ITTT Specialized Course
Teaching English Online
TEO 001
Unit 1
Course Introduction
©
International TEFL and TESOL Training
Where the world is your classroom
Unit 1
Course Introduction
Course Content
Unit 1: Course introduction
1.1 Course overview and purpose
1.2 Units named and explained
n 1.3 EoU tests and summative task
n 1.4 Unit 1 comprehension text
n
n
Unit 2: Equipment
2.1 Hardware and software defined
2.2 Minimum requirements
n 2.3 Getting connected
n 2.4 Unit 2 comprehension text
n
n
Unit 3: Working options
3.1 Working directly with a company
3.2 Working with a profile company
n 3.3 Running your own business
n 3.4 Unit 3 comprehension text
n
n
Unit 4: Teachers and learners
4.1 Teachers and learners
4.2 Syllabi and exam systems
n 4.3 Lesson styles and methods
n 4.4 Evaluation systems
n 4.5 Parents
n 4.6 Unit 4 comprehension text
n
n
Unit 5: Social media
5.1 What is it?
5.2 How do I use it?
n 5.3 Typical resources
n 5.4 Unit 5 comprehension text
n
n
Unit 6: The online teaching world
6.1 Some words of advice from real teachers
6.2 Contracts
n 6.3 Salaries and payment systems
n 6.4 Useful links
n 6.5 ITTT alumni contacts
n 6.6 Unit 6 comprehension text
n
n
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 1
Unit 1
Course Introduction
Online course tutors
If you have chosen the tutored version of the course,
you will be able to contact a tutor by hovering over the
‘contact’ tab in the red bar at the top of your control
panel, then selecting 'contact a tutor'):
Your tutor will be available to help you with any
questions you have regarding the course content for
the duration of your studies.
For both the tutored and non-tutored version of the
course, you can contact us with questions regarding
administration or technical support issues by sending
a message via the 'contact' tab.
All online tutors are experienced teacher trainers and
English teachers and communicate with each other
regularly to discuss the progress of their course
participants.
If you are doing the course without a tutor and at any
stage you would like to switch to a course with tutor
support, please send us a request via the ‘contact’
tab in the control panel and we will make the
necessary arrangements.
We assume that all course participants are fluent
speakers of English, so shouldn't need any
assistance with English language and are able to do
the necessary research if unsure.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 2
Unit 1
Course Introduction
1.1 Course overview
and purpose
1.1 Course overview and purpose
1.2 Units named and explained
n 1.3 EoU tests and summative task
n 1.4 Unit 1 comprehension text
n
n
An online teaching company was
founded in 2013; today it has
well over half a million students
and employs over 60,000
teachers from North America
alone.
(Source: www.forbes.com and current figures from
company website.)
Welcome to the International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT) Teaching English Online (TEO) specialized course.
This is a 50-hour certification, which may be used as a 'stand-alone' qualification or as a 'specialization' supplement to a
standard 120-hour TEFL or TESOL certificate. The TEO course is arranged into six discrete units which aim to give the
participant a clear and concise working overview of the online teaching world.
The course will answer such fundamental questions as: (i) How do you teach online?
(ii) What equipment is needed?
(iii) How will I get paid?
(iv) What should I teach?
(v) Who will I teach?
By the end of the course you should be confident that you can enter the online teaching world with those questions
answered.
As with any information regarding technology, there may be areas of the course that become obsolete. We strive to keep
our courses as current as possible, but the fundamental concepts covered should remain relevant. Potentially, URL
obsolescence and website content changes could affect the unit tests. We therefore encourage course participants to
contact us if they see any course material or test questions or answers that require changes.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 3
Unit 1
Course Introduction
How the course works:
You have six months to work through the course at a
pace that best suits you.
It is important that you fully absorb all the unit material
before moving on to the next unit. Each unit has an
assessment which is explained in detail in section 1.3.
On completion of the course you should have a good
general overview of how online teaching works, what
you would be expected to do as an online teacher of
children and adults and how you can set up both your
teaching materials and evaluation systems, should
these be needed.
You will also gain knowledge of how to look for, use and
adapt a range of online teaching resources, to suit your
particular teaching situation.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 4
Unit 1
Course Introduction
1.2 Units named
and explained
Unit 1: Course introduction
You are currently reading this unit.
Unit 2: Equipment
In this unit we will cover the minimum level of
equipment and material required by the online
teaching companies for you to teach English with
them. We cover this as it will give you a good idea of the
initial layout, whether or not you decide to teach with a
recognized organization or school.
The unit will look at both the hardware, actual physical
equipment, such as a laptop and the software, such as
interface programs like MS Word and Adobe Acrobat.
Finally we consider how you can get connected to a
communication system, such as Skype or Zoom, which
may also depend on your choice of teaching options
which are covered in the next unit.
Unit 3: Working options
In this unit we will cover the three most common types of working arrangement for teaching online.
These are:
Working directly with a company.
Working with a profile company.
n Running your own business.
n
n
For each option we will look at what this could mean in terms of qualifications needed, working conditions and describe
typical situations.
