Teaching English ONLINE
Everything you need to know about teaching English Online!
In 2018, we moved to Vietnam to complete our TESOL courses and to teach English in-class. After a few months, we realized that we wanted a bit of a “digital nomad lifestyle” where we would be able to work on our computers, make money and travel at the same time. That’s when we decided to teach English online and we are SO happy that we made that change!
We get lots and lots of questions about online teaching so we've decided to answer those questions all in one place. Before we get into it though, we have to say that online teaching can be a difficult market to get into but we really want to try and help you land a job because it honestly is one of the BEST things we have ever done.
This is a general article, some companies require different things and companies are always changing their requirements, but these are the basics:
Let’s get started!
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree (non-degree holders, keep reading)
TESOL/TEFL certificate (minimum 120 hours). We trust Ninja Teacher and Live Local Asia for TESOL certificates
Requirements:
Native English speaker from USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa (most companies stopped hiring South Africans. I will list companies that still hire South Africans later on)
A computer with a fast internet connection and good audio/video capability
Headset with microphone
WiFi speeds minimum of 4/4mbps (this can vary between companies- SayABC is 20/4mbps)
Ethernet/ LAN cable plugged into modem (this can also vary between companies but for better internet connection, it’s a good idea to have anyways)
Quiet room with a clean background
A patient, enthusiastic personality
Some teaching experience
Pay:
Companies generally pay between $10-$21 per hour. Although, some companies pay less than that at around $7 and some pay more at around $21-$30. It really just depends on the company. You should earn anywhere between $600-$2500 a month, but it totally depends on how many hours you work.
Our company, SayABC, pays $19 an hour, and all companies will pay directly into your local bank account. We HIGHLY suggest signing up for TransferWise to avoid all international bank fees. For anyone that works online, TransferWise is the best.
Hours:
Usually always in Beijing times:
Monday-Friday: 4pm -9pm
Saturday & Sunday: 8am-9pm
Some companies run all day long, once again, it depends on the company.
Popular Companies:
There are hundreds of companies (all Chinese-owned), but these are the companies that we have found are most popular and we know people that work/have worked at all of these:
SayABC (no longer hiring anyone)
PalFish (does hire South Africans? Part of PalFish doesn’t require a degree)
DaDa ABC (does hire South Africans)
Preply (does hire South Africans)
MagicEars (does hire South Africans)
PandaABC (does hire South Africans)
BlingABC (does hire South Africans)
iTalki (does hire South Africans + no degree needed)
Cambly Kids (hires South Africans + no degree needed)
Pros of teaching online:
Can work from virtually anywhere
Earn in USD
You choose your hours
Very easy job
Cons of teaching online:
Have to ensure no internet or technological issues (South Africans, have backups for load-shedding!)
Strange working hours in relation to Beijing times
Can be draining and stressful, don’t underestimate it!
Strict leave policies
Final Suggestions:
Apply to one company at a time, and do not be disheartened if you’re not hired by the first few. There are many companies so apply to as many as possible until you’re hired. Working for more than one company at a time can be stressful and times can get mixed up so we suggest filling up your schedule with one company first, and then filling in the gaps with a second or even third company.
All the best and feel free to email us at hello@rhettandclaire.com for any more questions!
