Please note that this article is about teaching English online for web-based language schools. If you teach at a more traditional type institution, and have moved your lessons online because of Corona Virus, see my article about Teaching with Microsoft Teams.

Even before the onset of Corona Virus, online ESL schools were emerging as a very strong competitor to brick-and-mortar ESL schools. The reason for this being that they are obviously more cost efficient, particularly in China. I think that this is great because it brings “teaching abroad” to the masses. You could be “teaching in China” while doing Uni back home, for example. Teaching English online is a great way to add a bit of income while travelling. And of course, you can use them to supplement your income if you are already teaching abroad.

Pros and Cons of Teaching English Online

In addition to the benefits I mentioned above, teaching English online is popular because almost any Native speaker can do it. They typically don’t ask for much in the way of credentials, and many schools might not even require teachers to be “native speakers,” which is great who learned English as an L2. The positions are also extremely flexible. You can usually commit to as little as a couple of hours a week. 

On the other hand, there are definitely some cons you should take into consideration when job hunting. Teaching children is not for everyone, for example. Most of the positions out there are geared towards children’s lessons. If you are one of those people who are exhausted by teaching children, these jobs may not be for you. Also, the curriculum tends to be pre-developed and highly proscriptive. Of course, this could be a pro for some and a con for others. Lastly, while it’s great to not have to commit to a whole teaching load, some companies may only be able to offer sparse or sporadic lessons in off-seasons.

Requirements

There are only a few basic requirements for those wanting to teach online:

A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in any subject and (usually) be a native English speaker from an English-speaking country.  Some companies may require relevant teaching experience, a TEFL certificate, and/or a criminal background check. You will also need to own a headset and microphone, and have at least 4 Mbps upload/download speed.

Things to keep in mind

Time Difference: Many of the classes offered will be in the evenings in China Standard Time. As a reference, Eastern Standard Time is exactly 12 hours behind China Standard Time.  5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in China means classes start from 5:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

There are minimum hours to complete: Most companies ask you to commit to a minimum number of hours per week, which vary from company to company. I’ve seen as little as 5 and as many as 15.

You typically make more than the hourly wage quoted: Most companies offer multiple rewards on top of the per hour or per class rate, and each of these can range from 5-10% of of your monthly earnings. So if you do the math, it’s not unheard of to make another 20% extra for achieving things such as perfect attendance, high parent rating,  or reaching a certain class-per-month quota.

You can be monetarily penalized for missing classes: Missing a class will result in your bonus being taken away. On top of that, $3.00 will be deducted from your paycheck.

The final verdict: 

Teaching online can be a great opportunity for those with the time to spare. I didn’t mention this before, but it can also be a good opportunity for those just looking to try out the ESL world. Not only is teaching children not for everyone, but teaching ESL in general can be different from what most people expect. Online teaching offers you the chance to get started with students who are generally very engaged and motivated. 

Are you teaching English online? Is there something that I left out? I’m curious to know your thoughts on the subject. If you have something to add, or want to promote a particular company, contact me at matthew@teachfortravel.com. And don’t forget to check out my guides page to get more helpful tips to use on your teaching journey!