How to Teach English Online

You have moved abroad following your dream of living in Italy and are looking for ways to make money to support your travels and new lifestyle. Teaching English Online is an excellent option but before you start, you will need to be trained, prepared, organized and have the right tools.

In this article, we will guide you through the steps to take to set up a Teaching English Online Business.

Teacher Qualifications

Many people believe that anyone who speaks English can teach English. This is far from true! Apart from knowing the language, you must know and understand how the language is constructed, learn how to use effective teaching tools and above all, you must understand student learning and know-how to apply the best teaching techniques for each individual.

If you are going to present yourself to schools or private students as a professional English teacher, then you must have a teaching qualification. If you have studied languages at university and have a degree in education– that is optimal, but if you are transitioning from another career and are looking to become a qualified teacher, a TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) or CELTA  (Certificate of English Language Teaching for Adults) certificate are the most esteemed ESL teaching certifications for teaching English abroad.

To get your ESL teaching qualification take an online TEFL course certified by Premier TEFL or do a Google search for the nearest CELTA Cambridge teacher training center.

Finding work as an English Teacher

After you have gotten your certification you are ready to find a job teaching English.  You can find local teaching opportunities here in the Easy Milano job section or join a teacher networking group on Facebook for your area.  

Teaching Online

In addition to the challenges of fighting traffic and keeping strict time schedules, teaching in schools and companies can be very demanding.  If you want to organize your own time schedule and work from home, you may want to consider setting up an online English Teaching business.

What You Need to Teach English Lessons Online

To teach English lessons online, you will, of course, need a computer and a decent internet connection. Teaching English online can be done with a variety of platforms such as Skype, Zoom, or Google classroom. Although these apps can be downloaded on a mobile or tablet, it is recommended to use your PC as you will want to easily share documents, links and videos during your online lesson. If you work for an online school, they will have their own educational software that you will be trained to use. It is definitely worth the time to watch the video tutorials for each platform in order to decide which will work best for you and your students.
  
If you are a technophobe or just hate computers, Pal Fish may be the answer for you. It’s all managed from a mobile learning app and teachers can make from $14- $30 per hour. You set up a profile, set your rate and Pal Fish take a commission. Learn more here about Teaching Online with Pal Fish.

Digital Teaching Materials

The easiest way to plan an online lesson is by using digital material. There are many websites offering pdf downloads that you can share with your students and work through together. One of the best resources is ESLlibrary.com, downloads are available for all levels and the graphics and variety of subjects will keep your students interested and engaged.

Ted-talks videos are also good discussion topics and Voice of America web radio has a teaching section with video and easy to follow current event news topics.

How to Find Students and Market Your Online English Courses

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to promote your own courses, you may want to consider marketing your services directly to potential students. One of the easiest ways to reach a large audience is to  post an international classified ad here on Easy Milano. With Easy Milano you can reach an audience of anglophiles living in Milan who would love to learn English from you!

Portals like Teachaway.com and Bridge.edu have job listings. EnglishFirst.com has a teacher recruitment database with jobs for online and offline courses.

Create your own website using  Weebly website builder, a simple webpage with information about yourself and the courses you offer will attract users looking for lessons online. By adding a link to your Paypal account, you can collect payments online for English lessons and courses. Check with your accountant on best practices for advertising and invoicing your services online.

Create attractive graphics and digital banners with  Canva.com which you can display on your website, your newsletter or as a banner on relevant websites.   

To earn a passive income from your teaching, create an online video course. Platforms like Shareskill.com and Udemy.com host and market online courses. To stand out from the crowd, be sure that your English course is special and targeted to a specific type of student.

To get your Teaching English Online Business up and running will take some preparation and a little promotion but once you are set up, you will have the freedom to work when you want and pursue your dream of living la dolce vita!

Article by Celia Abernethy, Certified English teacher in Milan with over 15 years of experience.

Blog articles in easymilano.com may contain sponsored content. To learn more about how to sponsor an article, please contact us.