How to Teach English Online as a Digital Nomad

Teaching English online is a great way to make money as a digital nomad. Whether you’re a recent graduate or simply looking for a new challenge, teaching English online can be the perfect opportunity. It’s one of the most common location independent careers.

With more people leaning towards online education, starting your career as a teacher is easier than ever. Working online, you can set your own hours and take as much or as little work as you need to. This offers flexibility while helping you earn a good living to support your nomadic lifestyle.

If you are already fluent in English, you can help others learn and train them in spoken English. With a high demand for new teachers on online teaching platforms, you can find a permanent place for yourself.

In this guide, we’ll discuss all that you may need to consider before starting your remote English teaching career.

How To Become an Online English Tutor

There are some significant things you need to do in order to be successful. First, you have to be a native English speaker or have advanced fluency in the language. Teaching English can be easier for native English speakers. Many students look for native speakers to practice their spoken English and communication skills with them.

Secondly, you’ll need to obtain a teaching certification such as the TEFL or TESOL. With credible certificates and degrees, your teaching profile will stand out. In addition, you may try teaching other subjects such as science and math with experience and a relevant degree. 

While looking for new opportunities, maintain a CV that has all your skills and experience. Besides, add your teaching methods, availability, and training experience. This will gravitate more students towards your portfolio. Also, there are endless possibilities to gain more learners.

And lastly, you’ll need to find online teaching opportunities and apply for them. To get started, check out programs such as Cambly, italki, Lingoda, Skooli, and MagicEars, which are always hiring online English teachers. 

Once you have the right expertise under your belt, you can start applying for more online teaching jobs as well. Apart from this, you can use social media to find students to teach.

Best Platforms for Online Teaching

There are countless platforms that offer English language lessons, so it can be tricky to know which one is right for you. Here are a few of the most popular options:

Lingoda

This online European language school offers $8 to $13 per hour to tutors. The platform requires two years of teaching experience and a TEFL certificate to start teaching. You may choose to teach individual students or take small group classes.

Cambly 

Cambly does not require professional degrees or experience to start as a remote teacher. However, you have to pass their audio and video test and make a video profile. You can earn $10 for an hour of one-on-one class.

italki 

You can start teaching English on italki, starting from $10 to $25. To work as a community tutor, you won’t need any special qualifications apart from being fluent.

MagicEars 

The platform has its study material and curriculum to make teaching easier. It’s a Chinese platform that offers $9-$11 pay for a half-hour class.

How To Plan Online English Lessons

There are some things to keep into consideration when planning online English lessons. One of the most important things is to ensure that you have a clear goal for each lesson. Also, include learning activities aligned with that goal. Creating a teaching plan and sharing it with students can be extremely helpful.

In addition, it’s essential to be aware of your student’s needs, level of understanding and to plan lessons accordingly. You’ll also want to make sure that your lessons are engaging and interesting for your students so that it motivates them to learn.

Try incorporating multimedia elements, such as videos and audio files, into your lessons, and vary the activities you use, so students stay attentive. If you’re unsure where to begin, there are plenty of resources available online that can help. All you need is a good internet connection and a laptop to get started.

What Are the Benefits of Being an Online Teacher?

First and foremost, online teaching provides educators with the unique opportunity to reach a global audience of students. In addition, online teaching offers educators the flexibility to design their curricula.

Unlike traditional teaching positions, online teachers can often choose their working hours. This makes it a perfect fit for those who have other commitments or interests. Besides, you can tailor lessons to meet the needs of students.

Additionally, online teaching allows educators to collaborate with other teachers worldwide and learn from one another’s experiences. Online teaching provides educators with the ability to build a personal learning network that can support their professional careers.

Even if you’re a beginner, you may find long-term gigs. You can make more money than you would if you teach in a traditional classroom setting. This is because you are not limited by the number of hours you can teach per week or the number of classes you can take each semester.

You can live your dream full of traveling while maintaining a full-time career teaching English. With the pliability in schedule and access to a gig from anywhere, being a digital nomad will be easier. In addition, you do not need to invest too much to earn a decent living abroad. 

How Much Will I Earn as Online English Teacher?

There is a great deal of variation in how much online English teachers can earn. Some factors that will affect your earnings include the country you teach in and the type of classes you teach. Besides, your own experience and qualifications may also add to your earning potential.

In general, online English teachers can expect to earn anywhere from $10 to $30 per hour. Of course, this is an estimate – actual earnings will vary depending on the factors mentioned above.