Looking for a great way to work from home and earn an income without ever leaving the house? Teach English online from home.
It’s an amazing way to learn more about other cultures and you can teach students from all around the world. Plus, you get to utilize your knowledge of the English language and make money off of it! What’s not to like?
There are many companies that offer online English teaching jobs, but not all of them are created equal. Some companies offer teaching jobs with higher pay rates, more flexible hours, and better working conditions than others. Other online TEFL jobs may request native English speakers only.
Before applying to and settling on one, you should therefore try to examine all of the options available to you. There are a lot of online companies offering teaching opportunities out there. Just be aware that most of them will require you to have completed a TEFL course and be fluent in English. With that in mind, read on to find out about some of the best companies to teach with.
11 of the Best Companies Where You Can Teach English Online From Home
To help you find the best online English teaching job for you, we’ve compiled a list of the top companies that let you teach English from home. Let’s take a look:
Skooli
Skooli is one of the top online tutoring companies and offers its services to students and teachers from all over the world. The company is based in Canada and was founded in 2014.
Skooli has a large team of tutors who are experts in teaching English online. They are passionate about helping students learn how to read, speak and understand English.
The company offers a variety of services, including online tutoring, homework help, and test prep. Skooli’s services are at an affordable price, and they provide a convenient and flexible way for students to get the help they need.
For tutors, there is no minimum number of hours per week and you can supplement your income with reasonable rates per hour and flexible scheduling.
If you’re looking for work teaching English online, Skooli is a great company with an effective teaching platform.
What you need to know before applying to Skooli
Requirements: At least a bachelor’s degree, teaching certification (TEFL or ESL certification or other similar qualifications).
Rate: CAD $25 or approx. $19.5 an hour.
Classroom Times: 24/7, tutors can set their own schedules for teaching online.
Minimum Hours/Week: No minimum hour requirement.
italki
italki is a global language learning platform that connects students and teachers from all over the world.
Itoffers its users a unique opportunity to learn different languages through real-life conversations with native speakers. Teachers get to interact with their class through video chat.
Based in Hong Kong, China, italki was founded in 2006 as a social network for people to learn English from each other. It later became a marketplace for online teaching jobs in 2008. Today, it counts over 20,000 teachers and more than 5,000,000 learners on its platform.
Teaching English online with italki is a great way to make some extra money. You get to set your own rates and hours. You can take on as many or as few students as you want, and there is a built-in scheduling tool to help manage your time.
All you need to focus on is how to teach the class.
What you need to know before applying to italki
Requirements: You must be 18 years or older and be a native speaker or have the corresponding fluency level. If you wish to teach English, you will need to demonstrate that you possess one of the following:
- English language teaching certificate from an accredited institution. TEFL course we’re looking at you!
- A bachelor’s degree (priority given if in education).
- Teaching license.
- Proof of employment from a language teaching institution.
Rate: Teachers can set their own rates. The lowest rate starts at typically around $10/lesson.
Classroom Times: 24/7, tutors can set their own schedules.
Min. Hours/Week: No min. hours requirement.
Preply
Preply is another great company if you’re looking to teach English online from home.
Founded in 2013, it is an e-learning portal with a learning app. It is now based in the US but its employees come from different countries.
Preply offers its teachers access to a large pool of students. They currently have more than 800,000 English language learners from over 180 countries so you can easily find online teaching work on their site.
Teaching English online with Preply allows you to set your own schedules and rates per hour. Plus, they offer convenient payment methods so you can get your salary hassle-free.
And if you want to improve as an English teacher online they even offer training webinars that can help you. Not very many online teaching jobs offer that kind of opportunity to further your career!
What you need to know before applying to Preply
Requirements: Youmust have outstanding teaching and communication skills, access to a computer, stable Internet connection, a good webcam and microphone. Prior experience teaching online is an advantage.
Rate: Set your own.
Classroom Times: 24/7, tutors can set their own schedules to teach online.
Min. Hours/Week: No min. hour requirement.
Cambly
Cambly was founded in 2012 and is an online English tutoring company based out of San Francisco, California.
The company provides one-on-one online English lessons to students from all over the world via webcam.
Cambly has a large pool of students and offers a very flexible schedule with no set teaching hours required. Some students may require help in preparing for taking tests like the IELTS, others just want to have somebody to practice speaking English with. You may even find yourself helping adult ESL students prepare for a job interview.
Online teaching with Cambly is a breeze thanks to all the tools they provide. If you are a beginner teacher with no experience, you can still get hired. Cambly welcomes all native English speakers.
