Can I teach English as a foreign language online (TEFL)?

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Yes, absolutely you can. Online learning is a huge trend and one of the fastest-growing areas in education worldwide.

Teaching English online is just another way that gaining your TEFL Certificate can provide you with opportunities to gain employment, make an income, boost your skill sets and enhance your CV.

Advantages of teaching English online

  • You can teach English online from anywhere in the world, whether you’re at home or abroad
  • The ability to gain teaching experience for your CV before or after you teach English abroad
  • You can work part-time to supplement your income
  • Opportunities to improve your teaching skills
  • Gain experience in the field of online learning, one of the fastest-growing areas in education worldwide.

What you’ll need to teach English online:

  1.  A pair of headphones
  2.  A microphone
  3.  A webcam
  4.  A method to receive payments like a PayPal account

The most common method of communication is through Skype, which means you can accept students from all over the world. To teach English online you will need a TEFL certificate that demonstrates that you are qualified to teach English as a foreign language. You can choose to teach general English or to specialise. If you have experience in a specific area such as hospitality, law or engineering you can begin by teaching English online for specific purposes. There are many students who are looking for help with their English because they are studying for a qualification that requires specialist English such as those studying nursing or who want to become pilots. There are a few ways you can find work teaching English online:

  1. Set up your own website and advertise yourself using social media. This will give you the freedom to set your own rates and work at times that suit you
  2. Post your profile on an agency site where students can contact you through the site to arrange lessons. You will probably have to pay the agency a commission to do this
  3. Work through an agency that provides you with your students and pay you a salary. This might not be as flexible as working for yourself, but you won’t have to look for students.

Never work for an agency that asks you to pay money upfront for work, these sites aren’t genuine and it’s unlikely you’ll be offered any work teaching English as a foreign language online once you’ve made your payment. You can expect to earn between $13 and $20 an hour if you’re new to teaching. As you gain more experience you could earn as much as $50. If you don’t want to go abroad, consider teaching English online.

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Accreditation Partners

The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognised Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.

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