Teaching On GoFLuent: What You Need To Know

With the plethora of online platforms offering English language lessons to learners, and teaching positions to English teachers and tutors, it is difficult to know which online teaching companies are legit.

We’re going to get to the bottom of this by asking those who know best: the teachers themselves.

In this series, we’ll talk to teachers currently teaching online in 2025 and ask them the important questions.

Meet Yasmien, a goFLUENT tutor

Hello, my name is Yasmien Winkler and I’m 33 years old. I am a TEFL-certified teacher and have the privilege of being a TEFL teacher trainer too with The TEFL Academy.

After teaching English in South Korea through the country’s public school teaching program (GOE), I returned home in 2019 due to COVID and have been teaching online ever since! I’ve worked with a variety of online teaching platforms including iTutor Group, VIPKid, and most recently goFLUENT- which I have been teaching on for over 5 years. 

Want to teach English in South Korea? Here’s how you can: 4 Ways To Live And Work In South Korea As A Foreigner

Teaching English online became the most accessible way for me to stay in the TEFL field during the pandemic. The ability to earn a decent income without commuting made working from home an obvious choice – even post-COVID.

Why did you choose goFLUENT? 

There are SO MANY online platforms you can teach online witn. Why did you choose goFLUENT?

goFLUENT stood out to me because of its focus on teaching adult professionals in a business context — which aligned with my desire to grow beyond teaching Young Learners. 

 Yasmien’s right – there’s a big difference between teaching adults and teaching Young Learners.

I began by searching online for credible online English teaching platforms. I specifically looked for companies with professional websites and structured application processes. I checked whether goFLUENT had a visible presence on social media, which added to its credibility.

That’s a good tip!

Joining several TEFL Facebook groups was particularly helpful. These communities offer honest reviews and warnings about companies to avoid. 

What’s been your experience so far on goFLUENT?

I’ve been teaching on goFLUENT for over 5 years and have had a positive experience overall. The biggest pro is the amount of lessons you can teach – my schedule is jam-packed every day. 

My teacher managers have been accommodating and personable when I have any personal issues. This was a big green flag for me as I felt valued as an employee — something that was lacking in some of the other platforms I’ve worked with.

How easy is it to start teaching on goFLUENT?

The application process is straightforward. 

1. Fill in an online application form.
2. Upload a 1-minute video stating your background, professional experience, and why you’re interested in the role. 
3. Upload your resume. 
4. Once application is successful, there’s an interview including a very quick grammar test with the recruiting manager. 

The onboarding and training process is quite long-winded. It took about two weeks and included live group training sessions lasting 3–4 hours.

Once the onboarding and training was complete, my profile was set up by admin personnel and my teaching slots filled up the next day.

If you’re freaking out about the grammar test, don’t worry – your TEFL course will remind of all the grammar concepts from high school you’ve forgotten!

Does goFLUENT allocate students to you?

Students are allocated to you via the platform and by admin personnel. So my slots were always filled weeks and sometimes months in advance. While students have the option to choose different teachers, most prefer consistency and stick with the same teacher once they’re comfortable. 

The fact that your lessons are booked weeks in advance is a huge plus.

How well does goFLUENT pay?

Your base hourly rate depends on your work experience, qualifications and how well you did on your grammar test. 

The lowest hourly pay tier starts at $7, which is quite low. When I first applied I was offered $9 per 60-minute lesson and $4.50 per 30-minute lesson. This was already a lower hourly rate than I was used to, but it was the highest paying online teaching job compared to other online teaching platforms such as Preply and iTutor Group.

There are no salary increases at all. 

Quarterly bonuses are nearly impossible to achieve:

• an additional $1 will be added to your base pay if you have less than 1% lesson no-shows.
• an additional $1 will be added to your base pay if you receive a 85% student rating.

Despite these limitations, goFLUENT still offers one of the most reliable income opportunities in a market where many platforms pay even less. While the pay has its limitations, it remains competitive and, most importantly, offers consistency in bookings, allowing me to maintain a steady and predictable income.

What does a typical day look like for a goFLUENT teacher?

