10 Companies for Teaching English Online Without a Degree

If you’ve been looking at job adverts for teaching English as a foreign language, you might have become disheartened if you don’t have a degree. Many jobs list having a Bachelor’s degree (in any field) as a requirement for their job applicants. This is usually because it is a requirement in that country to have a Bachelor’s degree to qualify for a work permit or visa. You would even have found something similar when applying for online jobs.

But fear not! If you don’t have a degree but you do have a 120-hour TEFL qualification, there are still many options available to you – even online. Here, let’s look at 10 companies for teaching English online without a degree.

Read more: What are the Requirements for Teaching English Online?

Palfish

Palfish is an app that connects teachers with Young Learners in China. A General Palfish teacher teaches 1-to-1 or group classes, but no materials are given. These classes are more like conversation classes. A Palfish Kids Course teacher will teach only 1-to-1 and is given lesson materials. There are no requirements to be a General teacher but you need to have a TEFL certificate and be a native speaker to be a Kids Course teacher. General teachers set their own rates and Kids Course teachers earn $22 an hour plus bonuses.

Lingoda

Lingoda is one of the most popular language learning platforms online for adult learners. The classes are small, usually three to five students, or private 1-to-1 lessons. Lessons are taught on Zoom and teachers are provided with in-house materials, so you don’t have to think about lesson preparation. You can set your own schedule; there are no minimum hours required. To teach with Lingoda teachers need to have a TEFL certificate, a C2 level of English, and two to three years of teaching experience. Teaching with Lingoda you’ll earn about $13 an hour.

Hugo English

With Hugo English, you will teach 1-to-1 lessons to children in China aged five to 16 years old. Lessons take place any day of the week. Teachers aren’t required to have a degree but you must be a native speaker and a TEFL certificate is preferred. Teachers earn $14 to $20 an hour.

Berlitz

Berlitz is a well-known language programme, and the language schools have been around for years. They have face-to-face classrooms as well as online lessons. Lesson plans and materials are provided and lessons are taught in a virtual classroom similar to Zoom which allows teachers and students to chat, share screens, and use multimedia. A minimum commitment of 4.5 hours a day is required. Lessons are 1.5 hours and you are paid $14 per lesson, including a ten-minute break.

italki

italki is a platform for teachers to teach more than 130 different languages, including English. Students book lessons with teachers based on video introductions they have uploaded. You can set your own rate.  In order to be approved as a teacher, you need a 120-hour TEFL certificate or teaching experience.

HelloKid

With HelloKid you will teach English to Young Learners aged four to 16 in one-to-one lessons. You don’t need a degree but you do need a TEFL certificate and experience teaching English online to Young Learners. Teaching contracts are for a year. Classes are 25 minutes long and payment is between $8 and $22 an hour (two lessons). All lesson plans and materials are provided.

Preply

With Preply, you create a profile with an introductory video, upload it to the platform and students contact you directly. You set your own rates. Lessons are an hour long. Preply takes a 100% commission from your first lesson, but the commission decreases with each lesson.

Amazing Talker

With Amazing Talker, you can teach students of all ages. You upload a demo or introductory video and students can book a time with you for a lesson. Lessons are 1-to-1 and 50 minutes long. Teachers set their own rates, but the majority of teachers charge $10 – $20 per 50-minute lesson. You don’t need a degree but you must have a near-native or native-speaker level of English, and a TEFL certificate or teaching experience is preferred.

Cambly

With Cambly, you teach English online on a 1-to-1 basis. The students are based all over the world so you can find students who are in countries which suit your time zone – so you don’t have to teach at the crack of dawn if you don’t want to! You get paid per minute, which adds up to $10.20 an hour with Cambly and $12 an hour with Cambly Kids, and you get paid weekly through Paypal.

Skimatalk

With Skimatalk you will teach English to mostly Japanese adults through Skype. The majority of the lessons are Business English but these are conversation-based lessons so no formal lesson planning is required. Classes are 25 minutes long. You don’t need a degree or a teaching certificate but you must be a native English speaker. Your first lesson is set at $8 but after that, you can set your own rate. Students are invited to give feedback on their teachers and you need to maintain a positive feedback score to keep teaching with Skimatalk.

As you can see, there are many options available to you when teaching English as a foreign language, even if you don’t have a degree. These ten are not the only companies that accept online TEFL teachers without a degree, but they are a good start if you are looking for a job teaching English as a foreign language online without a degree.

And if one day you find yourself yearning for a job teaching English as a foreign language in an exotic destination, don’t let your lack of degree stop you from looking for your dream job. You might need to be a bit more discerning in your choice of TEFL location, but have no doubt that you can live your TEFL dream.