Teach English Online or Abroad

A Guide for New ESL Teachers

Are you thinking about moving abroad to teach English? Or maybe taking a whirl at the remote work lifestyle. If so, there are plenty of opportunities out there!

More than 1.5 billion people are learning English across the world, which makes it the most studied language on the planet.

And you know what? ESL jobs are looking to have a 11-14% growth rate by the year 2030. So, even during these uncertain times teaching English can be a fun, profitable, and stable way of bringing in the bucks.

Whether you are looking to make a little extra money on the side, or are considering making a total career change; this article is going to tell you all you need to know about becoming an ESL teacher.

What is an ESL teacher?

An ESL teacher (English as a Second Language) is an instructor that teaches non-native English speakers of all ages how to communicate in English.

The main tasks of an ESL teacher are creating and delivering lesson plans that focus on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

You will be working with students of all ages, personalities, cultural and educational backgrounds. So, it’s important that you are not only creative and flexible, but also sensitive to the differences that you will be experiencing from students from all over the world.

With this in mind– prepare yourself for some laughs, uncomfortable moments, and the beginning of some really good stories.

Note: You do not have to have a degree in Education to become an ESL teacher.

How to Become an ESL Teacher

Depending on where you teach will affect what requirements you must have, and what kind of setting you will be teaching in.

However, before we go over what the requirements are to becoming an ESL teacher, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.

Who do you want to teach?

Children? Adults? Business professionals? Take a look at the experience you already have. Figure out your strengths and work them to your benefit. Because when it comes down to it, each group has their advantages and disadvantages.

For instance, children may get bored easily requiring lots of energy, (and the occasional hand puppet.) But at the same time, they are eager to learn and fearless when it comes to making mistakes unlike adult learners.

On the other hand, business professionals can be a lot more serious, often needing you to deliver on very specific guidelines. Even though these jobs can be more demanding they are usually the highest paid jobs in the industry.

How good is your English?

Native Speakers

Are you a native English speaker? Then without a doubt you can become an ESL teacher. However, you might be like me and may need to brush up on your grammar basics before you begin. Fortunately, there are plenty of workshops and crash courses that can get you to the level you need.

Even if you aren’t a native speaker, there are still plenty of opportunities out there, it just may take a little more work to find the right job for you.

Non-native English Speakers

When it comes to learning a new language there are different learning levels; from beginner (A1) all the way to advanced (C2). And within those levels you can teach general English, English conversation, or Business English.

For non-native speakers most jobs will want you to be at a C2 English level, and they will have more requirements than they would with a native speaker. Usually either more teaching experience (2-5 years,) or higher certification.

Where do you want to teach English?

One of the biggest advantages working as an ESL teacher is the freedom of choosing where and how you want to work. And talk about flexibility! It’s up to you to decide whether you want to teach as a freelancer, or if you’d rather work for a school that provides the students (and sometimes even the course work.)

You have the opportunity to teach English to students in your own country, stationed at a school abroad, or sitting on a beach somewhere working from your laptop as a digital nomad. With so many options available there is a perfect fit waiting for you.

How much does an ESL teacher make?

The average salary of an ESL is about $18.97 per hour. But this is all depends on what country you will be teaching in. For example, the average ESL teacher salary in Germany is between 15 and 35 euros per teaching hour (45 min.)

In general, online teaching pays less than working at an on-site institution. However, if you want to widen your prospects you can specialize in a specific field, such as medicine or engineering for students who need a more focused course structure. This alone can help increase your salary or hourly rate.

Requirements to Teach English

Teaching online

If you are going to teach online life here are the things you will need:

Laptop, tablet, or cellphone (two would be preferable just in case something goes wrong)
A reliable internet connection
Learning materials (there are tons of free resources for teachers such as Linguahouse.)
Proficient knowledge of English

I want to note that I did not put Bachelor’s degree or teaching experience on these requirements. Because it is POSSIBLE to teach English online without these things. But I do want to stress that it won’t be easy as many people like to claim. How do I know? Because I was one of these people.

Yes. You can teach English without a degree. Yes. You can teach English without experience. You can even do it without both. But if you want to work full-time as a digital nomad and live a comfortable life overseas somewhere. It. Will. Take. Time.