Finally we will look at some of the potential advantages and disadvantages for each option.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 5
Unit 1
Course Introduction
Unit 4: Teaching and learning
In this unit we will develop some models that could be useful for a wide variety of teaching situations. What you teach will
depend on a number of factors, but two of the most important will be:
(a) Who are you working for, in terms of the three options given in unit 3?
(b) Who are the clients/students?
Online teaching clients can cover the whole age range, from very young to very old and so the market is enormous. A one
size suits all approach will not work across this range, so techniques will have to be adapted. We will investigate some of
the more popular teaching methodologies, the major examination systems and look at how you can evaluate student
performance and your own.
Unit 5: Social media
In this unit we will cover the major forms of social media, such as blogs, their potential reach and how they can be used.
Many online companies now have their own teaching platforms and we will have a look at some independent reviews of
some of those systems.
If you are thinking of working for yourself, then it is important that you have a full understanding of how social media and
online platforms can best be used to find students and most importantly, to keep them. We will also consider how to use
and adapt the huge body of free resources available on the internet.
Unit 6: The online teaching world
In this unit we will cover many of the ‘nuts and bolts’ aspects of working online. Using advice from current practising
teachers we will look at some of the major advantages and disadvantages of working online.
However you decide to work, there are some important areas of knowledge you should be aware of before you start.
These include topics such as contracts, pay and conditions, so we will take a look at those using actual company
information.
Unit 6 also contains some additional information which you should find useful throughout your online teaching career:
Useful websites for teaching materials
Useful websites for blogs and groups
n Worldwide online teaching companies list
n Sample summative task
n Examination systems
n
n
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 6
Unit 1
Course Introduction
1.3 End of unit tests
and summative task
The TEO course is assessed by the use of end of unit
(EoU) multiple choice tests which include a reading
comprehension task and finally an overall final
summative task.
The multiple choice tests have 15 questions each. Ten
questions are based around the information
presented in the unit and each question has four
answer options. The reading comprehension task for
each unit is based on the article presented within the
unit and has five multiple choice comprehension
questions, again each with four answer options.
The six tests are automatically graded once submitted
on the online test platform and you will receive an
instant result. You will also be presented with a
progress chart which indicates all your tests scores
and the average grade as you proceed through the
course.
The passing average grade for the course is 75% and
you will be able to compare your average score to that,
in order to monitor your own progress.
The final summative task requires a short essay to be written from a list of suggested titles, or if you have a particular
interest you wish to write about, you may choose your own title (with the agreement of the course administrator). Full
details of the task will be provided on successful completion of the tests phase of the course.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 7
Unit 1
Course Introduction
1.4 Comprehension text
Read the following text and additional readings.
Knowledge of the text will be tested.
What it’s Like to Teach English Online:
An Online Teacher Reveals Her Secrets!
www.teflcourse.net/blog/how-to-teach-english-remotelyfrom-anywhere-in-the-world-ittt-tefl-blog/
Working as an ESL teacher can be difficult if you live in a
Western country and you haven't undertaken a certain
path during your university studies. As far as Italy is
concerned, if you want to teach in a public school, you
need to hold at least a Master's Degree in pedagogical
studies and/or educational sciences. No matter how good
an English speaker you are, you are required to own
those specific degrees. If you want to teach in a private
school, you have to take into account the fact that they
prefer to hire native speakers – which is totally licit, to a
certain extent. In addition to that, if you have no
experience whatsoever in teaching in front of a class, you
are basically hopeless. At that rate, you have two options:
waiting for a stroke of luck or looking for something else.
Additional reading:
an
d
St
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se p
a
The How-To Guide For Americans To Teach English in Europe
www.teflcourse.net/blog/the-how-to-guide-for-americans-to-teach-english-in-europe-ittt-tefl-blog/
rc
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Asia is a wide pond of opportunities in this sense. On the other hand, Asia is not just round the corner and deciding to move
there can be a hazard. I have found my equilibrium, for now, in teaching English to Chinese kids remotely. I have sent
applications to several companies and at the moment I am working 14 hours a week during peak time, that is, 7 pm to 9 pm
Beijing time, Mondays to Sundays. I only teach kids and the number of students per class can vary from one to five. Of course,
teaching kids is not mandatory if you want to teach online - you may also end up having one-on-one classes with adults.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 8
Unit 1
Course Introduction
The Demand for ESL Teachers
The demand strongly varies depending on the country you teach in. For example, if you want to work remotely for a Japanese
company, you will find that the majority of online schools hire ESL teachers who are willing to teach adults, business English to
Japanese businessmen and university students especially. On the contrary, if you want to work remotely for a Chinese
company, you will most likely end up teaching kids. As a matter of fact, many Chinese families are nowadays willing to invest in
extra-curricular English classes for their sons and daughters, so as to enhance their possibilities to study in prestigious foreign
universities or work for international companies. It is easy to understand that different skills and teaching materials are required
for these two different types of students.
