Teach English Online

What does teaching online involve?

Online teaching is the process of educating others via the internet. While some methods involve using written messages (chatting), most online teaching is conducted via video calls. Classes can range from one-on-one to multiple students at once, similar to a regular classroom setup. 

Specifically, online TEFL teaching is carrying out English lessons as a second or foreign language, where a student’s first language is something other than English. If you want to teach online, like for an online teaching company based in South Korea, you should ideally have a TEFL certificate. That’s what sets it apart from other certifications, like ESOL, which is aimed more at teaching English language learners domestically, (e.g. teaching Spanish-speaking students within the US or Canada). 

Why teach English online?

There are a lot of great reasons for teaching online. When you consider the perks, you’ll realise why a quarter of our course graduates go on to teach English online.

We’ve detailed the advantages of teaching English online in another section of this guide, but here are some of the most attractive ones:

• Teaching English online is a location-independent job. You can work from anywhere, as long as you have a good WiFi connection, making it perfect for those who want to work from home or work while travelling.
• Teaching English online gives you flexibility and command of your schedule. Whether you’re looking to explore a new career or to supplement your existing income, teaching English online seamlessly integrates into your life as a new income stream.
• Teaching English online doesn’t have the real pains of working in a physical classroom. No mounds of paperwork, large unruly classes, or cleaning up after students. You won’t even have the hassle of commuting, which helps with having a better work-life balance.

If all these sound interesting, keep on reading to find out how to get started!

Who can do it?

Any fluent English speaker with a TEFL qualification, a webcam, and reliable WiFi can teach English online. Of course, some restrictions apply to certain online teaching platforms, but it’s probably not as difficult as you might think. Scroll down to find out more.

Given the booming industry, online English teaching companies are quickly popping up left and right. They range in sizes and styles, too—from huge ones that employ thousands of teachers to small ones that focus on more specialist services.

You’ll need to choose the platforms or companies to join, advertise yourself as an online English teacher, and promote the teaching niche in which you want to specialise in (e.g., teaching English Online to adults instead of students or children).

If you’re unsure where to start, the table below lists 20 popular online teaching companies and platforms for you to check out. You can compare each company based on the potential earnings and requirements to find what you’re looking for:

Closer Look at 10 Online TEFL Companies and Platforms

To help give you an idea of what’s out there, we’ve taken a closer look at 10 different online TEFL companies and platforms for you to consider. Of course, this list is just a sample of what’s out there—especially since new ones appear regularly—but it looks at some of the major players in the industry. 

You’ll notice how these companies have different ways of operating, different requirements, and different rates of pay. What works well for one teacher might not suit another, so it’s a good idea to trial out a few platforms rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

Cambly

Cambly is a platform that focuses largely on conversational English practice. Unlike many of the platforms on this list, teachers using Cambly regularly work with students from all over the world. Pay is calculated on a per-minute basis, where teachers can earn up to $10.20 per hour.

The salary is relatively low, but work is extremely flexible. One thing teachers seem to particularly love about the platform is that they get to have lots of interesting conversations with people from all around the globe.

Requirements: Fluency in English

Salary: $0.17/minute (£0.12/minute) on Cambly and $0.20/minute (£0.15/minute) on Cambly Kids

Commission: none

Apply here

Englishunt

While Englishunt is a publisher focused on creating English education content, they also offer distance education services. It is the largest provider of live video classes to teach English inSouth Korea, and has recently expanded to cover Japan and China as well.

If you’re looking to teach international students, large government entities, or facilitate the internal training of multinational companies, Englishunt is the right teaching partner for you. A few things that Englishunt teachers love about their job is the schedule flexibility, provided curriculum, and diversity of students.

Requirements: Computer with Windows operating system, BA degree or substitute teaching experience, ESL degree (TEFL or TESOL), 4 years of teaching experience, US citizenship, US bank account

Salary: Starts at $14.00/hour (£10.17/hour) for online video tutoring

Commission: none

Apply here

Italki

italki is a huge platform offering over 5 million students a wide range of language lessons—not just English. It operates more like a social media platform than the others on this list, and you have complete control over your own schedule and how much you charge.

