Teach English Online: 20+ Companies to Consider + FAQs

INSIDE: Teaching English online can be a lucrative and rewarding occupation. Here’s everything you need to know to successfully teach English online.

Teaching English – that is, conversational or business English – as a second language online has always been a great opportunity for English speakers without formal teaching experience.

Your native understanding of idioms and natural turns of phrase are exactly what many international students need to improve their English use.

In our increasingly global world, the demand for teachers of English is growing, which is great news for you. The work-at-home opportunities in this industry have been booming for the past few years. There’s never been a better time to get involved teaching English online!

What equipment is needed to teach English online?

Most companies want you to have a good desktop or laptop computer with a webcam, a noise-canceling USB headset and high-speed internet.

This required equipment is pretty standard for all work-at-home jobs, and no additional software is needed to be an English teacher.

Most English tutoring positions require video contact with your students, so in addition to a webcam and a high-speed internet connection, you need a quiet, well-lit home office.

Some tutoring gigs do ask you to provide some teaching aids, such as props. A few common requests:

• Hand puppets
• Whiteboard
• Flash cards with letters

Using puppets can be a great way to grab the attention of young students. You can buy these and other props inexpensively on Amazon or at your local dollar store. You may even have what you need in your child’s toy chest.

If finances are tight, head out to your local Goodwill or a neighborhood garage sale. These items should not be hard to come by, and you should be able to pick up everything you need to get started for just a few bucks if you buy the props secondhand.

Many English teaching companies have their own curricula and teaching systems in place, so you don’t even need to plan your own lessons.

These positions can also be great if you’re up at odd hours, because working with overseas students may mean working very early or rather late – especially since many of these students live in China, South Korea or Japan.

I’ve put together a list of great companies who are looking for ESL tutors; there’s sure to be an opportunity for you below!

Teach English online with these companies

Note: Pay rates, requirements and work arrangements can change at any time. Please refer to the company website for current details.

Qkids

Qkids is one of the largest online teaching companies in China. It has connected more than 300,000 students ages 4 to 12 with tutors around the globe.

Tutors earn $16 to $20 an hour teaching at Qkids. To be hired, you need a bachelor’s degree and some experience with children, such as teaching, mentoring, coaching, tutoring or babysitting.

You will need to submit a video introduction as part of your interview. Don’t be scared! The company just wants to make sure you are enthusiastic and would work well with children. Have fun.

VIP Kid

VIPKID is looking for people who want to have fun teaching English to kids while having a stay at home job. This English teaching company provides all lesson plans and course materials. Applicants must be residents of the U.S. or Canada.

You also need a bachelor’s degree and a reliable computer and internet. Pay is $14 to $22 per hour. Here’s a VIP Kid review for more info.

Education First

EducationFirst is headquartered in the U.S. and was founded in 1965. Tutors deliver 25-minute high-quality and engaging one-on-one online classes to kids ages 6 to 10.

Opportunities to teach are available 24 hours per day, 363 days per year. At the time of writing this post, EF is seeking candidates who can commit to early weekday mornings (4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. EST) and/or weekend nights/mornings (8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, and 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday).

Offers start at a $12 per hour base rate plus incentives. A bachelor’s degree in any field is required. Ideal candidates either already hold a TEFL certificate or will commit to getting one.

Magic Ears

MagicEars requires a bachelor’s degree. At the time of writing this post, the website gives an earnings estimate of $22 to $26 per hour. You must be based in the U.S. or Canada, be a native English speaker and have a great internet connection.

Cambly

Cambly is looking for tutors to chat with students and help them learn English in an informal setting. Students come from all around the world, and the English conversation sessions can be as informative for you as for your students – just think of all the little bits of culture you can learn along the way!

The company pays $0.17 per minute, which works out to $10.20 per hour taught. Pay is through PayPal, and you can set your own hours. The company requirements to work with Cambly are very simple, making it one of the most accessible ways to break into this field.

