Overview
Online teaching has taken off massively in the past few years. When the world was going through a time when nobody could attend their classes and continue learning, the solution was to take education online. Teachers quickly learned to use different teaching programmes and adapt their methods to a new online environment. Students got used to turning microphones on and off (although some still struggle to do this at times!). Although many countries have gone back to traditional classroom learning and many TEFL jobs can be found here, there continues to be a significant demand for online English teachers as some students continue their education in this way.
Teaching English online is just teaching a lesson online using a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Video calls are the most common method of communication in online education. Classes can be one-on-one or include multiple students at once, just as in a regular classroom. Exam English, Business English, and even Medical English might be the focus of specific classes. The world of online education is thriving! The market for online instruction has grown dramatically during the past year.
Types of teaching jobs
Working From Home
Online English teaching is a job that doesn’t require you to be there in person. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to work remotely or on the go because you can do it from anywhere as long as you have a reliable WiFi connection. This opens up work to people who may struggle to attend an office, perhaps because of disability, childcare responsibilities or those who simply prefer to work from the comfort of their own home. Teaching English online means no commuting, no travelling in bad weather and the chance to be surrounded by everything you love all the time.
Your Own Schedule
When you teach English online, you have greater freedom and control over your schedule. Whether you want a career shift or just some additional money, teaching English online fits into your life as new employment or a method to supplement your current income. It literally means that teaching English online is a job that works for you; you can add extra hours when you need them or work fewer hours if you have other commitments. It is such a pleasing way to structure your working week.
Having a Second Job
Managing many on-site jobs is much more challenging, but when one of them is online, multi-jobbing is much simpler and gives you the chance to make a little extra money. The cost of living seems to be increasing no matter where you live. It is often considered ironic that we spend the majority of our lives working to earn money to buy or rent a home we hopefully love, but then spend hardly any time in because we are always working. Teaching English online means you can reap the rewards of the home you created and use it as your office as well as the place you spend your downtime.
Salaries, requirements & visas
The number of English learners across the world is always growing
1.5 billion (Source: British Council, 2020)
The number of native English speakers
only 370 million (Source: Vistawide)
Students actually learn faster
Students actually learn 5 times faster online than face-to-face (Source: IBM)
Online Learning is growing fast!
The online language learning market will be worth a staggering €22.08 billion by 2027, reflecting a CAGR growth of 10.2% from 2020 to 2027.
Living costs
Where to Find a Job
Listings on job websites
All the usual websites for finding TEFL jobs now also list vacancies for online teaching! Here are some useful sites you can check out and apply for online teaching jobs to kickstart your remote TEFL career:
TEFL.com
This is the number one job website for TEFL (for both classroom and online teaching). A lot of companies advertise here, and it is updated regularly. You can select the category “online” to find the latest positions for online teaching. You apply via the site and can fill out a standard application to apply for multiple roles, including teaching English online but don’t forget to create a unique cover letter for each position you apply for! An employer can tell straight away if you’ve copied and pasted the same cover letter and will immediately lose interest in your application.
Indeed
Although a generic job site, you can focus your search by adding the keywords ‘TEFL online’ or ‘English Teacher online’. When you conduct a search for this, you can also select ‘remote’ to access all of the online job postings with information on pay and responsibilities. On this website, you can also make a CV that will be automatically utilised when you wish to apply for a job teaching English online, or you can frequently find the company’s email on the job advertisement and apply directly.
Social media
Nowadays, the world is obsessed with social media. If you can learn a recipe online, why can’t you find a job vacancy online? Facebook is a great place to find daily listings- you need to find the right group to join. Try joining TEFL groups (online TEFL ones, TEFL worldwide, country-specific groups for English teachers etc.), and you will see some listings pop up from recruiters and schools. Remember that these jobs are often not vetted by the group admins. Anyone can post anything, so you need to do your own research before responding or taking a job with anyone who advertises this way.
Cambly
Pay is €0.15 per minute (€9.38 per hour).
PalFish
You set your own rate of pay which is paid out by the minute.
SkimaTalk
After the three initial sessions are booked, the price will automatically change to €6.87/session (25 minutes). Once the system automatically sets your price at €6.87, you will be able to set your own price if you choose to do so.
Lingoda
Pay ranges from €7-€11 per hour.
Open English
Up to per hou€12.90r.
Award-Winning Online Courses & Diplomas
Best for Beginners120-Hour Advanced International TEFL Course
Best for Confident BeginnersTop-Rated, Government Regulated, 180-Hour Online Level 5 TEFL Diploma, Accredited TEFL Course
Best for Higher-Paid Positions300-Hour Level 5 TEFL Advanced Diploma
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