What makes Cambly unique is its focus on providing an informal and relaxed learning environment. The company believes that the best way for students to learn different languages is to practice them in a natural, conversational setting. For this reason, it does not follow any specific curriculum or lesson plans.
Teaching English online here entails having natural conversations more often than having structured lessons.
What you need to know before applying to Cambly
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker or of an equivalent fluency level.
Rate: $10.20 an hour (regular classes) and $12 an hour (Cambly Kids).
Classroom Times: 24/7, tutors can set their own schedules.
Min. Hours/Week: No minimum hour requirement.
VIPKid
VIPKid is an online English teaching platform that offers a flexible, convenient way for students to get English lessons from native speakers from Canada and the United States.
Based in Beijing, China, VIPKid provides an international learning experience to students ages 4-15 years old. Lessons are held via the company’s video chat system, so it’s great for tutors who want to earn a living teaching English from home.
Even better news is that they provide all of the materials you need to be successful in the online classroom. There is no lesson planning required. All you have to focus on are your students and how you effectively implement the lesson activities.
VIPKid offers a competitive salary and benefits package, as well as the opportunity to work with students from all over the world.
Your earning potential is based on the number of classes you teach, with each session being 25 minutes long. So, the more students you take on, the more you’ll make.
What you need to know before applying to VIPKid
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker and have a bachelor’s degree in any field. At least two years of teaching experience is preferred but not required and you should be a US or Canadian citizen.
Rate: $7 to $9 per 25 minute lesson/session.
Classroom Times: 24/7. Tutors can set their own schedules for online teaching.
Min. Hours/Week: No minimum working hour requirement.
Qkids
Qkids is a leading online English teaching site that offers ESL teachers the opportunity to teach from home. The company is based in China and offers a variety of benefits for its employees, including a flexible schedule, competitive pay, and the opportunity to work with learners from different countries.
Unlike some other online education companies that require their teachers to come up with their own materials, Qkids provide its own scientific curriculum system, interactive materials and tools, and continuous training. This makes it much easier for teachers.
There is an option to hold either 1-1, 1-2, or 1-4 classes. You can decide which set-up is most convenient for you. Qkids is in charge of the scheduling.
As a busy online teacher, you will appreciate how you only need to think about implementing the curriculum when teaching English online with Qkids.
What you need to know before applying to Qkids
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker, eligible to work in the US or Canada, possess bachelor’s degree in any field, have a teaching license or English teaching certification (TESOL, TEFL or CELTA certification).
Rate: $8 per 30 minute lesson.
Classroom Times: 6:30 am – 9:00 am EST and 20:30 – 23:40 PM EST (Friday and Saturday only).
Min. Hours/Week: 6 hours.
TutorABC
TutorABC is an online English teaching company based in Taiwan. It was founded in 2004. It offers students an e-learning portal where they can have live interactive learning and online conversations.
For their adult learners, TutorABC also offers coaching for business English as well as test preparations.
The company’s goal is to provide quality English instruction primarily to Taiwanese students, as well as other learners around the globe.
TutorABC offers flexible hours that allow teachers to work around their own schedules. This is therefore a great option for those who want to teach from home but don’t have a lot of free time.
Additionally, they provide all of the materials and resources necessary for the class, so lesson preparation time is kept at a minimum.
If you do get stuck, the company has a strong community of teachers who are willing to help and support each other. This is a great benefit for those new to teaching English online or for those who want to learn more about the best teaching practices.
What you need to know before applying to TutorABC
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker, have a bachelor’s degree in any field (preferably education majors), English teaching certificate (preferably TEFL), at least one year of prior teaching experience (online preferred but not required).
Rate: This depends on your nationality and location ($12.70 to $21.60 if American and US-based / $13.24 to $22.22 Canada / $13.21 to $21.92 UK / $5.41 to $9.13 South Africa / $3.60 to $6.20 Asia).
Classroom Times: 24/7, you can teach students based on your schedule.
Min. Hours/Week: 6 peak hours.
English Hunt
English Hunt was initially a publisher focused on publishing educational content for learning English. It was founded in Korea in 2000 and later branched out to providing distance education services a year after it started operations.
It is known to be the biggest provider of English language education live video sessions in South Korea. In recent years it has expanded to China and Japan.
English Hunt works with government entities in need of live instruction, in addition to multinational companies offering English training for their employees. You can therefore receive opportunities to work with a wide variety of students.