Mango Languages

Mango Languages is based in Farmington Hills, Mich. The company is looking for English coaches with a teaching certificate, degree or some teaching experience. You must commit to 10 to 20 hours per week plus 10 to 20 hours of paid training.

eBerlitz

eBerlitz has offices in 70 countries worldwide. Pay is reportedly about $14 per hour.

Englishunt

Englishunt has offices in Seoul, Korea, and in Michigan in the U.S. The company is hiring tutors for its virtual tutoring service directed at the Japanese market.

Tutors must have ESL(English as a Second Language) certification or teaching certification (in any subject). This company’s tutors only work part-time, on average about 8 to 12 hours each week. Because you’re tutoring Japanese students, the hours are between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST (which are evening hours for your students).

The company pays $14.50 an hour and provides its own curriculum.

goFLUENT

goFLUENT has offices across the globe and contracts business ESL teachers who can commit to four hours per day each weekday.

Golden Voice English

Golden Voice English has been popping up on the job boards quite frequently. The company offers tutors for Chinese students in grades one through nine. Both group and one-on-one classes are offered. Pay is $20 CAD per hour.

Lingoda

Lingoda is located in Germany and emphasizes that its lessons are like a traditional classroom course, just online – it holds lessons through Skype (or its virtual classrooms). You choose how much you want to work, and availability is wide open because the company offers lessons 24 hours a day, every day.

The company says the salaries it offers vary based on experience, and salaries reportedly average $10 to $11 hourly.

Pearson

Pearson pays tutors $14 for one-on-one classes and $17 for group classes. Business English is the company’s specialty.

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is a well-known name in the language learning industry. The company prefers tutors near its main learning hubs.

Rype

Rype was designed with busy students in mind. This is a U.S.-based company. Students are offered a 14-day free trial.

Duolingo

Duolingo offers ESL tutoring with a side of consulting. The company is looking for the best of the best language teachers and assessors.

iTutor Group

iTutorGroup is open to tutors in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. A bachelor’s degree is required. You must also have TESOL, TEFL or the equivalent; 1+ years of teaching experience; and be able to commit to 10 peak hours per week.

Voxy

Voxy is a company located in the U.S. Its learners include students and business professionals across five continents. You need a degree in education, linguistics or TESOL and at least three years of experience teaching English.

The job description up at the time of writing this post says a commitment of 15 hours per week during peak hours is required.

Ginseng English

Ginseng English offers ESL tutoring for both general and business students. Tutors with a master’s degree are preferred.

If you’d like to increase your value and chances of being hired as an English tutor, you can work on getting ESL certified. There are various pathways to certification, and sites such as ESLteacherEDU.org offer resources to guide you.

Tips for new ESL teachers and answers to your FAQs

While many readers of my blog are already actively teaching English online, many more still have questions. Luckily, one of my assistants has been teaching at VIPKid for more than two years and has offered to answer some of your frequently asked questions and provide a few tips for new ESL teachers.

Is teaching English online really flexible?

Different ESL companies have different scheduling requirements. Some ESL companies let you choose your own schedule every week, with as many or as few hours as you desire.

Some companies even allow you to open your schedule just a few hours before teaching, allowing for more flexibility! Others require you to set and commit to a weekly schedule.

Most online ESL companies are based in China or elsewhere in Asia, so the hours are based on their time schedule. This means that hours available to teach in America and Canada can be very early or late.

For example, peak times for teaching in China for a teacher on the West Coast of the U.S. can be from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.!

Are there minimum hour requirements?

Many online teaching companies require teachers to work a minimum number of hours each week, ranging from three to 10 hours. Usually, the teacher will schedule his or her hours at the beginning of the contract and commit to teaching those same hours weekly.

The peak time for teaching falls over the weekend, so jobs could require some weekend hours.

Other companies allow you to work as little or as much as you like, allowing you to take as much time off as you need.

Could this be a full-time gig?

There are indeed teachers making this their full-time job! If you are a great teacher and attract many regular students, you could definitely work 40 hours a week, if not more.