There are two options to choose from when you sign up: Professional Teacher or Community Tutor. To be a Professional Teacher, you will need at least a TEFL qualification. But there are no requirements for Community Tutors other than fluency in English.

Requirements: Native or C2 level proficiency in English and a BA degree or TEFL qualification

Salary: You can set your rate, averaging from $9.79/hour to $15.73/hour (£7.11/hour to £11.43/hour)

Commission: 15%

Apply here

iTutorGroup

iTutorGroup, or Pinganhaoxue (PAHX), is a premier online education group by the Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. It connects teachers from anywhere in the world to students in Asia, both young children and adults looking to learn the English language.

iTutorGroup allows you to set your own schedule, enjoy a work-from-home setting, and has supportive staff available for you at any time in the day. 

Requirements: English speaker, BA degree, TEFL teaching license (or equivalent), teaching experience, commitment of 6 peak hours per week, and a working computer

Salary: Base salary of $3/hour to $18/hour (£2.18/hour to £13/08/hour)

Commission: None

Apply here

LatinHire

Contrary to its name, LatinHire tutors teach English as well. It recruits the best teachers in the world for leading e-learning companies, offering tutoring services that can be specific to marketing, economy, IT, calculus, chemistry, physics, statistics, accounting, and more.LatinHire works side by side with you, providing all the necessary training and payment before introducing you to one of its clients.

Tutors of LatinHire expressed their love for the company, saying that the schedule is flexible, lessons are provided, and timely payment for services rendered.

Requirements: TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate or a degree (whether ongoing to completed), one year of teaching experience, willing to work a minimum of 4 hours per week

Salary: $7.00/hour to $13.00/hour (£5.09/hour to £9.45/hour)

Commission: none

Apply here

Lingoda

Lingoda offers very flexible working hours and provides all the learning materials you need. There is no preparation time necessary to teach with Lingoda.

However, while they maintain high requirements for their EFL teachers, the pay is relatively low compared to other platforms. Nevertheless, their biggest advantage is flexibility—allowing you to freely choose the hours you want to work in.

Requirements: C2 or above level of English, TEFL qualification, and 2 years teaching experience

Salary: $12.49/hour (£9.07/hour)

Commission: none

Apply here

Novakid

NovaKid is an online English learning platform that helps children study the language. It has an international team that works with children from over 50 countries, including Russia, Poland, Turkey, Germany, and Spain.

NovaKid provides all its teachers with a unique interactive program to create an environment where children can learn English intuitively—as if it’s their first language. It also offers training programmes for personal growth, bonuses for successful trials and referrals, flexible working hours, and a stable income based on the number of lessons you conduct.

Requirements: Preferably native English speaker, BA degree or higher, international teaching certificate (e.g., TEFL), one year teaching experience with children, willing to work a minimum of 20 hours per week

Salary: $16.00/hour (£11.63/hour) for native speakers and up to $6.00/hour (£4.36/hour) for non-native speakers

Commission: none

Apply here

Open English

Open English is the leading online English company in Latin America.

With Open English, you can work from wherever you choose, having flexible hours with their shift drop and pick up process. You’ll be teaching students from South America with a developed lesson plan (no preparation needed). Should you need more help, they also have a Teacher Hub with resources, podcasts, and training materials.

Requirements: EFL professional, available at least 10 hours each week, teaching experience, and education or training in TEFL, TESOL, or a related field

Salary: $7.00/hour to $13.00/hour (£5.09/hour to £9.45/hour)

Commission: none

Apply here

Preply

With Preply, you can teach students from over 180 countries. You’ll have a steady stream of students, a smart calendar to keep to schedule, an interactive classroom setting to teach in, training webinars to hone your skills, and convenient payment methods to receive your income.

One thing that teachers like about Preply is the ability to set your own rates—and change it anytime. You also decide when and how many hours you want to teach, as Preply has no set minimum hours. 

Requirements: No specific certification or experience, as long as you have outstanding communication skills and are willing to provide personalised learning experiences for international students

Salary: $15.00/hour to $25.00/hour (£10.89/hour to £18.16/hour)

Commission: 18% to 33% after the first lesson

Apply here

Verbling

Verbling is an online language learning platform, allowing you to teach on a private, live video chat. You can teach other languages, too, apart from English. Students that sign up to Verbling will come from every corner of the world.