The company’s programs come with a set curriculum and all the resources needed. The quality of materials that English Hunt provides is exceptional.
Having such reliable teaching tools and materials available will give you the confidence to focus on implementing the curriculum.
Furthermore, the pay is good and the hours are decent.
What you need to know before applying to English Hunt
Requirements: Live video instructors must be a native English speaker, have a bachelor’s degree in any field (or at least a 2-year diploma) and an ESL certification. Live phone instructors must be a native English speaker.
In both cases you will also need to be a US citizen.
Rate: $14.00 an hour.
Classroom Times: 4 am to 7 am (EST) are the peak hours.
Min. Hours/Week: 8 hours.
iTutorGroup
iTutorGroup recruits online English tutors from all over the world. The company has been in business since 1998 and is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan.
They provide one-on-one lessons to students, mainly from Asia, of all ages via an online portal. Their teachers work from home and are paid hourly.
iTutorGroup was created as an alternative to traditional learning institutions, providing personalized learning experiences to both students and professionals who wish to learn English. It has grown to become one of the largest companies of its kind.
It is a highly reputable company with a long history. This makes it a good option for those planning on teaching English online from home.
Since it offers personalized learning, there are plenty of students enrolled as it is more effective than what other institutions offer. Plus, the pay is decent.
What you need to know before applying to iTutorGroup
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker, hold a bachelor’s degree in any field (preferably Education major), have an English teaching certification (preferably TEFL), and some teaching experience (online teaching preferred).
Rate: $18 (two 25-min junior sessions) or $12 (one 45-min session with an adult student).
Classroom Times: 24/7, the tutors can set their own schedules.
Min. Hours/Week: 6 peak hours.
SkimaTalk
SkimaTalk is a fairly new marketplace for teachers that primarily caters to South Korean and Japanese students.
Their site offers you a convenient way to connect with students and teach English from the comfort of your own home.
With SkimaTalk, you can easily find clients who are interested in learning English, and schedule sessions with them at times that work for both of you.
Plus, SkimaTalk makes it easy to get paid for your sessions – you can simply receive payments through the platform. There’s no need to worry about invoicing or any other paperwork.
Note that all new tutors must conduct 3 sessions for free. This serves as your trial on how to use the online platform. It also gives you a chance to build your reputation on the platform.
SkimaTalk doesn’t have its own e-learning classroom so you will be conducting the sessions via Skype.
Requirements: You must be a native English speaker (American, Canadian, British, New Zealand, or Irish dialects) and be 18 years old or older. Teaching experience (preferred but not required).
Rate: The system automatically pegs it at $8 but you can set it to any amount (minus SkimaTalk’s 20% commission fee).
Classroom Times: 24/7, tutors can set their own schedules.
Min. Hours/Week: No minimum working hours required.
Tutlo
Tutlo is a Polish-based e-school that offers on-demand English education to learners all over the world. It provides a virtual space where teachers and students can connect and interact in real-time through video-conferencing.
Tutlo offers a number of features and benefits that make it an attractive option for online teachers. Firstly, they provide a convenient and flexible way to reach more students. You can can create your own schedules and design your own lessons, meaning that you can work around other commitments and fit teaching into your lifestyle.
Secondly, you get to interact with a wide variety of students. You might get a request from a young learner who wishes to learn about nouns, or a businessman who wishes to practice a presentation for a client.
Finally, it doesn’t require a diploma to qualify as an applicant. All English speakers can apply. The only downside of this is that the pay rate is consequently quite low.
Nevertheless, if you are a great conversationalist and can easily adapt to different learning needs, Tutlo is well worth checking out.
Requirements: You must be 18 + and be a native English speaker from either the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or South Africa. 6 months of relevant experience in teaching is preferred but not required.
Rate: $5 to $11 an hour (before taxes)
Classroom Times: 24/7, tutors can set their own schedules.
Min. Hours/Week: No min. working hours requirement.
How to Teach English Online From Home: Get Started
There are many reasons to want to teach English from home. Not only is it a great way to make money, you can also do it anytime and anywhere in the world.
But how do you get started? And how do you pick the right company for you? Here are some tips:
Do your research
There are clearly many sites that offer online English teaching positions. Take the time to read reviews and compare options to find the right fit for you. Do not just take the first job that comes your way unless you are sure about it.
After all, doing research can help you find the best and most profitable teaching opportunity for you.
Consider your qualifications
Many online English teaching companies require a bachelor’s degree, so be sure to highlight your education on your application.
