Teaching English online is an excellent way for English teachers to maximize their income. Through online courses you can find students and clients from all around the world. With an extensive knowledge of the English language and vast teaching experience you can attract many students and make the most out of online English tutoring. But there is one final thing you can do to be the perfect tutor. You can attain an English teaching certificate. A degree in English teaching is what makes the clients choose you as their teacher. But what kind of degree do you need to make your tutoring resume shine? Let’s read this article and find out.
- TESL certificate to teach speakers of English as a second language
- TEFL degree to teach non-native (foreign) English speakers
- TESOL degree like TEFL but with added cultural focus
- CELTA certificate for novice adult teachers
- DELTA certificate for expert English teachers
Is teaching English online the right job for you?
Besides the must-have qualities, such as expertise, patience, creativity, empathy, and motivational skills every English teacher and tutor possesses, there are other criteria for those who aim to tutor English courses online. First and foremost, an English teacher who pursues teaching online courses should understand the strengths and limitations of such courses.
Are you interested in knowing about the characteristics of skilled tutors? Click on the 8 most important skills of a good tutor to learn more.
The advantages of online English courses
An online English tutor course allows tutors to enjoy a flexible schedule and find clients within and beyond the borders of their country. Also, online courses have the added benefit of incorporating technology into the teaching process. You can record the sessions for future reference or monitoring purposes. Plus, digital tools such as digital whiteboards, graphs, tables, interactive exercises, etc., can make the teaching process more interesting and engaging.
The disadvantages of online English courses
However, there are some challenges in the way of teaching English online. The most important issue is a stable internet connection on both your and your students’ ends. Poor internet connection can disrupt the sessions. Another challenge in online classrooms is building rapport. Since the teacher does not meet the students in person, it is fairly difficult to create an intimate atmosphere.
Moreover, students are exposed to more sources of distraction when they are at home. So, you must make more effort to keep them engaged with the learning process. Finally, a virtual classroom is not as structured as a physical classroom, and you should make the students feel they are formally making progress and that these sessions are different from other fun things they do online.
Now, if you can see yourself tutoring an English course in front of your webcam without having difficulties getting your message across, you can consider teaching English online. You need to adapt to the virtual teaching environment to take advantage of its features and mitigate its shortcomings. The point here is that the merits of online tutoring courses outweigh the merits. If you aim to increase your productivity in language teaching, you need to learn the necessary skills to engage in virtual teaching as well.
What tools do I need to teach English online
First, you need to be proficient in using Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) like Google Classroom or other online conferencing tools such as Skype or Zoom. Second, you need an online whiteboard to teach the course, and you should be able to control it with your mouse and keyboard. Third, you need a document-sharing platform such as One Drive or Google Drive to store the files you need to share with your students. These services allow you to share the files via links instead of uploading the docs individually for each student. Fourth, you should use a powerful messaging app, such as Telegram, to help you keep in touch with your clients. Also, Telegram can replace document-sharing platforms thanks to its unlimited cloud storage feature.
We have comprehensively talked about all the tools you need to teach English online. Click on “What does a private tutor need? Best tools for online tutoring” to learn more.
Online free English courses for English tutors
Before starting to teach English, you need to master the properties of the English language. Depending on your target audience, you need to take certain courses to learn how to teach. At the onset, you can start with free English courses to familiarize yourself with the general teaching frameworks. Many online platforms provide English courses for tutors for free like Coursera. Coursera provides a plethora of courses for English tutors. These courses are run by various universities worldwide, and they can teach you the fundamentals of teaching the English language online. Arizona State University holds some of the best courses on the Coursera platform, namely, Teaching Language Online, Lesson Design and Assessment, and Technology Enriched Teaching.
The table below lists other platforms where you can participate in free English courses.
| Platform | Description |
| TESOL International Association | Offers useful materials to keep your methods updated |
| Cambridge English Teacher | Provides you with useful resources to teach English for all levels and different purposes. |
| British Council | Includes a lot of webinars, podcasts, and blog posts to help you enhance your teaching skills. |
| American TESOL institute | Empowers you to create a customized TESOL training path that aligns with your specific career aspirations and teaching interests. |
| FutureLearn | Includes courses as well as articles on teaching English language |
| Alison | Provides capsule courses (3-4 hours) on TEFL teaching English online |
| EdX | Contains courses on language teaching among other things. |
Online paid courses for English teachers
You need to pay tuition for advanced courses on teaching the English language. For instance, you need to enroll in paid courses to obtain TESOL, TESL TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, and TKT certificates. These courses take 100 to 120 hours on average (three months), but depending on the institutes that hold these courses, you can participate in intensive courses and finish earlier. We should note that you need to be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma to be able to join these courses. Of course, depending on the institute, you may also be required to provide a BA degree in English.
We have discussed these courses in detail in another article:
The table below summarizes the certificates and the focus of the courses on each certificate.
Certificate |
Course Specifications |
Course Objectives |
| Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) | Designed for non-native English teachers, the course covers designing lesson plans, classroom management, language skills, grammar, and vocabulary. | Teaching English in non-native English-speaking countries |
| Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) | The course is tailored for teachers aiming to teach English to non-native students living in an English-speaking country. | Teaching English to non-native students in English-speaking countries |
| Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) | It is similar to TEFL but emphasizes the cultural considerations in teaching English | Teaching English in both English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries |
| Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) | Cambridge University directs the course and is suitable for adults with little knowledge of language teaching. It covers the fundamentals of language teaching. | Acquiring practical skills to teach English to adult students |
| Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DELTA) | Another Cambridge course designed for experienced teachers aiming to expand their knowledge of language teaching. The course analyzes language theories and research methodologies. | Understanding the theoretical underpinnings of language teaching |
Which English teaching course should I take?