With Verbling, you can set your own rates (and cash the money out at any time), work from anywhere in the world, teach anytime at any capacity, and build your brand and identity to attract your own followers. It’s basically a language-learning community online.

Requirements: Previous teaching experience and a good command of the English language

Salary: You can set your own rates, where teachers typically charge around $15.00/hour to $25.00/hour (£10.89/hour to £18.15/hour)

Commission: 15%

Apply here

The Pros of Teaching English Online

You may have a personal reason for teaching English online (like having a passion for teaching young learners or a love for the English language), but these are the 6 main advantages of doing so:

• Flexible Working Schedule: Working online gives you a lot of control over your own schedule. You can decide when to work, where to work, and how much to work. If you want to take a holiday, no problem! Just bring your work with you and teach alongside travelling.
• Great Work and Life Balance: For many teachers, a good work and life balance can feel elusive. But when you’re teaching online, you’re able to choose your hours and make work fit around your life. There are also no long commutes to work, which helps to make more of your non-working time.
• Good Earning Potential: If you’re willing to put in the work there’s good money to be made by teaching English online. Even if you’re just starting out, it’s already possible to make a living out of it. And with more experience and specialising your skills, you’ll have the qualifications and ability to continue earning more.
• Easy Way to Get Started in TEFL: If you’re dreaming about teaching English abroad but you don’t feel very confident just yet, then teaching online is a great way to ease yourself in. You can practice what you’ve learned in your TEFL course and build your confidence, giving you valuable experience that will be looked on favourably when applying abroad.
• Small Start-Up Costs: Getting started as an online EFL teacher isn’t expensive. Once you have your TEFL qualification, all you need is a computer, webcam, and headset. No visa fees, flights, or relocation costs.
• Save Money: Working from home allows you to save a lot of money. You won’t have to spend on commuting to places, and you’re much less likely to buy lunches and coffees during the day.

The Cons of Teaching English Online

Teaching English online doesn’t come without disadvantages and hurdles. But knowing the challenges prepares you for the job and helps you decide if it’s the right path to pursue:

• Variable Income: On a salaried job, you know exactly how much money you’re going to take home each month. But with online teaching, you can have a month of earning more than you’ve ever expected, only to drop the month after. All freelancers have to deal with this, so it’s important to set aside money when the times are good, and avoid living from paycheque to paycheque.
• The Danger of Always Working: While teaching English online can offer a great work and life balance, some people do struggle to switch off. It can be easy to feel like you should always be working. You’ll need to have a good routine to help avoid this and make sure that you’re regularly getting outside and experiencing some fresh air.
• Loneliness: Working by yourself can easily lead to feelings of loneliness. Some people aren’t made for working from home and need the sociability of working in an office. You need to make an effort to get out of the house regularly to avoid feeling cooped up and seeing people who aren’t on the screen in front of you.
• Slow to Start: It’s unlikely (and inadvisable) to quit a full-time job and expect to instantly be able to make a full-time wage from working online. It can take a bit of time to build up a full timetable of classes. Remember, students are looking for the best teachers, so why would they all flock to someone new on the scene for lessons?
• Unreliable Students: Different platforms and independent teachers have different ways of dealing with unreliable students. If a student cancels a lesson last-minute, you may not get a penny. Some companies might offer partial or full compensation, but it’s not always the case. Ensure that you investigate a platform’s policy on canceling students before signing up. And if you’re teaching independently, have a cancellation policy in place to avoid being out of pocket.
• Working in Odd Hours: The biggest demand for online English lessons comes from Asia. This means that the peak times for teaching will vary depending on where in the world you are. If you’re in Europe, then peak times fall around mid-morning to mid-afternoon, which can be ideal. However, if you’re in North America, these hours fall in the very early hours, from around 3 am to 8 am—much less convenient!
• Tech Issues: The bane of the lives of all online English teachers. Tech issues (whether it’s your equipment going on the blink or your WiFi failing you) will inevitably cost you money at some point or other as an online teacher.