If you don’t have a diploma, don’t fret. There are companies that hire English teachers with no formal education.
However, you will likely have to complete a TEFL certification course before you can start teaching. If you haven’t already done this it should be a priority. You can find TEFL courses here.
You should also list any relevant experience you have working with children or teaching English.
Be prepared for an interview or a demo video
Many companies will interview candidates before hiring, so be ready to answer questions about your teaching experience and qualifications.
You should also think about the working hours you can commit to online teaching. This usually comes up during interviews. While some do not have an assigned number of hours for teaching, they may want to know your availability at the very least.
Making a demo video is a great way to showcase your teaching, language skills, and personality to potential employers. It should contain an introduction of yourself including your teaching experience and why you want to work with them. Mention your online teaching experience if any. This video is a good example of this:
Don’t be afraid to use visual aids to demonstrate a lesson concept, especially if you hope to teach young kids. Online teaching can be harder than classroom teaching because you have to work extra hard to capture your students’ attention. Having colorful props will go a long way to impressing your future online clients.
Since the only way potential learners can get to know you is through your demo video, it is your chance to capture their attention and secure the job of being their online language teacher.
Where should you apply?
When choosing where to apply to for a job, there are a few key criteria to keep in mind:
Reputation
The company should be reputable and have a good track record. Check out its reviews from former teachers.
If it consistently gets high ratings from its current and former employees, then it is worth exploring.
Competitive pay
They should also offer competitive pay and benefits. Some companies pay per class while others pay by the hour.
Do the math to see which ones will provide you with the salary you deserve. Compare the salary rates offered by different companies.
You can also check other perks or benefits each company has to offer. Some state these on their website
The teaching platform
The company should have a robust and easy to use teaching platform that provides good support for teachers. Check if the platform offers interactive class learning and online support. When you teach English online from home this can be vitally important if you encounter a problem.
Is the site easy to understand and navigate? Does it allow you to effectively communicate with your students?
Teaching English is already challenging. Don’t make it even more complicated with a platform that is not user-friendly.
Accreditation
Finally, it is important to choose a company that is accredited by the proper authorities. There are many fly-by-night companies that hire teachers and then vanish when it’s time to pay their salaries.
Make sure that you get paid for every hour or class you teach. Some companies find loopholes to avoid paying their tutors the full amount they are due. You can check who they are by browsing company reviews made by fellow teachers on websites such as Glassdoor.
These are just a few things you should keep in mind when choosing the right company to teach English from home. Try to go over each criterion as you browse through the sites of each company. You can then shortlist companies that fit your needs.
What are the alternatives?
If you don’t want to teach for a company, you can always start your own online English teaching business. However, it will take time to build up your client list so it can be a good idea to work for an online teaching company in the meantime.
And if you get bored of sitting inside all day? Don’t forget that there are a whole host of opportunities to teach English abroad or in your own country. The world is your oyster in that respect!
Teach English Online From Home FAQs
The pay of online English teachers varies greatly. On average, you can earn anywhere from $3- $23/hour if you work for an institution. You can charge a higher rate per hour if you find learners on your own or are on a platform where you can set your own rates.
Weekly hour requirements may differ for each site but most do not require a set amount of time.
You will generally need a bachelor’s degree in education or a related field, as well as a teaching certificate such as a TEFL certification. While some teaching positions may not require these qualifications, they will likely give you a leg up on the competition. Additionally, it is recommended that you have experience teaching ESL.
You can still find teaching jobs without a degree. In fact, many online English teaching companies will hire you with just a TEFL certification and some teaching experience. Check out this list of online English teaching jobs for a full overview. However, keep in mind that your prospects and salary will be much better if you have a degree.
Some jobs just require their teachers to be native English speakers. However, these are increasingly few and far between. You should therefore keep in mind that not having a TEFL certificate may limit your job options and earnings potential. If you’re ready to start your TEFL certification you can find TEFL courses here.
There are a number of ways to start teaching English online. The simplest way is to sign up with a company that provides teaching English online jobs.
These companies will typically provide you with all the materials and support you need to get started, including the curriculum and tips on how to effectively instruct learners.
Conclusion
There are many sites that allow online English teaching from home. The most important thing is to find one that is the right fit for you. Consider your goals, schedule, and teaching style when looking for online teaching jobs.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the job and get advice from other online English teachers.
With a little research, you can find the perfect online teaching company to teach English online from home.
James has been helping people teach English abroad for over twelve years. He’s traveled to over 30 countries, lived in 3, and taught English in Chile and online.
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