Thinking of teaching English online as a freelancer? You're in for a challenge. While it's true that you can earn more than enough (e.g., at least $10 per hour), it can take you a while before you reach this goal.
Here's what you need to know about teaching online freelance before you jump in.
1. Students
The lifeline of your business is your students. The goal is to get as many as you can but it may take weeks (or even months) before you get one to enroll in your class.
But if you know where to look or how to promote your services, you can start teaching online in no time.
Some sly online teachers sign up for companies offering tutorial or teaching services just to build up their credibility, widen their experience, and eventually poach students. Poaching students is unethical, but some teachers argue that it's sometimes the students who suggest this.
5 Recommended Books and Materials for Online English Teachers
In my previous post, How to Teach English Without Using a Textbook, I discussed the possibility of NOT using a textbook in class.
Though I strongly encourage you to do this as it’s one way of “customizing” your lessons to suit your students’ specific needs, I wouldn’t recommend this to a beginner. I still think that there should be a balance between textbook usage and independently creating your lessons. Besides, some of your students would want to use a textbook written by authors they trust.
On that note, I’d like to recommend 5 books / materials that will surely help you hone your English skills and your students’ as well. I’ve used a lot of ESL and English books, and these 5 are my favorites.
Though I strongly encourage you to do this as it’s one way of “customizing” your lessons to suit your students’ specific needs, I wouldn’t recommend this to a beginner. I still think that there should be a balance between textbook usage and independently creating your lessons. Besides, some of your students would want to use a textbook written by authors they trust.
On that note, I’d like to recommend 5 books / materials that will surely help you hone your English skills and your students’ as well. I’ve used a lot of ESL and English books, and these 5 are my favorites.
How to Teach English Without Using a Textbook
Introduction to Language Functions
Is it possible to teach English without using a textbook? Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, you can create lessons from scratch. All you need to do is to figure out your student’s needs and focus on language functions.
Language functions?
A “language function,” or simply “function,” is the purpose why you’re communicating or talking to someone. For instance, if you’re lost somewhere and want to get back to the right path, you talk to a person to “ask directions.” If you’re interested in knowing more about your new girlfriend’s interests, you “ask her likes and dislikes.” Asking directions and asking for likes and dislikes are examples of language functions.
Is it possible to teach English without using a textbook? Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, you can create lessons from scratch. All you need to do is to figure out your student’s needs and focus on language functions.
Language functions?
A “language function,” or simply “function,” is the purpose why you’re communicating or talking to someone. For instance, if you’re lost somewhere and want to get back to the right path, you talk to a person to “ask directions.” If you’re interested in knowing more about your new girlfriend’s interests, you “ask her likes and dislikes.” Asking directions and asking for likes and dislikes are examples of language functions.
Understanding Korean Students
To better teach your students, you must understand the factors that affect their learning patterns. These factors can be any of the following: environment, culture, mood, age, English level, interest, and many more. Each student has a unique set of needs, each has his own learning style, and so each deserves customized lessons that fit their needs.
If you’re planning on teaching Korean students, the first thing you need to understand (and accept) is their culture. To be honest, in my more than 5 years of experience both as an online English teacher and as a trainer, I still have difficulty adapting to the cultural differences. The good news is, this is not only my issue. It happens in different countries all the time. What’s important is how you respond to these differences.
Here are some things to bear in mind when teaching Koreans.
If you’re planning on teaching Korean students, the first thing you need to understand (and accept) is their culture. To be honest, in my more than 5 years of experience both as an online English teacher and as a trainer, I still have difficulty adapting to the cultural differences. The good news is, this is not only my issue. It happens in different countries all the time. What’s important is how you respond to these differences.
Here are some things to bear in mind when teaching Koreans.
Top Teaching Mistakes of Online English Teachers
In the company where I used to work, we get client complaints periodically. While some of these complaints are baseless, the rest are valid, and they stem from a teacher’s questionable teaching skills.
In all fairness to our teachers, clients are not informed about our teaching standards and protocols. Meaning, clients complain based on their personal preference, interpretation, and feelings. Therefore, a conflict in opinions and claims are likely. To solve this disparity, we invalidate complaints that are not covered by our policies and standards, but reprimand teachers who do not abide by these standards.
So if your company tries to reprimand you for a customer complaint that is not covered by any existing standards at the time when the violation is made, be happy because the complaint has no basis.
But anyway, as I said, some of these complaints are brought about by a teacher’s teaching skills. The complaints listed below are the most common.
In all fairness to our teachers, clients are not informed about our teaching standards and protocols. Meaning, clients complain based on their personal preference, interpretation, and feelings. Therefore, a conflict in opinions and claims are likely. To solve this disparity, we invalidate complaints that are not covered by our policies and standards, but reprimand teachers who do not abide by these standards.
So if your company tries to reprimand you for a customer complaint that is not covered by any existing standards at the time when the violation is made, be happy because the complaint has no basis.
But anyway, as I said, some of these complaints are brought about by a teacher’s teaching skills. The complaints listed below are the most common.