Did you know there are plenty of people teaching English to international students from the comfort of their homes and making money online? Thanks to online learning and technology like Zoom, teaching ESL (English as a second language) has become a rewarding career and the primary source of income for many.
If you are a native English speaker or highly proficient in the language and looking for ways to make a little extra money by tutoring students, teaching English online is a great option. Given the upsurge in demand for English tutors, it is increasingly feasible for teachers to take advantage of these tech-meets-education opportunities.
Keep reading if you are looking for efficient ways to build your tutoring business online as an English tutor.
Getting started
Contrary to popular opinion, it is recommended to start your teaching journey by working for an established company or a tutoring platform. If your teaching experience is limited and you are not a tech-savvy person, working for an established company acts as the best “internship” you can ever have. Admittedly, the revenue you could make would be low, but you will have hands-on experience in running a tutoring job.
Become a subject expert
The market is highly competitive and crowded with subject experts. Hence it is important to demonstrate your expertise to your target audience. Make sure you have a Teaching English as a Foreign language (TEFL) certification to deliver complex language concepts to your foreign learners.
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If you have valid experience in teaching English for years, you can start teaching online without a certification as well. But make sure you know the language thoroughly and you have the skills to communicate the concepts with your learners. After all, your learners are paying for your expertise and experience.
Set up your online tutoring space
Taking up an online English teaching career can allow you to connect with a remote audience. To facilitate efficient tutoring, you need the right online tutoring space. Start with a simple setup like a laptop, camera, mic, fast internet connection, and a tutoring platform.
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Make sure the space you choose to take your classes is a calm and quiet place without much distractions that might affect the quality of your classes. Make it a practice to use headphones with the mic as you want to be as clear as possible to your learners.
Your online tutoring space is your professional space where you are going to teach out students. Have the materials you need close by; keep the notes handy. Being in a relaxed and calm environment to communicate better with your students.
Building a language learning platform
As we said in the beginning, when getting started, it is recommended to rely on a language learning platform or a marketplace to establish yourself as an English tutor. A third-party platform eliminates all the work you need to do initially, like finding learners, marketing yourself, accepting payments, and all the hassles that come along with it. However, as you build a reputable name as an English tutor among your target audience, you would require to grow beyond the limitations offered by the third-party platform.
For example, when you are teaching on another website, the platform takes a major share of the hard-earned money you have made. It might also impose restrictions on connecting on a deeper level with your students. Most platforms don’t allow you to connect with the learners outside the platform.
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This is when creating your own language learning website becomes the best bet. However, the cost associated with it and the efforts required to build a website from scratch refrains tutors from attempting it. However, modern technology has made the entire process simpler.
You can choose online tutoring software to build your language learning site with the required customizations. For example, Pinlearn is one of the best tutoring software you can rely on to build a language learning platform to deliver your English classes. The readymade solution comes with all features required to deliver a seamless learning experience for your students.
Find learners
You are well-prepared to teach your target audience, and they are looking for expert English tutors. The main problem you might face is finding your potential students as they are spread all across the world. The easiest way to connect with new learners is to explore social platforms and networks.
You can also be a part of tutoring networks on social media to spread the word about your tutoring service to get learners. You can leverage paid advertisements on Facebook and Google to increase your exposure.
Have fun
Teaching English can be a rewarding way to connect with learners from around the world. It is a great opportunity to utilize your expertise and help others achieve their goals. You also get the opportunity to share your interest and culture with your learners. And you can learn theirs as well. Make sure you enjoy the process when taking classes to your learners. Praise your learners for even the smallest achievements and progress they make.
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When you are having fun, your learners will resonate with it as well, making the learning experience enjoyable. Learning a new language is a long process, and even the most committed learners could get discouraged at some point. As a professional tutor, you must ensure you acknowledge your students’ progress and provide valuable guidance that helps to improve their efforts.
Conclusion
The greatest thing about becoming an English tutor online is that you can teach anywhere, and anytime. The requirements to start teaching English online are quite less considering the hassles you have to go through to be a teacher in a school or a college. Because of the internet, the globe has become a tiny place where you are likely to have students from countries you haven’t even visited.
Another plus is that teaching English online is more than teaching iffy grammar rules. Leverage this opportunity to reach a broad audience and really connect with them. If you follow these steps and tips, you will soon become an expert in the industry.