We all look at our careers differently. Some people don’t care about how they make money, but most people do want to be working while doing something that matters to them as individuals. Often pushed to the way-side, teaching English online is a great option for fulfilling, well-paying employment.
It’s getting more and more popular as the years go on, and the internet becomes popular around the world. It makes sense, however, that people may need a bit more information. If you’ve ever wanted to teach English online to Chinese people, here is what you’ll need to know.
Why Teach English Online?
Here are some of the best reasons that you’ll want to teach English online. Some of them may be ones you’ve heard before, but they’re all relevant to showing you that it really is a practical job option for home-based employment that actually means something to you.
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It’s convenient:
Teaching English online really is convenient. You can control your availability, design your own lesson plans (or adapt pre-made ones), and really enjoy the control over the role of the teacher itself. It’s done however you decide it best to be done, and you’ll be able to make it your own.
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It’s home-based:
Another perk is that if you teach English online to Chinese kids, you’ll be working from home. You can use your own computer and other tools, while making sure that you can get the job done with no investment needed in transportation, office equipment, or anything else that is popular with a traditional job.
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It’s a great option for those with busy lives:
If you know that you are only free for the wee hours of the morning or night, teaching English online is a great option, because the hours are often in the earlier/later timezones. In order to work with Chinese students, you often work with their schedules, and you’ll be able to make it work for your schedule, too, without actually interfering with the schedule itself.
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It pays well:
When you tech English to Chinese students — children or adults — it pays well. You often get $20+ per hour and, again, this is all without expenses that you often will find in traditional jobs. Great as a little extra pocket money, or even as full-time, if you choose to make it so.
- It’s rewarding:
Perhaps most importantly, these kinds of jobs are great because they’re rewarding. You’re helping students learn a new language and being the encouraging leader of the pack that they need to enjoy the process, too. This is not something to be taken lightly, and you should feel proud for the good work that you are doing.
How to Get Started Teaching English Online
If you want to get in on this fantastic, rewarding career path, you can get started much easier than you might think. Here are the general steps to take when you are looking at teaching English online:
1. Find the platform for you:
There are quite a few platforms out there that have different requirements, expectations and even rates of pay. Don’t be afraid to look around and see what is out there to make sure that you are finding the platform that is going to work for you. Or multiple, if you want.
2. Make sure you meet their specifications:
In order to keep up the quality of English teaching, most platforms do have specifications in terms of the educational background, the focus of your education itself, and even your kind of English (American vs International, for example). Make sure you meet those specifications before you settle in.
3. Go through any training modules:
A lot of platforms do have some training modules that they put ESL teachers through just to give them a good sense of what to expect, how to deal with potential issues, and simply feel confident before they step into their virtual classroom to take on a lesson. These are positive things, even if they seem negative in terms of the time they take. You always want to make sure that you are prepared for a job, and an online job is no different.
4. Try it out for a certain amount of time:
While ESL is a great opportunity, it makes sense that you may not be entirely ready to jump onboard. So, try it out for a certain amount of time (think of it like a probationary period) and then see what you think of it. The first initial period is tricky on everyone. There is quite a lot of learning and a steep curve in which you need to learn it. But, after time, it all becomes a habit, and you’ll discover that it really is what you are meant to be doing.
5. Adjust as needed:
If some adjustments need to be made (amount of students, age of students, hours worked per week, etc), you will have a chance to tweak those. The whole point of teaching English online is to customize it to your comfort and practical needs. This will make sure that it is always a profitable experience for you, for financially and emotionally. While the programs are designed to be comfortable for those who are in them for the right reasons, adjustments can be made.
Conclusion
When you want to invest your time and effort into a career that is fun, rewarding, financially stable, and only getting more popular as time goes on, teaching English online is absolutely the best ticket to give you all of that. You’ll be able to enjoy an exciting day each and every day and do it all from the comfort of your own home.
When you need practical options for reliable income all from home, you don’t get much more fulfilling and stable options than ESL. All you have to do is find the right platform and see just how easily it’s going to fit into your life, while giving you the freedom that you deserve.