Teaching at a School Abroad

If you decide you need a little more stability but still want to experience the life abroad, here are some things that you will need to teach at a school in another country.

***(The steps to teaching ESL at home will be the same except for the additional license you would need from your state of residency.)

Required:

Bachelor’s degree -or- Equivalent
ESL, TEFL, or TESOL certification

1. Earning a Bachelor’s degree

Most institutions require ESL teacher to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. However, what most people won’t tell you is: if you don’t have a degree some employers will accept work experience as a type of technical education.

Especially if your work experience is in a specialized sector such as: business, tourism, or hospitality.

You can even look into seeing if you can use your work experience to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

2. Get ESL certified

All ESL teachers need to complete an ESL training program. This will help in assessing a student’s writing, conversation, and comprehension skills. And it will help you brush up on your own grammar basics.

But in your search for the perfect ESL certification program, you may come across words like TEFL, TESOL, ESL, EFL…

Huh?

Don’t worry. I have the breakdown of the most common certifications for ESL teachers here:

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language
TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
CELTA: Certificate for English Language Teaching to Adults
DELTA: Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults

So, what course should you take?

If you are interested in teaching English in a foreign country then TEFL certification is going to be your best bet.

If you want to teach in your home country then TESL or TESOL would be the options for you.

The two most advanced qualifications when it comes to ESL certifications are the CELTA and DELTA. These are required by important institutions such as Universities or Colleges.

Also, you will want to make sure your course provides a minimum of 120 hours for their certification, (this is the usual requirement for most jobs.)

Beware: You’ll run into a lot of scams charging you thousands of dollars for a course that is not certified.

Personally, I recommend ITTT, International TEFL and TESOL Training. They have excellent course materials and their courses not only are certified, but are listed at an affordable price.

3. Learn a Second Language

Even though learning a second language is not required, it is something that I highly recommend.

I struggled in the beginning of my ESL career because my lack of German not only limited my ability to help my students, but it also narrowed how many students I could teach. As I was new to teaching, I was not comfortable teaching advanced students, and at the same time I couldn’t teach beginner or lower level students either because of the language barrier.

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4. Consider further Education

Knowledge may be power, my friend, but obtaining additional certification is the key to better job opportunities and higher pay. And if you decide that you want to teach English in Germany like me, then certification is the ultimate King.

Additional certification you may want to consider is:

IELTS proctor
Intercultural Communication classes
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Social Media and Marketing workshops

5. Get Experience

Okay, so now you have all of the above, Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent,) TEFL certification, and you even started learning a new language on “Duolingo.” Now, you think it’s time to throw yourself out there in the job market and see what you can catch. But there’s a problem.

Your potential employers want you to have teaching experience, before you teach. And you can’t get experience until you teach. A catch 22 at it’s finest.

Start tutoring on the side

You have a few options. First, as you begin your process of ESL certification, you can do what I did and start tutoring students privately at home. I did this just to pack some experience underneath my belt, but this small decision ended up turning into a now booming business venture.

Volunteer

Maybe you’re nervous about moving to another country, or maybe you need to get some real-life experience before you make the jump into a new career. There are tons of volunteer programs at home or abroad that can give you the experience you need to become an ESL teacher.

Goabroad
Workaway
Volunteer at local organization such as, Boys and Girls Club, library, or tutoring company

Highest Paying Online ESL Companies

Magic Ears

Average salary: $22-$26 USD per hour

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree (or enrolled in college), and a six-month commitment

Landi English

Average salary: $16-$23 USD per hour

Requirements: bachelor’s degree, speaks English at a C2 level, eligible to work in the US, Canada, or UK.

VIPKid

Average salary: $14-$18 per hour plus incentives

Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree, mentoring/teaching experience, US or Canadian citizen.

DaddaABC

Average Salary: $17-$18

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, minimum of 10 teaching hours per month.

Online ESL Companies that don’t require a Bachelor’s Degree

Cambly

Average salary: $0.017 per minute ($10.20 USD per hour)

Requirements: Native Speaker

Palfish

Average salary: $10-$12 USD per hour

Requirements: Must be a US resident (or expat abroad), have a TEFL certificate or 48 college credit hours.

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