If teaching English is going to be your profession and earn you a living, you need a specialized educational background in order to compete with others. A subject-related degree makes finding a job as an English teacher or tutor far easier. A university degree in teaching is just fine, but you should have any of the abovementioned internationally valid certificates for international job opportunities.
You should decide on the certificate and the respective course by considering your language teaching expertise, goals, and resources. By way of explanation, reaching for a TEFL degree is a plausible idea if you are a novice teacher in a non-English speaking country. In other words, it would be challenging and too optimistic for new teachers to take the DELTA course since it requires a deep understanding and extensive experience in language teaching. Moreover, you should consider your resources realistically and check whether you can invest enough time, energy, and money to pass these courses.
English teachers’ testimonials about language certificates
A review of teachers’ testimonials who have participated in TESL and TEFL courses indicates that these courses allowed them to dive deep into language teaching and understand the logic behind various teaching methodologies. Furthermore, the testimonials indicate that TEFL and other TESL and other similar courses helped them understand the cultural aspects of language teaching. They could understand the differences between various English dialects and accents. Additionally, since the teachers participating in such courses come from different backgrounds, they could learn a lot from each other and enjoy the colorful diversity of participants. Overall, English teachers with language certificates gain a deeper understanding of language teaching and develop their character as English instructors.
Purpose-based English courses
Another approach to preparing for teaching English is by categorizing the courses based on the participants’ purposes. Students take online English classes for a variety of reasons. Beginner learners are interested in taking General English courses to learn the basic components of the English language and improve their listening, speaking, reading, writing skills, vocabulary, and grammar. General English learners do not necessarily have a specific purpose for taking the course; they can simply participate for personal growth and self-development.
Teaching General English courses is the starting point in most English teachers’ careers. As they gain experience and practice the teaching methods in General English courses, they get ready to teach more advanced and more specific courses. The General English courses lay the foundation for both learners and teachers to participate in other purpose-driven courses. Examples of these special courses include:
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English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
EAP courses are popular among students who aim to pursue their education abroad, especially in English-speaking countries such as Canada and the United States, which are student-friendly. EAP courses help students develop reading skills to comprehend long and complex texts as well as listening skills to take notes of a scientific lecture. Moreover, regarding productive skills, students learn how to participate in seminars and debates and write articles based on scientific research through EAP courses. EAP courses also focus on critical thinking and familiarize the participants with the academic culture.
Many non-native students in the United States and Canada are looking for online tutors. If you are interested in tutoring courses in Canada and the US, read the following articles.
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English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
As the name suggests, ESP learners have joined English courses for a specific purpose. The purpose can be communicating and negotiating in the business domain and professional contexts. ESP courses can be designed for any subject or discipline to satisfy the language needs of various professions. Other ESP courses include: “English for Tourism and Hospitality , English for Medical Professionals, English for Legal professionals , English for Science and Technology , English for Oil Industry, English for Engineering, English for Aviation, English for Maritime Purposes”
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How to teach purpose-based English courses?
Teaching ESP courses should start with needs analysis so that you know the student’s current language knowledge and what to focus on during the course. As ESP teachers, you should rely on subject-related contexts and use the vocabulary and terminology used in that subject. ESP courses should enable your students to communicate in the respective area effectively. It is also a good idea to teach the ESP students some soft skills and raise cultural awareness to maximize their success in getting their message across in the specific context of the target language. Of course, like any other language course, you should monitor your learner’s progress and provide them with adequate and appropriate feedback.
Popular places to teach TEFL
TEFL courses are popular in non-English speaking countries, such as Japan, South Korea, China, and some countries in the Middle East, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Non-English-speaking European countries like Spain, Italy, and France are other popular places to teach TEFL courses. However, you should consider regulatory, cultural, and developmental factors to teach TEFL. You need to see whether you can survive in the culture of the target country and whether you can make ends meet as a TEFL teacher. But thanks to online teaching platforms, you do not need to move to another country just for the sake of your job.
Of course, the best countries to teach TEFL are the ones with lots of immigrants and students. The United States and Canada are popular destinations for many international students and, as a result, these countries are also suitable for teaching TEFL courses.
Still unsure about joining TEFL courses? Read the article “Why TEFL Certification is essential?” to make up your mind.
Finding online tutoring jobs with Ostado
Ostado is a leading online English tutoring platform where you can tutor many different courses without worrying about finding clients. As Ostado is trusted by hundreds of students from all around the world, the tutors can easily find suitable clients. The Ostado platform has created an online environment for English tutors to maximize their earnings and get the most out of their teaching skills. By using Ostado, you can enjoy:
- High income
- Regular and on-time payments
- Free advertisements
- Flexible working hours
- International audience and clientele
Conclusion
In this article, we first elaborated on the two primary modes of teaching English, i.e., teaching in physical and virtual classrooms, and then explained the pros and cons of each mode. Then, we explained the English language certificates and how each can empower your position as an English tutor. We also explained how you can approach language teaching based on your students’ purposes of taking the courses. Hopefully, by reading this article, you can better decide about choosing the appropriate language certificate. You can also use the links throughout the article to get your hands on insightful articles and other resources that help you reach your target more easily.
FAQs:
- How much does a TEFL course cost?
Online TEFL courses cost $100 to $500, and in-person courses cost $1000 to $2000.
- Can I get a TEFL certificate for free?
You need to pay tuition to take part in TEFL courses, and even if you find free courses, you will not obtain a creditable degree as it ends.
- How long does a TEFL course take?
TEFL courses typically take 100 to 120 hours, and you need to attend the classes for about three months