Starting out, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to book that many hours. Parents want to try teachers out and see if they are a good fit for their child. Once teachers have established a connection with students, they are easily able to fill up teaching hours.

Bear in mind that the work is not easy, though! The work is constant, and you must always be speaking and listening. The only break you get is the three to four minutes between classes! Therefore, it may not be a great full-time job for everyone.

Is the pay good?

Payment varies by company and amount of experience. Most online ESL companies advertise payment anywhere from $14 to $30 USD per hour. The average pay falls somewhere around $19 per hour.

Most companies offer extra payment incentives and bonuses. For example, if you open extra weekend hours, they may give you a bonus. Or if you refer another teacher to the company and that teacher gets hired, you may get a decent payout.

It’s important to note that online teaching companies will consider you an independent contractor, so they won’t take taxes out of your payment. Since you will have to pay your own taxes, it’s smart to put away about 30% of each paycheck for taxes.

Can I work for more than one company?

Many ESL companies have nothing in their contracts stating that you can’t work for another company. So you’re free to work for multiple companies, but in general, the hours offered are the same. It depends on the company and the person, but many online teachers do work for two ESL companies.

I’ve never taught online. Is training provided?

Most companies provide video training and mentoring services when you’re hired as well as throughout your online teaching career.

Companies want to see you be a great teacher, so they will provide feedback for your first several classes, stating your strengths and what you can improve on.

How long does it take to get started?

The hiring process for most online ESL companies includes a preliminary interview and a second interview, then at least one mock teaching class. This process will take one to two weeks.

Once you’re hired, student bookings can be slow to start. After you’ve taught a few students and received positive reviews, the booking will start to speed up. Most teachers should start to see their schedule filled with classes after a successful first month.

Are there online ESL jobs with daytime hours?

While online ESL jobs can work out great for those on the East Coast looking to work those fringe hours before going to their day job or before their kids wake up, the hours can be a little too early for those in the Pacific time zone of the U.S.

If you aren’t sure how Beijing time relates to the U.S., here is a sample of the schedule available at Qkids:

• Seven days a week – mornings, Eastern Time (a.m. EST): 6:40-7:10, 7:20-7:50, 8:00-8:30, 8:40-9:10
• Plus Friday and Saturday nights, Eastern Time (p.m. EST): 8:40-9:10, 9:20-9:50, 10:00-10:30, 10:40-11:10, 11:20-11:50
• Additional summer time slots (June 24 to August 30) – Sunday through Thursday nights (p.m. EST): 8:40-9:10, 9:20-9:50, 10:00-10:30, 10:40-11:10, 11:20-11:50

As you can see, those weekday hours would be 3:40 a.m. to 6:10 a.m. for an online English teacher on the West Coast. That’s okay for some people, but not for others. But you do have some options.

• Cambly is one site that tutors students from around the world.
• SayABC, at the time of writing this post, had availability on weekday evenings (6 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST) and time slots on Saturday and Sunday.
• Rosetta Stone hires part-time tutors to work 10 to 12 hours per week during the hours of 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST weekdays and weekends.
• goFLUENT has clients worldwide, allowing for a more flexible schedule for teachers in the U.S.
• Mango Languages hires Live Coaches fluent in both English and a second language (at the time of updating this post, they are looking for French, Portuguese, Italian and German). You must be able to commit to at least 20 hours per week.
• Lingoda has classes available 24/7. You must have at least two years of teaching experience.
• Continuum Education Services offers instruction to students in Russia, Latin America and Africa, in addition to Asia. This opens up some additional time zones.

Can I teach English online without a degree?

In general, the requirements for being an ESL tutor revolve around being a native English speaker who is personable, interesting and has great presentation skills. You don’t need a teaching degree in most cases.

Most sites are looking for a bachelor’s degree in any subject. Many of these same sites will accept latter-year college students who don’t yet have a degree but are working toward one. A few companies require you to have ESL certification or a teaching certificate in a related field.

