ITTT Specialized Course
Teaching English Online
TEO 003
Unit 3
Working options
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International TEFL and TESOL Training
Where the world is your classroom
Unit 3
Working options
3.1 Working with
a company
nThere are three generally recognized categories of
the way you can work as an online English teacher.
Bear in mind you are not limited to only one of these
options, you could do two, or even all three at the same
time.
When working with a company you are generally
classed as a freelancer or independent contractor
working as part of an existing company. There are a few
general features that you should be aware of for this
style of working.
Most importantly you will have to adopt the company
requirements in terms of teaching contracts. Such
contracts will outline what you teach, when you teach,
and in some cases, how you teach. Contracts are often
for part-time work only for their tax purposes, so you
may wish to take up two or more posts, depending
upon the hours offered and for which you wish to work.
There will be more information about tax and tax
implications in unit 6.
Companies generally require minimum qualifications,
such as a degree and/or a TEFL/TESOL certificate. Some prefer Native English Speakers (NESs) though there are plenty
of companies who will hire non NESs with a high level (C2) of English competency.
As with any job, previous experience is also preferable and when you combine all three aspects above you will find, in
general that the more you can offer the higher the salary available. Regardless of experience, the company will probably
put you through some form of induction program to make you aware of their requirements and methodology.
For tax and employment labor law purposes, companies often refer to the people teaching under their umbrella as
freelancers or independent contractors.
Please see this appendix, which is a list of hundreds of companies, based in various areas of the world.
www.goodairlanguage.com/teaching-english-online-2/
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Where the world is your classroom
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Page 1
Unit 3
Working options
3.1.1. Case study
Working for a company
www.huffpost.com/entry/teaching-english-online-t_b_8804838
By Courtney Lambert, Contributor retrieved 29-06-19 (edited)
There's a new way to make money while traveling (or from home) and it's taking the world of learning English by
storm: online English classes.
I first heard about teaching English online from a fellow traveler while backpacking through Cambodia in 2014. I was
already making money as a freelance writer, but was curious about other means of income so I could continue to trek
the big bad world and never ever EVER go back home.
There are loads of opportunities to work abroad, from volunteering to teaching at a school, manual labor and freelance
work. Teaching English online was one avenue I had yet to encounter, and by golly did it strike my fancy. I completed
my TEFL certification in a jiffy and dove into the online job hunt.
For the past six months I have been teaching for two online English programs and can say that it has been a rewarding
and at times, a frustrating journey. Here are my pros and cons of teaching English online.
Pro: You can work from ANYWHERE
.....that has a stable Internet connection. I have been working for two Asian-based companies while living in Thailand
and jet setting around Southeast Asia. I have worked from home, friends homes, Internet cafes, hostels and co-working
spaces. You get to work while you travel, meet other digital nomads and work comfortably from home when you don't
feel like going anywhere.
Con: Tech issues
This is probably the biggest frustration of online teaching. Depending on your location, the company's location, the
student's location, the Internet speed and even the weather, you never know what tech problems can pop up. This can
cause cancelled classes, which in turn means you don't get paid.
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Page 2
Unit 3
Working options
3.2 Profile company
Another mode of working which is rapidly expanding is
making use of a Profile Company. Here you create your
profile, giving your experience, working rates and
hours and so forth and send it to a Profile company.
They will host your details on their site and attract
clients to you that way. This is an excellent way to build
up a niche market for you and comes with many
benefits in terms of potential choice of hours and
lessons.
The two main niches come in the form of teaching
adults and teaching children. Profile companies
offering employment generally make it quite clear
which of the two options you are applying for. Whilst
the largest part of the market is for teaching children,
opportunities exist for teaching adults also.
Some examples are given below.
Online EFL companies catering to adults:
Hourly salary (USD)
Minimum hours
Timezone
iTutorGroup
$18 - 26
No minimum
Worldwide
ABC International
Group
$18 - 25
12 hours/week
Not stated
Lingo Live
Varies depending
on your location
15 hours/week
Worldwide
Native English speaker
3 years of classroom experience
Fluentify
$8 - 15
No minimum
Worldwide
CELTA or recognized TEFL
eBerlitz
$14 - 15
No minimum
Worldwide
Native English speaker
Company
Requirements
1 year of teaching experience
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
This table is continued on page 4.
