Hello everyone I have a two-part question that I’m hoping you can help me with.

I was interested in teaching English remotely after hearing some success stories. I wanted to ask how easy it to get consistent clients to ensure a stable income.

My other question is I see dedicated College Programs in Ontario for this certificate and I see these “express” courses offered. Is there some significant advantage to taking a more formal course, or is it basically the same thing.

Thanks

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well.

TL;DR: Version below.

Longer:

I could use some general work advice. I am a former VIPKid teacher. I used to earn a good income with VIPKid, but unfortunately, when the restrictions were implemented, my teaching career ended abruptly. For months, I was devastated, depressed, and overall not well mentally. I enjoyed teaching immensely, and this position suited me well. I could work from home, which alleviated my social anxiety and the pressures of working in person. For five years, I worked diligently at VIPKid, logging 40-50 hours a week.

After the restrictions, I struggled to find other online work. I tried several platforms, including Native Camp, Outschool, MagicEars, and one random talk app that I think started with "C" and only paid $12 an hour, among a few others. Unfortunately, none had any available work at the time. Outschool was oversaturated in the Art field, and I couldn't secure a class. There was a waitlist, or an issue that prevented me from moving forward. They needed to approve me for that field, but I couldn't get approved. Also, my skill set is limited. I hadn't ventured into any field other than ESL, and I was overwhelmed with nervousness and brain fog about starting in another area of Outschool. Some teachers reportedly make $40+ an hour on Outschool, but the best job I could secure paid only $10 an hour, and that was a remote call center job.

I tried other platforms like Italki and Varsity Tutors. I have an Art degree, but unfortunately, I don’t remember much about the art lessons or details about Art in general. My teaching experience is limited to ESL. At the time, teaching in person was not an option due to health issues, and the risk of catching Covid was too great. My experience with children is limited to classes of fewer than five students.

I was advised that working in a regular teaching setting, such as a public school, was not a suitable fit, and many positions were already filled by other more qualified teachers. I had no skills that set me apart from others with regular classroom experience. So work has been scarce.

After reading this sub, I've seen comments about private tutoring for VIPKid students. I tried to offer parents contact information for private classes, but none contacted me. Despite my efforts, I couldn't convert any to private tutoring. How did you all manage it? I followed all the standard approaches, like including details in the feedback notes and speaking with the parents. However, many teachers advised against it because our contract prohibited it. Frightened by this, I gave up, which I deeply regret.

Times have been really tough for me. I had to take a job at a local call center for $10 an hour to make any income at all. It was a very toxic job that exploited my naive nature. There were times I worked for free for the company, thinking we were a family. Then, when the company faced financial troubles, I was let go. Since then, things have gotten ten times worse due to several personal issues.

I attempted to become a CDL driver, but faced discrimination at the school because I am female. The school, funded by the state, dismissed me three hours before my driving test. Despite contacting over 30 agencies, no one could resolve this issue. Job searching has not been going well.

Anyway, I could use some assistance. I am willing and need to work. Several online ESL teacher friends from before have disappeared. They would mention they are working but not where, as if it was a hidden trade secret. No one would share insights on how to succeed on sites like Outschool. Most of the teaching opportunities online were shrouded in secrecy, and despite my best efforts, I couldn't figure them out. I would get vague comments like "just be yourself," "Make a class that appeals to others," and "It's not hard, just keep trying." I need a job that will pay more than minimum wage. We were discussing how we can both live in the homeless shelters since work has been so scarce and we have been trying to find employment for months. We are in a pretty bad way right now. After seeing that VIPKid is still operational, I plan to check if I can teach there again. This little bit of tiny hope, and this forum has really helped me. I did not realize there were still ESL jobs around, I did not realize there were still opportunities out there. This has given me some hope. I REALLY DON’T WANT TO FAIL AGAIN.

I don't want to fail, so this time I need to ensure I diversify my income, and I hope someone here would be willing to offer some advice.

TL;DR: I have only ever been an ESL teacher, and my degree is in Art. I do not have any experience except teaching smaller classes of fewer than five students. My art degree was not very extensive, and my skills are limited. I need advice on how to make money as an ESL teacher or a teacher in general. I am willing to learn; my current skill set is very limited. Please help.

I'm thinking about using Teams. Which program do you use to teach online and how does it compare to Teams?

hi i brought the 168 hour course from the TEFL academy. Im wondering how long it will actually take to complete? I have completed the first out of 10 units in about 10 hours. not sure if all the units have the same structure.