There are a few companies that “prefer” a degree, though it is not required:

• Tutlo
• NiceTalk
• Palfish
• Cambly
• SayABC – candidates with associate degrees or final-year university students may be considered.
• Lingostan
• Skimatalk

While these companies may not require a degree, the pay rate reflects that. In most cases, you will be paid only around $10 per hour. And even though they may not require a degree, a TESOL/TEFL certificate may still be necessary for those working with children in China.

This certificate can be obtained easily and affordably online. Some tutoring companies even offer assistance in this area.

Do I need to speak a second language to teach English online?

No. The vast majority of these positions don’t require you to speak any languages other than English. You need to be a native English speaker but it’s generally not a bilingual job.

What’s the job interview process like?

Most companies will have you submit an online application that includes your education and experience. A few, such as Qkids, will ask that you also submit a two-minute video of yourself telling a story or reading a children’s book.

This is just to show your personality and your command of the English language. These sites look for animated, enthusiastic individuals who can really make learning fun and connect with students.

If you’re selected, you’ll usually need to have a video interview with a recruiter. This is standard procedure among most work-at-home jobs today.

These interviews typically involve a few questions and may ask you to do a little mock teaching. Practice! And have fun! With some companies, how well you do in your mock session may determine your pay rate.

Once hired, you will have some training time and mock classroom time before you can start picking up shifts.

To increase your chance of success with online tutoring, be sure you’re using a high-speed internet connection and that your computer is working well. Make any required and recommended system updates before your interview.

A stable internet connection is vital to your success when working online.

Companies look to hire tutors who speak clearly and enthusiastically. Gesturing and using facial expressions to help convey your message are strongly encouraged. Practice in front of a mirror, if necessary. As you get comfortable with video tutoring and your students, this will start to come naturally.

Different companies have different interview processes, so be sure to research ahead of time so you’re prepared!

Is there a lot of competition for class bookings?

There are thousands of online teachers, but there are even more students wanting classes! To be successful online, teachers must have something that entices the student and student’s parents to book them again.

Teachers can create a beautiful teaching backdrop or add fun games to their classroom to increase their chances of being booked again by a student. With a great learning environment, almost any teacher can create a fully booked schedule for themselves.

Do you have to create your own lesson plans to teach English online?

One of the best parts of online teaching is that the lesson plans and materials are done for you! All you have to do is come to class familiar with the lesson and add your own teaching style!

Lesson plans are loaded in each classroom and often are interactive. You can enter your classroom before the student arrives to review and plan your lessons.

Of course, teachers are encouraged to extend the lesson plans with their own music, reward system and flash cards to make the class even more fun for the students.

Are props necessary to teach English online?

Teachers are absolutely encouraged to have a variety of props in the classroom. It makes the class more fun for students and teachers. A few stuffed animals and flash cards go a long way!

A dry erase board is a great teaching tool because you can draw and write much easier on a whiteboard than on the computer screen.

A digital reward system – something that is fun and exciting for the student to work toward – is a great tool to have in class. Many online companies require teachers to have at least two supplementary tools in class.

What questions would you recommend an applicant ask an online ESL company in an interview?

• How long is each lesson?
• How many students will be in each lesson?
• What are the teaching environment requirements, such as background and lighting?
• If my student doesn’t show up for the lesson, will I be paid the same?
• Am I able to screen share in the classroom?

What are your top two tips for new online ESL tutors?

1. My number one tip is to invest a bit of time and money in your teaching space and equipment! Having good lighting and a good headset with a microphone will greatly improve your students’ experience, encouraging them to book you again.

Also, you will be sitting for several hours at a time, so a comfortable and organized classroom space will make your life easier! Add exciting and fun props (they don’t have to be expensive) to your classroom space and you are all set to teach!

2. My second tip is to have as much fun as possible in class. Honestly, the more over the top and silly you can be, the better! Students love when you read things in a funny voice or put on funny costumes. It can feel a bit embarrassing at first, but soon you will learn to love belting out loud songs to make students laugh. If you can make the kids have fun, they will absolutely book you again!