The platform requires a minimum of 30 hours to be scheduled on a weekly basis. I teach an average of 8 hours a day: 

– four 60-minute lessons from 8am to 12pm 

– one-hour break 

– four 60-minute lessons from 1pm to 4pm

Lessons are back-to-back with no break in between, so it does get quite challenging having to remain sedentary for 4 hours at a time.

This is where you have the freedom to alter your schedule to incorporate small breaks in between. Schedule adjustments usually require one month’s notice, if your calendar is already filled with lessons. 

Creating a work-life balance that works for you is so important for your mental and physical health.

Depending on your students objectives and what needs following up from their last lesson – you can teach anything from covering conversation, grammar, or Business English.

Lesson plans aren’t required, however one needs to follow the PPP (Present, Practice and Produce) teaching structure. Learning materials are provided in the form of videos, grammar worksheets, articles and guided questions for both student and teacher. 

What are the students like?

All my students are corporate professionals employed by multi-national companies. My students’ ages range from 24 to 70 years and have different levels of English proficiency.

I have a stable base of returning students who mainly need help with grammar and vocabulary. However, I often get new students who have just signed up.

I mainly teach 1:1 lessons, with occasional 90-minute group lessons involving employees from the same company.

How does the student feedback system work?

Students are encouraged, though not required, to leave feedback in the form of comments or ratings.

This feedback can potentially impact bookings, particularly if issues persist over time. But teacher performance is supported through regular guidance: a teacher manager and coach will reach out if concerns arise and offer assistance or training as needed.

Additionally, quarterly lesson observations are conducted, sometimes without prior notice, to provide feedback and support professional development. 

Is teaching on goFLUENT sustainable as a full-time job?

Teaching English online with goFLUENT is a full-time job if you want to earn a decent salary.

As you are required to have your schedule opened for a minimum of 30 hours a week, you will need to teach or be available for a minimum of 5 hours a day, which doesn’t leave much room for other work.

I’m able to juggle taking on freelance work on a part time basis, but teaching English online for goFLUENT remains my primary commitment.

Read more: From Classroom To Business: Exploring The Teacherpreneur Movement

Have you experienced any technical issues on goFLUENT?

goFLUENT’s teacher platform hardly has any issues, and there is a tech support team that is readily available and very responsive if any issues do occur.

To mitigate the unforeseen occurrence of loadshedding, I always have my laptop fully charged and use my phone as a hotspot when the wifi is down.

In some instances, working from a coffee shop in a different area has helped a lot! There is a way around working through loadshedding, and my teacher managers have always been accommodating. 

For readers who aren’t South African, loadshedding is the equivalent of a power cut. South Africa unfortunately has historically had to deal with loadshedding on a regular basis.

Does goFLUENT offer support to teachers?

There is solid support with regard to trainer resources for teaching subject focused lessons, as well as opportunities to get more training from your coach.

There is no official teacher community, which does make it isolating, but you can keep in contact with your peers who were onboarded with you! 

During onboarding you are trained and equipped with all the tools to plan your lessons. This entails looking at your student’s profile and what their objectives are. Then choosing the appropriate lesson material to be used in the lesson. The lesson material provides guided questions and activities for the teacher to use in the lesson, which makes teaching easier and more effective. 

Would you recommend goFLUENT?

It’s the question we’re all asking: is goFLUENT a good company to work for?

I would recommend goFLUENT as an online teaching platform if you are looking for steady hours and consistent income.

While the pay isn’t ideal, it’s better than what many other platforms offer today. One can make a decent living as an online TEFL teacher with goFLUENT.

Of all the online teaching platforms I’ve worked with, goFLUENT has stood out for its supportive teacher management. They have provided flexibility during personal challenges, and even offered extra paid opportunities like video content creation. 

Teaching adults has been more rewarding for me, as it allows for genuine, engaging conversations without the need to constantly entertain or manage short attention spans when teaching Young Learners. Speaking with adult students from countries like Spain, Italy, Poland, South Korea, and China, just to name a few, has been a deeply enriching experience. 

Well, there you go. If teaching Business English online is your jam, sounds like you should look into goFLUENT.