Reading Time: 10 minutes Teaching English as a Second Language: A Lucrative Side Hustle
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As a couple that retired young thanks to side hustles, we’ve written about many side hustles here at ChaChingQueen.
Another side hustle that is rapidly gaining traction, thanks in part to technological advances, is teaching English as a second language online.
In a world where over 1.5 billion people communicate in English, either as their mother tongue or second language, the power of this global language is undeniable.
Given the popularity of English, and the demand to learn the language, I decided it was time to dive deep into Teaching English Online as a side hustle.
This post is my comprehensive guide to help you navigate the ins and outs of online English teaching.
Table of Contents
Why Are Online Side Hustles Popular?
The side hustle life is becoming common worldwide, with nearly half of all Gen Zers and Millennials taking one on to enjoy a better quality of life.
But, if you’re a newcomer to side hustles, you’re probably looking for information about ways to earn some valuable additional income to supplement your existing salary.
While there’s no shortage of options, from selling your old clothes to delivering food on the side, teaching English as a second language online has to be one of the most lucrative.
Online side hustles offer the ultimate convenience of making more money. You don’t need to leave your couch, so you can save yourself time, effort, and travel expenses while using your skills to enhance your profits.
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Do you want to make money online simply by searching, shopping, surveys, or playing games?
- Account creation is free
- Big bonus on sign up
- Many ways to earn free money
- Mobile-friendly rewards site and apps
- Simple to complete tasks
- $10 to sign up
- Not exactly passive income
- Redeeming SB points sometimes takes awhile
- It isn't easy to qualify for all surveys
- Customer service isn't the greatest (or fastest)
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- Which Budgeting Style Is for You? Top Budgeting Styles
What Is Teaching English Online?
If you’re ready to embrace the possibility of an English teaching side hustle, you first need to know the answer to a few questions. What is teaching English online? And is it something that you could do? Let’s look more closely at the answers.
When many people think about teaching English, they imagine standing in a classroom in front of a group of students, working within the hours of a standard school day.
That’s no longer the case. Thanks to modern technology, students can now study English virtually, at almost any time of the day or night.
The internet has made it possible for learners to fit their classes around their daily lives, and that means that teachers can reap the very same benefit.
As an online English teacher, you can teach outside your regular working hours, one-on-one, or with groups of students who could be located anywhere in the world.
From your virtual classroom, you’ll deliver content that helps them develop and improve their English language skills, earning an attractive additional salary during your free time.
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What Does an Online English Teacher Do?
A TEFL teacher teaches written and spoken English to people with a different native language. TEFL stands for “Teaching English as a Foreign Language,” and you could work with learners across the age spectrum and from countries all over the world.
Some TEFL-certified professionals actually choose to head overseas to work abroad as English language teachers. This article is not about them. We are focused on online English Teachers.
Thanks to the internet, many more are now opting to teach remotely, delivering classes from either the comfort of their own homes or even on the road as they travel and explore the globe.
An online English language teacher’s role involves:
- Delivering English lessons to groups of students or to individuals on a 1:1 basis.
- Lesson planning, possibly in line with a specified curriculum.
- The preparation of learning materials like worksheets.
- Managing the virtual classroom.
- Assessment of how well the students are progressing by setting exams and tests.
- Any additional duties required by the language school, such as assigning homework.
Is Online English Teaching Right For Me?
There’s a huge demand for skilled English teachers worldwide. Many governments are now prioritizing language learning to ensure their future generations can be more competitive in the global business arena
That opens up a wealth of opportunities for those with the right skills and qualifications to enjoy the flexibility of this appealing side hustle.
Since online English teaching as a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) professional allows you to choose your hours, you can fit classes into your weekends or evenings if you wish.
Thanks to the role’s adaptability, you can teach as many or as few classes as you want, allowing you to step up a gear if you’re saving for something special or drop a couple of classes if you want to take a break.
While working as a TEFL teacher brings financial benefits, it’s a rewarding side hustle in its own right.
You’ll be helping people to enhance their skills, broaden their horizons, and increase their opportunities, and that’s an experience that should never be underestimated.
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How Much Do Online English Teachers Make?
So how much do you make teaching English online?
The flexible nature of the role means that it’s pretty much up to you. There’s some good money to be made, but how much will depend on your path and how many hours you want to put in.
If you work for one of the online English teaching companies, for example, and agree to work a set number of hours, you can receive a fairly high rate for your lessons.
The more hours you’re prepared to work, the more you’ll earn. For a newly qualified TEFL teacher, you can expect to earn between $10 – $20 per hour.
Once you have more experience, you could earn as much as $40 per lesson.
Another option is to follow self-employment, starting a tutoring business or becoming a freelance English teacher.
This option takes more work since you’ll need to build up your client list, but it does give you the freedom to set your own rate of pay.
Which Qualifications Do I Need?
Unlike some other side hustles, you’re going to need some qualifications if you want to be a successful online English teacher.
Becoming TEFL certified is crucial since that’s what employers will be looking for when taking on teaching staff.
The 120-hour TEFL training course from an accredited provider is the standard in the industry. While you’ll need to invest some time and money in your training, it’s certainly worthwhile since it’ll not only make you more competitive in the marketplace but it’ll also give you the skills and knowledge you need to teach English effectively to overseas learners.
Advanced TEFL courses are available, too, if you want to go one step further.
