Teaching English Online – Everything You Need To Know

TL;DR

Teaching English online is a highly popular industry where English teachers communicate with and teach non-native English students via a webcam and microphone. These teachers and students are located around the world depending on the company they are working for and learning through. Here at Dux, we aim to support you through the initial details and application process as efficiently as possible in order for you to receive safe, secure, and satisfying online employment.

The online teaching industry underwent rapid changes since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and finding an English teaching position can sometimes be challenging for various reasons. International travel restrictions, mass job losses, and strict lockdown regulations caused online teaching companies to be swamped with new teacher applications as these positions allowed people to teach from home, without any teaching experience too!

Because many companies became oversaturated with applications, it reduced the fee for online teachers to a certain extent. Also, many of these applications came from people who had never been in the teaching industry before but could still pull off an impressive demo lesson (something companies use to assess an applicant’s teaching skills). Therefore, finding an online teaching job became more about good timing and less about teaching credentials and experience. That said, Dux is here to assist you and we have provided some helpful information below to help get you started!

Why is it Beneficial to Teach Online?

• Remote work: earn money from the comfort of your own home!
• Depending on your home country, the exchange conversion rate may work well in your favour (teachers are typically paid in USD).
• There’s no need to ‘dress up’ in formal clothing as you would when going out in public into an actual school (although a certain standard of appearance is needed!).
• You will become more knowledgeable and develop your aptitude with technological teaching features. This will strengthen your resume/CV for the future (new technology and media get implemented in real-life and virtual classrooms around the world frequently).
• You are exposed to different curricula which will broaden your knowledge and skills. 
• You are able to meet many students without needing to be in the same location.

What to Expect When Teaching Online:

• A basic resume/CV, application form, and demo class are often needed when applying for an online teaching position. Many companies will also require proof of your tertiary education.
• Most online teaching companies require that the teacher have a TEFL/TESOL certificate. 
• Online teaching companies generally have technological requirements e.g. Laptop model, a minimum internet speed (some companies require a fixed internet cable and wifi is not allowed, however, this is not common), a headset, etc. This ensures that lessons are never jeopardised due to old or inefficient technology.
• Curriculums and lessons are often planned for teachers, however, some companies allow teachers to do spontaneous conversational lessons or plan their own lesson topics.
• Lesson durations of around 25 minute – 1 hour long.
• A specific background may be required e.g. blank wall or pictures of the company logo or educational posters.
• The use of props and body language is important to keep students’ attention. 
• Generally smaller classes (e.g. 4 students), if not one-on-one as a tutor.
• Irregular working hours depending on the time difference between you and your students e.g. teaching at 2 PM in South Africa is 8 PM for a student in China.

Challenges of Teaching Online:

• Internet issues: Many companies are very strict with their teachers and do not accept ‘bad internet’ as an excuse if a lesson cannot be taught.
• Many companies require the teacher to stay in the virtual classroom even if their student doesn’t pitch for the lesson.
• Many students make last-minute bookings (depending on the companies booking procedures) which can make it tough to plan one’s schedule.
• Teaching schedules can often be demanding e.g. 4 hours of teaching in a row, all while seated in the same position.
• Your number of classes booked can be quite temperamental depending on the company or the time of year e.g. not many students book lessons over Chinese New Year.

Our Main Recommendations for Teaching Online:

• Be on time and even better, be early! Many companies require teachers to be in the virtual classroom a few minutes before a lesson starts. If a teacher is late without a valid excuse, this can result in a financial penalty and/or dismissal.
• Check your internet, power, and technology! As previously mentioned, a bad internet connection or lack of power supply, or faulty technology is not a valid excuse.
• Smile! Your students form their first impressions of you by how you speak and how enthusiastic you make them feel when on webcam – always ensure that your presence makes them feel positive and eager to listen to you.

Considering all of the above points, our aim here at Dux is to provide the most accurate and efficient assistance to all of our teachers with finding an online job and teaching from home. Not only will our internationally accredited 120-hour online TEFL/TESOL course deem you eligible for all online teaching companies (provided you fulfil the other general requirements i.e. bachelor’s degree, native-English nationality, etc), but you will be able to get an authentic feel for how the industry functions with the guidance from our education experts.

From all of us here at Dux, we wish you well on your online teaching journey and are with you every step of the way!