Have you ever dreamed of living the nomadic lifestyle? Full moon parties on remote islands of Thailand, a trip across Europe in a campervan, and scuba diving in Indonesia are just some of the activities that can be enjoyed by English teachers working online.
Because online teachers can work from anywhere with a good wifi connection (which is almost anywhere, these days), many find themselves traveling all over the world.
Why should I teach English online?
There are some serious perks of teaching English online:
- Flexibility. Many online teaching companies allow you to set your own schedule and decide how many classes you want to teach per week.
- Travel. As an online teacher, your office is your computer! Anywhere that has wifi is a potential classroom for you to use. Many teachers travel the world while teaching online.
- Diversity. There are online teaching companies all over the world, so you will undoubtedly encounter a diverse group of students and cultures.
- Security. Over a billion people in the world have learned English as a second language (weform), and it is the language most frequently used in tourism and international business. English teachers enjoy strong job security knowing this.
Who can teach English online?
You will have the easiest time getting hired if you are a native English speaker (NES), have a bachelor degree in any topic, and have a TEFL or other teaching certificate.
While it’s not impossible to find work as a teacher without experience or a degree in education, your chances of getting hired will be much higher if you have a TEFL certificate. The TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) will show schools that you have studied various aspects of teaching English. The International TEFL Academy offers the course completely online.
Another popular qualification is CELTA, from Cambridge University, which is the one I did many moons ago as a youngster heading off around South America. Either take about 3 or 6 months to complete the course, depending on if you want to study full-time or part-time.
If you are a non-native speaker of English, you can still get hired as an English teacher. Below are lists of companies that hire native English speakers and non-native English speakers.
Companies hiring native English speakers
Companies hiring native English speakers
How much can I earn teaching English?
Online English teachers can expect to earn an hourly wage anywhere from 15-25 USD an hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Of course, this can vary considerably. Teachers are generally paid via direct deposit, so there’s no need to live in the country where the company is based.
If you’ve ever thought about making the leap to the nomadic lifestyle, teaching English as a foreign language could be for you. As you can see, there are many companies that are hiring online English teachers.
Take a look at each one and decide which one is the best fit for you. Each company is unique and has different hiring processes and requirements for teachers. Luckily, with so many options, you should be able to find the one that works for you!
Failing that, there are freelance opportunities available on sites such as Fiverr and Upwork.