I hope these tips for online ESL teachers have helped you decide whether this industry is a good fit for you. Ready to apply?

Here are a few partner companies looking for new tutors:

VIPKID

Recently advertised pay: $14 to $22 an hour.

Peak hours: Monday through Friday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tutor requirements: Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. or Canadian university.

Experience with children, such as teaching, mentoring, coaching, tutoring or babysitting.

High-speed internet, computer and webcam/microphone.

VIPKID would like tutors to be available at least 7.5 hours per week. Here’s another VIP Kid review that will provide you with more information.

Education First

Recently advertised pay: Up to $16 an hour.

Peak hours: Weekday mornings in the U.S. (4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. EST)

8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday.

8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday.

Tutor requirements: Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. or U.K. university. Tutors must currently reside in the U.S. or U.K.

Prior teaching experience or equivalent in education, tutoring, mentoring or home schooling.

High-speed internet, computer and webcam/microphone.

Qkids

Tutor requirements: Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. or Canadian university.

Experience with children, such as teaching, mentoring, coaching, tutoring or babysitting.

High-speed internet, computer and webcam/microphone.

Cambly

Recently advertised pay: $0.17 USD per minute ($10.20 an hour). Payday is every Monday by PayPal.

Peak hours: Cambly provides tutoring to students around the globe. Work anytime.

Tutor requirements: No experience required.

Magic Ears

Recently advertised pay: $22 to $26 per hour.

Peak hours: 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. EDT Monday through Friday, and 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday. Minimum 1.5 teaching hours per week.

Tutor requirements: Bachelor’s degree or above preferred.

TEFL/TESOL/CELTA or other teaching certificate preferred.

Teaching experience preferred. Learn more by reading our Magic Ears review.

Is it safe to teach English online with foreign companies?

Privacy is a big concern these days, especially when it comes to working with companies abroad. Every country has its own privacy standards, and some are much stricter than others.

We’ve heard about this a lot with the European Union and the sharing of data. And this is something we should think about with any job we apply to or software we download, regardless of the location of the company.

I can’t vouch for individual companies. I can’t tell you what their privacy policies say. As with any opportunity you find online, perform your due diligence. Read the fine print. Always go with your gut, and never do anything you aren’t comfortable with.

If you would like to work only with companies located in the U.S., consider Pearson, Education First, goFLUENT, Voxy, Rosetta Stone and others.

It’s also common practice for many people to have a computer used solely for work, so none of their personal shopping or banking information is accessed or saved there. Some work-at-home companies actually require that.

Thankfully, you can get a laptop on Dell or Amazon for around $200. And both offer financing. Some common requirements in this industry include 4GB RAM, Windows operating system, and Intel Core i3 or above. And because you are an independent contractor, this may be an expense you can write off on your taxes.

Always make sure you have great antivirus software installed on your computer, such as AVG, which protects against viruses, spyware, malware, unsafe downloads, webcam hacking and more. This is an absolute must for anyone working from home.

Are online ESL jobs a good option for remote workers?

So many members of my community have been working these gigs this past year or so as the industry has gained popularity. Most of them love the job, the flexibility and the pay. It’s truly an option for those of you who are teachers at heart, even if you don’t have the teaching degree. Working with these students can be fulfilling and satisfying.

One frequent complaint from the companies doing the hiring, however, is that people are not taking the job seriously or being committed. They go through the application process and training. Then they never pick up a shift. Or, worse yet, they pick up shifts and never show up.

That lack of commitment is what puts all of our remote jobs at risk. And it happens in every industry. Not being committed, not appreciating the expense that goes into onboarding and training someone, not showing up to cover the shifts you’ve committed to are all things that drive telecommuting positions back in-house.

It’s our shared responsibility to prove employers wrong who think we can’t be trusted or aren’t committed or responsible enough to work remotely. Leave the work-at-home world a little better than you found it for the benefit of everyone.

Originally published in August 2016. Updated September 2020.