Teach English Online With No Experience
The term “digital nomad” is all the rage these days. Everyone wants to trade in their cubicle for a one-way flight somewhere tropical. We want the freedom to travel long term. Our generation is no longer satisfied with a couple of weeks of holiday each year and the term “mortgage payment” is becoming increasingly unpopular.
The way we work is changing, and the move to a more remote lifestyle is more in common than ever before. When you couple this movement with changes in technology and the ever-evolving ESL industry that has been allowing people to travel for decades, it isn’t surprising that online ESL companies are popping up everywhere you look.
English will continue to be a language that opens doors globally, and non-native speakers will continue wanting to learn it. This emphasis on English language learning means parents are starting their children’s education earlier and students are wanting more exposure than they are getting in traditional programs. Meanwhile, not everyone can access quality English education with social injustices continuing to act as a barrier. All of this has sparked a rise in online education all over the world.
The rise in online education all over the world has led to more opportunities now than ever before to start a career in ESL and it takes zero experience to teach English online. That dream of living and experiencing other cultures somewhere far away and working remotely is so much more attainable than you previously thought.
Where to Start?
When you first dip your feet into the world of ESL, the sheer amount of information and opportunity can be overwhelming. When I first started my journey, my phone and inbox were suddenly filled with job offers from places I’d never even heard of. The panic and anxiety and fear was nearly enough to stop me in my tracks completely.
It’s hard to know where to start, but one benefit of online teaching is that you start at your laptop.
A quick Google search into teaching English online will introduce you to some of the big names. You can’t look into it without running into companies like VIPKID or DadaABC. You’ll find the market for online ESL companies saturated by Chinese companies, as China is where the biggest demand for English language learning is.
Recently, the Chinese government has changed its laws when it comes to online education and giving scholarships made it a requirement that all English teachers have a TEFL. So, even before you fill out your name in an application box, you should ensure that you have completed a professional certificate in english language teaching – TEFL and are certified to teach English as a foreign language.
A great place to get your TEFL certification is to join an experienced TEFL course provider which is runned by actual TEFL teachers, who will provide you with invaluable insight into the world of teaching ESL and make sure you know how to navigate the path to getting hired.
Once you acquire a TEFL, you will already know the next step you have to take, and you’ll be much better prepared for everything that follows.
Apply, Apply, Apply
There are a LOT of online teaching companies out there and some of their application processes are more rigorous than others. You can expect to fill out your information, upload copies of your TEFL and CV, and wait to book an interview over Skype, or Zoom, or their own platform’s classroom. Often, giving a demo lesson is required by many platforms. I suggest applying to multiple companies and giving yourself back-ups to rely on in case of scheduling concerns.
How Does it Work?
I get this question a lot from people when I tell them I teach English online: “But, how does it work?”
That’s hard to answer because of how different each company is. For me, my company provides the curriculum and I choose my hours each week. Parents then find me on the company’s platform and book my classes themselves.
You’ll find that companies differ greatly in how they go about scheduling. Some of them will give you complete freedom in deciding when you want to work and how much. Others will require you to work a certain schedule. Some companies will assign classes for you, others will leave it up to students and parents to book the classes. Find what works for you.
A lot of online teachers recommend using at least two companies. Sometimes, bookings can be slow with one company but fast and full with the other and it may take a while to build up a solid momentum. Cover all your bases and get a feel for what’s available to you by applying to multiple companies.
No Experience
The great thing about teaching online is that you need virtually zero experience. The only constant across platforms is the need for a TEFL. You will find some companies that allow you to teach on your phone, like Palfish, who have some of the most relaxed requirements. Some will hire non-native teachers. There are others with no curriculum and you are getting paid to practice conversation with self-motivated students from all over the world, like Cambly. On the other end of it, some companies require you to hold a certain passport and have a degree, like VIPKID.
But across the board, no experience is necessary. It’s often the case that the company would rather you not bring previously learned methods of teaching from one company to another, and they might even prefer a teacher with no experience.
Start Teaching, Start Traveling
It still feels like a wild concept to me that you can make money while working remotely and traveling the world, that the only thing you need is an internet connection and a computer or phone and you can earn a living while getting to do what some people only dream about. It begs the question: why isn’t everyone doing it?
The freedom that teaching English online has given me is too good to give up. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to go back to a brick and mortar job. Freedom has spoiled me.
What is even more astounding to me some days, is the relationships I’ve fostered with some of my students via a webcam. The sheer joy I get from speaking to some of them each day and the way we’ve been able to form close bonds over such distance is one of the best parts of this gig. I can see myself traveling to China in the future just to meet them in person.
If any of that sounds appealing to you, go get started. Get a TEFL, start applying, and start making money from your computer while you travel. With teaching English online, there is virtually no place in the world that you can’t call home, and how quickly a place you’ve never been can start to feel like home will be one of the first things you learn.
