance I never dreamt possible.”

David adapted his schedule so that he could travel while he worked. What if you’re a parent who wants a job to fit around raising a child? Online teaching can provide that flexibility and is a popular choice for parents. Another of our graduates, Diana , explained:

“I have begun to teach online on Preply , which will give me the opportunity to choose my own working hours and allow me to spend quality time with my daughter - a win-win situation for me!”

Whatever your lifestyle demands, aren’t we all chasing a work/life balance? Teaching English online can mean a job that can fit around your life, and not the other way around. 

If you’re teaching English online, know your time zones

English teaching is an international job, so time zones are crucial. Depending on your students or the company you work for, your work day can be very different to the 9-5 you might be used to. 

If you’re based in Europe but want to teach through a service like LatinHire , you’ll need to adapt to EST or Central Timezone . Or, maybe you’re a teacher in North America but want to teach Japanese students through a service like Engoo - you’ll need to factor in the time difference, which can be as much as fourteen hours.

TEFL teachers can get started quickly

If you have a TEFL certificate and internet access, that’s a great start. Once you’ve qualified, you can look at the various platforms and companies that offer online English classes. Several don’t need candidates to have experience or a degree!

Some of the biggest names in online English education take on new teachers. You don’t need experience to teach with companies like English First , Cambly , Engoo or Superprof , while you can teach without a degree through services like Skyeng , italki and Cafetalk .

What about the practical realities of starting online teaching? While you’ll need to invest in working technology to make the most of it, it doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re reading this on a recent laptop with a webcam, microphone and speakers included, you’re already most of the way there.

If not, you’ll find that much of the technology you’ll need can be sourced cheaply. It’s always worth trying reputable second-hand online stores like Music Magpie or CEX in the UK or Best Buy in North America.

Finding your niche in English teaching

A teaching niche will help students find you more easily, and you can specialise in the type of English education you’re most interested in. As Claire Mitchell , one of our graduates, told us:

“A great piece of advice I learnt during one such webinar was ‘find your niche’. Finding my niche—or deciding which aspect of TEFL I wanted to specialise in—enabled me to connect with the type of students I now enjoy teaching.”

If you aren’t quite sure what your niche is, it might be worth considering Advanced TEFL courses . These short courses will help you figure out what you like teaching the most - it could be Business English , Teaching Young Learners or something totally different! Hearing more from Claire will help, too - her episode of I Taught English Abroad explains how varied online teaching can be.

Teaching English online is a fantastic opportunity

Teaching English online is an amazing choice for so many different reasons. It’s ideal if you want to make money, build experience, meet people worldwide, and enjoy the benefits of remote work. You only need a TEFL certificate and fundamental skills like organisation, enthusiasm and creativity.

Teaching English online is one of the most accessible and flexible career paths, giving you the freedom to fit work around your life. Whether you aim to teach full-time or boost your income with a few extra classes each month, online teaching offers the chance to connect with students worldwide and grow your career from anywhere.

Are you eager to start your TEFL journey but unsure how to do it? Take our TEFL Org Course Quiz , and remove any doubt!