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Page 3
Unit 3
Working options
Company
Hourly salary (USD)
EnglishTutorOnline
Varies depending
on your location
SkyLearn
Minimum hours
Timezone
Requirements
No minimum
Worldwide
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
Native English speaker
Some teaching experience
Varies depending
on your location
8 hours/day
Europe
(mainly
Spain)
BA degree
TESL certificate
Break Into English
$14 - 16
2 hours/week
Worldwide
BA degree
North American accent
Novo English
$10 - 20
No minimum
Europe
(mainly
France)
BA degree
North American accent
Educastream
$11 - 13
No minimum
Europe
(mainly
France)
UK-based native English speakers
Some teaching experience
FluentBe
$10
No minimum
Poland
Native English speaker
Some teaching experience
51Talk
$22
33.5
hours/week
Asia
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
Some teaching experience
Koolearn
$950 1,250/month
Not stated
Asia
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
First Future
$12 - 20
No minimum
China
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA or teaching experience
New Vision Learning
Services
$14 - 22
Looks to be
full-time
Asia
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
DMA1on1
$8 - 9
Fixed
Taiwan
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
ESL teaching experience preferred
This table is continued on page 5.
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Page 4
Unit 3
Working options
Hourly salary (USD)
Minimum hours
Timezone
Hiknow
$3 - 4
Part-time
China
Not stated
A Top Class
$10 - 11
No minimum
China
Not stated
Likeshuo
$16 - 26
20 hours/week
China
BA degree
Native English speaker
Experience teaching adults ESL
Tutoring
$4
No minimum
Korea
BA degree
2 years of teaching experience
NIL English
$10 - 15
10 hours/week
Korea
BA/associate’s degree
EFL/CELTA
Native North American accent
Kampus World
$10 - 15
No minimum
Worldwide
BA degree
TEFL/CELTA
3 years of exp’nce teaching adults
Company
Requirements
Source: www.teachaway.com/blog/teach-adults-english-online
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Where the world is your classroom
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Page 5
Unit 3
Working options
3.2.1. Case study
Working for a profile company
Retrieved from www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/teaching-english-online-opportunities-pitfalls
The importance of personal learning networks, by Sylvia Guinan
I can't stress strongly enough how important my personal learning network has been to me. For a freelance teacher,
associating with others on the cutting edge of technology in education has been a huge motivational factor. When you
are challenged by the excellence of others, you become more daring, professional and creative. I can't imagine what it
would be like to set oneself up on Skype, post a few adverts around and then stare at your screen waiting for students to
show up (if they ever do in this massive cyber vacuum where no-one knows who you are). Pro-activity and passion are a
must for success.
Pitfalls to avoid
Social media: If you are a freelance teacher, you will need to have a dynamic online presence. Having your own
teaching page with a unique teaching brand that reflects your professional values helps a lot. The pitfall, however, is
getting sucked into a social quagmire. You’ve got to be aware of this and keep a professional distance.
Webtool mania: Webtools are, of course, creative and useful for online teaching, but be realistic about how many you
can sensibly use, and avoid the trap of playing with too many toys. My criteria for this is simplicity. Tools should fulfill
educational objectives on a deep level.
Online schools: There are many unprofessional ‘online schools’ exploiting teachers online. Do not accept substandard
pay, even if you are still learning the ropes.
Imagine in an interview you were asked“What is a PLN?”
an
d
How would you answer this without just stating what the acronym is?
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Page 6
Unit 3
Working options
3.3 Running
your own business
A number of people have successfully undertaken
starting their own business as a first step into the
online world, but it is not the easiest route to take.
If you have had some experience of the other two
modes of working already mentioned, or even better,
both, this experience is likely to give your foray into
running your own business a much greater chance of
success.
Keep in mind that we are talking here not just of you
working for yourself, but having one or more staff
working for you. How difficult the company set up is
going to be will depend on a number of very significant
factors.
Location is possibly the single most important
consideration. Location not in terms of where you have
an office, but in which country you are going to register
and operate your business. Each country has their own
rules and regulations regarding registering a business,
who you can employ, taxation system such as VAT and
salary taxes and all of these must be understood to
give yourself and your company a fair chance of
success.
If your experiences are limited then you should make
as much use as possible of the wealth of information
that exists online covering every aspect of business set
up and a non ending supply of stories and blogs
recounting others travels down this route.
International TEFL
and TESOL Training
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Where the world is your classroom
TEO 003 Copyright © 2019 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.
Page 7
Unit 3
Working options
3.3.1. Case study
Start your own business
For anyone seeking to create their own platform in the largest business market (China), a cautionary tale
regarding the freedoms that have existed until now. (Early 2019)
Retrieved from a Chinese news agency (Xinhua) article:
China tightens supervision over after-school institutions
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ministry of Education said Wednesday that a management platform will soon be
launched online to tighten scrutiny of after-school training institutions across China.