As stated in title: I teach an online 1-hour M-F class to a Korean middle school student who is currently at the post-B1 level, I think he could handle B2 or C1 class content. Looking for a textbook recommendation. I have been teaching him for four months and making daily lessons based on current topics in the news but would like to switch to a textbook. Any recommendations welcome, thanks in advance. (crossposted to r/TEFL)

My mom has been teaching Spanish online for a while. She loves it.
But she kept complaining about how time-consuming (and boring) it is to schedule classes and keep track of payments. 
All existing solutions were bad, old, and expensive. 
So I built Waterlesson to help her out. A website where students can schedule and pay for her classes on their own.
Now she spends all that time reading, writing, and sunbathing. And funny enough, gets more classes booked.
Would love to help more teachers do the same. Let me know if you'd like to set up your own page :)

Hey everyone! I've been tutoring on sites like Cambly and Preply for a while, and we can all agree that the pay leaves much to be desired. It's been a decent stepping stone, but I'm looking to transition into private online tutoring where I can set my rates higher. I'm planning a move to Poland in September and aim to build up a student base there. But in the meantime, I'm curious how online English tutors attract students.
Do I need to poach students from Cambly or Preply and tell them that I can offer more help through a private sessions? Online advertising? TikTok account? What's the best way to establish myself as a private tutor and attract a consistent stream of students? I'd appreciate any advice or personal experiences you could share. Thanks in advance for your help!

I want to start working towards a remote job (allow for more flexibility, and more options to live overseas) and im considering teaching English online. I do not have a degree or any English teaching experience but I was thinking of taking the courses from TTA to get certified.
I know that some countries need more than that but not all of them. And I would still have the option to teach online.
Just looking for insight/advise.

I'm looking for advice about the most accurate tool to use to detect the CEFR levels of texts. I've tried text inspector, cathoven, and road to grammar, with varying results. Has anyone got one that they use and depend on?

I teach children and I am looking for an online course that helps me prepare young learners for the Cambridge Young Learners exams (starters, movers, flyers). I found teaching Ielts exam prep courses, but nothing for kids. Aren't there any?

I am a history teacher currently in between jobs and am waiting until May to get another round of applications out, which wouldn't start before September.

I was thinking about getting a certificate and doing some online courses and, don't know, maybe even keep it as a side hustle on evenings/weekends if a thing like that is possible. I haven't seen any opportunities locally so Online would be my only option. I was wondering if something like that would be possible? Can you have a rather flexible contract with an org to work on evenings/weekends and if, where exactly could I look all of that up?

I initially waned to the CELTA certificate but wondered if it was worth it given that many people seem to indicate that in the end, it's just a certificate to get a foot in the door, rather than be a real asset to launch yourself in a new career.

Any help and guidance would be much appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m a native English speaker from Britain and I’ve been teaching English as a foreign language for over a year remotely. I have a degree in English literature and speak Spanish at an upper intermediate level.

I’m about to start the Trinity Cert and I’m hoping to jump straight on teaching online as soon as I finish the course. I’d like to travel to Latin America, but it looks like I’ll only have a tourist visa so I’d be limited to remote work. Is it realistic to be able to get even just a part time job (say 3 hours a day) with a reasonable rate of pay per hour (at least £10) quite quickly after finishing the course?

The school I’m studying with does have an employment programme, but I’d like to have all bases covered and I know it’ll take work on my part to get a decent job too.

PS - if anyone has any recommendations for any decent online schools that I can apply for, that would be greatly appreciated.

Hey awesome people. I am looking for online TEFL jobs where there is no degree required. i only have a 420 hour level 5 certification. If anyone knows of any good companies that are worth applying to please let me know.

I am about to complete my TEFL Level 5 and want to start tutoring online remotely. I live in a Southern African country and am not necessarily able to open a PayPal account. Does anyone have any recommendations on platforms I could use to find a job that pays well and does not require me to have a PayPal account/ will pay directly into y ank account? tHANKS

My girlfriend and I are moving to Mexico City for three months in September. I work remotely and my gf is a teacher here in England. She would like to teach while we are over there but is a little unsure about how to go about it. She is French but is also proficient in Spanish. She has been teaching primary school in England for 4 years or so and did her teaching degree here. Will it be possible to find a teaching job for 3 months? If a school wouldn't take her on for only 3 months, would she struggle to get a work visa? The pay isn't hugely important as we are saving up atm but she needs to earn something. Will she need a TEFL qualification as English isn't her first language (although she is fluent). Does anyone have any tips?? Thanks!

They both seem like they give you the knowledge you need, but I want someone’s opinion who has done one of them. also it says it’s recognized world wide but I read on TEFL subreddit that none are. So if I get it from either of those in the US when I go to Cambodia would It be valid there? If they aren’t recognized world wide how do yk where it works at?

I’ve heard no TEFL is internationally recognized, what does that mean? If I got a TEFL from a company located in The UK or US could I get a job in Cambodia? If not what are good courses based in Cambodia?

Has anyone had any experiences with Speakingathome? They seem to be based in Madrid. I am just a bit skeptical!

Do you have any resources or ideas about my student's situation?