These will qualify you to teach subjects such as business English, exam prep, or younger learners and give you an even wider range of jobs to pick from.
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Do I Have The Right Skills To Be A TEFL Teacher?
Like most side hustles, being an online TEFL teacher requires certain skills. While teaching English offers financial rewards, it isn’t always an easy job, so you should ensure you’re well-prepared. Some of the soft skills you’ll require include:
Proficiency In English
Most successful TEFL professionals are native English speakers, and although non-natives with fluency may be considered too, it’s harder to get a job.
Having a good understanding of word order patterns, grammar, and linguistic conventions and rules is crucial.
Leadership Skills
Teaching is all about leadership, so you’ll need to be proficient in classroom management to succeed in this side hustle.
Understanding the ways in which people learn is also important so you can create lessons that are suitable for different kinds of learners.
Good Time Management
You need to be able to manage and plan classes effectively to cover all the content within an allotted timeframe. Good organization is, therefore, vital.
Interpersonal Skills
Being able to communicate well in a friendly, approachable way is imperative so that you can create a positive learning environment.
Cultural Sensitivity
Since you’ll be teaching people from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, you need to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment that reflects mutual respect.
Computer Literacy
You must be computer literate since you’ll be using digital tools to teach your classes.
Patience
Not all students will learn at the same pace, so you need to have patience and be willing to repeat and simplify instructions and cope with students who are inattentive or struggling without becoming irritated.
Adaptability
It’s inevitable that not every class will go as expected, so being adaptable couldn’t be more important. You need the skills to change lesson plans or activities in the event that technology fails or something goes wrong.
Do I Need Special Equipment To Teach English Online?
Compared with other side hustles, the great news about online English teaching is that you’ll require minimal special equipment.
All you need to teach English online is a laptop or PC, a headset with earphones and a microphone, and a good internet connection.
Of course, you’ll need some teaching materials, but you can usually find these online, with apps, video lessons, grammar guides, and lesson plans readily available for you to use freely.
Some online language schools will even supply you with the necessary resources for each class, making life even simpler!
How Do I Find An Online English Teaching Job?
So, how do you find an online English teaching job? I have researched and found the platforms that offer English teaching jobs online.
- Preply: Offers flexibility in setting your hourly rate and schedule. While there are no strict requirements to teach on Preply, having a TEFL certificate can significantly boost your chances of success.
- Cambly: Known for its ease of use and flexibility, Cambly requires you to be a native English speaker. It’s a great platform for informal tutoring and conversation practice.
- italki: Allows tutors to set their own rates and offers the option to become either a community tutor with some experience or a professional tutor with a teaching certificate.
- Verbling: Focuses on teachers with experience and higher qualifications, allowing you to set your rates. It’s ideal for those who already have a few years of teaching under their belt.
- Lingoda: Unlike other platforms that rely on freelancers to attract their students, Lingoda schedules classes for you but has stricter requirements for teachers, including certification and experience.
- VIPKid: Connects teachers with children in China. The platform requires a bachelor’s degree and North American accent, but provides all the teaching materials.
- Skooli: Specializes in more academic tutoring, including English. You’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate or specialized instructor qualification to teach on Skooli.
- Fiverr: A freelance marketplace where you can offer your teaching services under the category of online lessons. You have total control over your offerings, rates, and schedule. Fiverr is best for teachers who also want to offer other related services.
- Upwork: Similar to Fiverr, Upwork allows you to post your English teaching services. It caters to a wide range of clients, including adults seeking business English coaching. It requires a detailed profile and proposal process for each job (Go Overseas).
- Qkids: Another platform focusing on teaching English to children in China. Teachers need a bachelor’s degree and are preferred to be from the US or Canada. Qkids provides a set curriculum.
- DaDa: An online English education platform for children, offering flexible teaching hours. Teachers need a bachelor’s degree and a TEFL certification. The platform provides teaching materials and supports interactive teaching methods.
- Freelance tutoring presents an alternative where you can set your own schedule and rates, selecting students you wish to teach. This option suits those looking to be their own boss or supplement their income.
Which Online English Teaching Platforms Pay The Best
The pay for online English teaching platforms varies widely based on several factors, including the teacher’s qualifications, experience, and the type of students being taught (adults, children, business English, etc.). From the platforms discussed:
- italki and Preply stand out because they allow tutors to set their own hourly rates. This means that highly qualified and experienced teachers could potentially earn more by attracting students willing to pay higher rates for top-quality instruction.
- Verbling also offers a similar model, where teachers set their own rates, but they require teachers to have a certain level of experience and qualifications, which can justify higher rates.
It’s important to note that while these platforms allow for potentially higher earnings, your actual income will depend on your ability to market yourself effectively to students, your teaching schedule, and how much time you are willing to dedicate.
Platforms like Cambly might offer lower base rates but provide more consistent booking opportunities due to their large user base seeking informal conversational practice.
Considering these factors, platforms where teachers can set their own rates, such as italki, Preply, and Verbling, could potentially offer the highest pay, especially for teachers with strong qualifications and a good reputation.
Success on these platforms requires building a strong profile and a solid teaching schedule filled with returning students.
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Reap The Benefits Of A Lucrative Side Hustle
Once you’re settled in your online English teaching job, you can enjoy all of the benefits that come with this lucrative side hustle.
Not only will you be making extra income to help you live an even more comfortable lifestyle, but you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re making a real difference in the lives of others, and that can be just as rewarding as the additional money.