Information about licensed after-school institutions that provide programs for primary and middle school students will
be available on the platform.
Education authorities nationwide will also blacklist poorly-managed institutions, and accept public complaints about
after-school programs via the platform, said the ministry.
A number of after-school institutions were found to have taught courses too advanced for the school's normal
curriculum and placed children under too much pressure, causing unnecessary competition among students.
Amid a national campaign, 401,050 after-school education institutions had been examined, and 272,842 were found to
have problems, among which 163,203 made rectifications as of Nov. 15.
an
d
Further reading:
www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1230903.shtml
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Unit 3
Working options
3.4 Comprehension text
Read the following text and additional readings.
Knowledge of the text will be tested.
How to Find a Job as an English Teacher
Online
www.teflcourse.net/blog/category/teflinformation/
In our modern age where working online has become a
common way to make a steady living, the opportunities
for qualified English teachers have further branched out
into what we call the “virtual classroom”.
There are countless online platforms and providers that
offer English lessons online with native speakers allowing
students from all over the world to learn how to speak
English from the comfort of their home.
Here is our comprehensive guide on how to find a job as
an English teacher online.
How to get started teaching English online
Teaching English online is a great way to supplement your income while already teaching abroad or when in your home
country. Teaching English online also helps new teachers to gain valuable teaching experience before embarking on their
adventure abroad. If you choose to get started as an English teacher online, the set-up procedures are quite straightforward and
not that expensive. Your first step should be to complete a TEFL certification course. The course will provide all the skills and
knowledge needed to be a productive teacher, plus it gives you an edge when applying for teaching jobs online or when
looking for students.
Once you hold your certificate in hand, you should make sure that you have a computer or laptop equipped with a webcam
and a microphone. Depending on which platform you work from, you will also need some form of communication application,
often Skype. On top of that, a PayPal account is usually the most convenient way to get paid for teaching lessons online.
The best employment options for teaching English online
There are two main options for online English teachers. The first option is to set up your own teaching website. This allows
teachers to be completely independent and free to set their own hours. However, it can take quite some time to find regular
students and setting up a professional-looking website requires a certain budget and time commitment.
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Page 9
Unit 3
Working options
A much more popular alternative, especially for those new to teaching online, is to work for an agency or an online platform.
These tend to already have a pool of students with a set schedule. They also conduct their own marketing and promotion
campaigns to recruit extra students. However, they often require their teachers to be TEFL certified and to undergo an
application process, which may include a mock lesson in front of some of their teaching staff via webcam.
How much can you earn teaching English online?
This figure depends on a variety of factors including your qualifications, experience and the organization you work for. A
typical hourly rate for online English teachers ranges from $15 and $30 USD, however, an agency will take a cut of this as a fee if
you work through a platform.
Some popular teaching platforms for teaching English online include:
Magic Ears: provides fun, interactive and efficient online English learning experiences to 4-12-year-old children in China.
Magic Ears offers compensation, which is 30% higher than the average market value and you can earn between $18-26 USD per
hour.
VIPKID: focuses on teaching children in Asia. All lesson plans and teaching materials are provided. Applicants need to be US
or Canadian citizens and possess at least a Bachelor's degree and have a stable internet connection. Pay is $18 to $21 per hour
with average earnings of $2,000 per month.
Cambly: offers conversational lessons in an informal setting. Students come from all over the world. Pay is $0.17 per minute, or
$10.20 per hour, paid through PayPal every Monday.
Qkids: open to teachers in Canada and the US. Must be able to commit to 6 hours per week. Paid training and all coursework
provided.
iTutor: open to teachers from the US, Canada and the UK with a degree. Hiring process is very quick, within 3 days of
registration. Pay is between $16 and $25 per hour.
Continuum Education Services: recruitment agency that pairs teachers with companies that require English services.
Companies offer base pay and flexible schedules. English native speakers only with a TEFL/TESOL certificate.
eBerlitz: has offices in 70 countries worldwide. Pay is $14 per hour.
Englishunt: hires tutors for virtual lessons with Japanese students. Teachers must have a TEFL/TESOL certificate. Teachers
work between 8 and 12 hours a week. Pay is $14.50 per hour. Curriculum is provided.
Global Mate New York: targets South Korean learners and is only open to US citizens.
You should now be ready to attempt the test for unit 3. Go to your course control panel to open and take the test.
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Where the world is your classroom
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