[
an
d
Additional reading:
Step-By-Step Guide to Legally Teaching English in China
www.teflcourse.net/blog/guide-to-legally-teaching-english-in-china
St
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se p
a
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Here is a list of the pros, cons and "must have" qualities concerning ESL online teaching. Please bear in mind that I am teaching
Chinese kids at the moment, therefore my observations mostly stem from this experience.
Pros of Teaching English Remotely
1. Flexibility. Most companies do not hire full-time teachers, meaning that the amount of hours you teach every week allows
you to work for someone else at the same time. For this reason, their contracts are rarely binding in that sense, so if you end
up working for another online teaching company it will not be seen as "unfair competition".
2. Material. Most companies do provide readymade material for their teachers. You do not need to produce it yourself, you
only need to check it before the class and prepare some useful props and/or pictures.
3. A different type of experience. Since it is a relatively new business, not many experienced teachers can say they have been
working as online teachers for the Asian market.
4. Fast skills enhancement. Teaching online is different than teaching in a classroom, especially if we are talking about kids.
Catching and keeping their attention throughout the lesson can be difficult and requires you to be extremely creative. The
supervisor will acknowledge your efforts and you will feel like you have been learning something new every day.
5. Company support. Perhaps I have been lucky, but the company I'm working for provides 24/7 support to their teachers,
especially during classes. If you face any issue, you can contact them immediately and they will reply to you as soon as they
can.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 9
Unit 1
Course Introduction
Cons of Teaching English Remotely
1. Teaching time. Of course, it depends on the time zone you are living in and the peak hours during which you are required to
be available, but you need to bear in mind that you might end up working at 5 am or 11 pm. However, companies state what
their peak hours are in advance, so you usually have the possibility to make your considerations before applying for the job.
2. Flexibility. While it can be a pro, it can be a con as well. Sometimes you will not be able to teach the same amount of hours
each month, resulting in a non-fixed wage.
3. No direct contact with the company. And, with this, I mean that you are not physically in the same place. If you face some
issues, you need to communicate through a laptop and, sometimes, it can lead to misunderstandings.
4. Strict leave policies and tight competition. These schools receive a lot of applications every day, so they usually never run
out of new teachers and substitutes. It might sound harsh to hear, but the world is not going to end for them if you decide to
leave or if they are forced to fire you. For this reason, my suggestion is: always do your best and always be proactive. For
example, if one day you are stuck in bed with a high fever and you cannot get up and teach a class, you need to take into
consideration that the company might not believe you. It is not the rule, of course, but it might happen. So, since you are
working from home, you might consider the idea of making an extra effort and teaching your classes as well, even if you
would prefer to stay in bed.
5. The "social" aspect. There are people who are totally fine with working alone from home. As far as I am concerned, I
sometimes miss commuting to work and having a chat with my colleagues during the coffee break!
Additional reading:
an
d
St
re o
se p
a
What Scams to Look Out for When Looking for TEFL Jobs
www.teflcourse.net/blog/what-scams-to-look-out-for-when-looking-for-tefl-jobs-ittt-tefl-blog/
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
rc
h
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 10
Unit 1
Course Introduction
What You Need to Teach English Remotely
1. Punctuality. Enter the virtual class five minutes in advance... it will be appreciated! Many companies will send you warning
letters if you enter a class with a delay of one minute without a good reason.
2. Creativity. Okay, perhaps this point mostly refers to teaching children. You need to be funny and creative at all times,
otherwise, they will get bored – they might decide to leave the class and give you negative feedback. Companies tend to be
on the students' side, so you need to be careful during your performances. You need to bear in mind, though, that most
companies record the lessons. It might sound annoying, while it is actually a great help for the teacher – in case a student
gives you negative feedback you can discuss it with the company, referring to the recording.
3. Clean and bright environment. Some companies do not pay too much attention to that, but some others do. Teaching
classes in front of a window, with the natural daylight, is optimal, but if you teach during the dark hours of the day or at night
you should make sure you have a bright white artificial light in your room.
4. Smile, always. Even if you are going through the worst day of your life, you need to smile. Especially if you are working with
kids. Take a deep breath and focus on the lesson. Singing songs with kids is good medicine, after all!
5. Excellent internet connection and laptop. Most of the times, companies will let you know the minimum requirements your
laptop must have in order to be able to teach for them. If you do not own a proper device, they will most likely decline your
application.
Now you are ready to teach English remotely from anywhere in the world!
It goes without saying that some of these observations are also applicable to teaching in general, both online and on site. One
final consideration I would like to make is the following: seeing online teaching as a long-term and fixed employment can be
difficult. As I have mentioned, it is a relatively new business and most of these Asian schools are still trying to find their
equilibrium themselves. This does not mean that it is impossible, though!
As far as I know, there are teachers who manage to make a living by teaching online. Like every other job, you need to work
your way up the ladder and it is not going to be as easy as some might think. However, I believe that if you are interested in
online teaching, you should at least give it a try. As I said, teaching English online is a great alternative way to find your path in
the world of ESL teaching.
You should now be ready to attempt the test for unit 1.
Go to your course control panel to open and take the test.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
©
Where the world is your classroom
TEO 001 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 11