She is a mother who is fluent, basically native-like in English because she spent a couple of years growing up in the states as a child. I mean, when I first started teaching her, I thought she was American. Her accent is so native, but since she lives in her home-country again and has two toddlers now, she wants to raise them speaking English at home. I have prepared a document with sentences and phrases that I grew up with such as, "Hey guys, we gotta be out in 5. Are you getting ready?". I mean, real sentences you would use in daily life that a person who didn't grow up in the USA their whole life might not know. But after two pages of phrases, I've hit a block and don't know how to proceed. I tried enlisting the help of ChatGPT but it gives very unnatural phrases no matter how I word the prompt.

Any places I could get some more phrases?

I'm looking to get a TEFL qualification. I have no degree and nothing spectacular with regards to finding a 'niche'. But I'm just looking to have it as a side hustle, reliable extra cash here and there.

I will consider getting some more experience elsewhere to enhance myself as a tutor but for now, I have some questions for where I'm starting from:

I'm UK based and looking to be an ONLINE tutor.

• is there a big enough demand for someone like me?
• how much could I look to start on?

Ideally I'd like to make £80/week.

Thanks! (Just before I go ahead and invest in the wrong thing!!

I'm an English teacher from the U.S., and some people have asked me to tutor them privately but once the mention of cost comes up, I tend to end the discussion. I have no clue what to charge.

I have not made good money in this profession at all, and I blame that partly on my fear of asking too much. In fact, this has held me back from tutoring privately.

I have been teaching English for about 9 years now and have CELTA, MA TESOL, and other degrees. Yet, I have such a hard time thinking I am that good, which transfers in me not earning enough to survive.

I want to know how to break this idea and what I should change. I currently live in the Republic of Georgia where rates are very low. I was asked about tutoring from a student in Spain who was referred to me, but when the topic of cost came up, I just left her hanging.

So, what should I charge? I feel like this is what has held me back for a long time. I mean, what's the point of spending over $50,000 on a master's degree and $1200 on a CELTA if I'm too afraid to recoup the cost?

I've taught (in person) a number of years ago and now, I've had an ex-student reach out to me to teach online a few times a week. I have no idea where to start with pricing, I am a native speaker with a few years of experience.

I also thought it would be neat to help people see where they are on the bell curve oftheir own Education, how long they have been doing it, versus compensation. It might help people switch companies if they realize they are being poorly compensated. Also, the nationality of the student will play a role, I assume Chinese students generally have more finances to put towards education, English especially.

Please include your education/experience, whether or not you are a Native English speaker, if you are working on your own or for a company, and hourly.

I am a South African who has no experience in TEFL but recently recieved my certificate. I have no degree either. Many jobs are requiring these. I have seen some job offers, but I am wondering what is considered a low or good rate per hour in dollars. I also have to use apps that require conversion fees. Some being relatively higher than the rate per hour. Many jobs are offering 2 dollars an hour which is very low in my opinion, however, I was working minimum wage with an even lower salary. Though this was in Rands, so I didn't have to be charged a conversion fee to recieve my money.

I have a good headset but it isn't noise-cancelling, and I currently do not have a back up power supply, only a UPS. We do get power cuts here, but I am working on buying a portable power station for these situations. Should I be charging less based on my technical difficulties?

Any advice is appreciated.

My wife and I are currently travelling in New Zealand, will be in Australia for a year afterwards. We've thought about supplementing our income with online TEFL but aren't sure where to start. I've looked at some companies, but everything I apply for ends up being TEFL Tinder, where students/parents see your 'rating' and decide if they want your classes or not, lots of self promotion involved etc. I'd assumed there would be more options where the company organises your regular classes, provides teaching materials and then you deliver lessons according to a schedule (kind of like working for a training centre), is that not the case? If you have any experience of teaching TEFL online or know what companies are best, please chime in!

For context, we both have 5+ years TEFL experience teaching in China (including lots of online teaching throughout the lockdowns). I'm British, my wife is Chinese, we both have CerTESOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_kq0wL9FpMc

Anyone here did a groupon course that was somehow beneficial?

Hi, I am stuck on my first assignment with The TEFL Academy Level 5 Assignment A? Has anyone done this course before and could give me some guidance please? It would be much appreciated if you could DM. I'm struggling with it and don't know where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks x.

I am deeply distressed and extremely disappointed with the current situation. I have no intention of attending any of Henry Harvin’s courses and I am frustrated that I am being forced to do so. Despite my numerous attempts to cancel the program and request a refund, my pleas have been ignored. This review is my last resort to bring attention to my predicament. I am adamant about canceling the program as I have lost interest. I took out a loan from Affirm with an interest of $980 specifically for this program, but I have not attended a single session. The staff member who registered me, Sahil, can be reached at (209) 783 8720. He completely blindsided me by failing to mention the refund policy. Even when I reached out to him for cancellation after missing classes for two days, he did not mention the refund policy and instead asked for 48 hours to discuss with management. It has been almost a month since then, and he has refused to answer my calls or respond to my messages. I desperately need assistance as this issue is causing me immense distress. I am at a loss for what to do, but the truth remains that I cannot be forced to pay $3987 to Affirm for a program I neither need nor attended.