We’ll examine our Teaching English Online course and how this can help you further your TEFL career. A good option right now for any TEFL teacher is to teach online. Since the covid-19 pandemic, students all over the world have continued their learning online, even after the return to the classroom. Many prefer this method as they find it cheaper, more convenient and just as effective as if they were to go to a classroom. They can count down the time travelling there and back to classes and get more done in the day!

For teachers, working online can be a convenient way to take control of your professional life. You can choose your schedule, your students and even your location! One of the main perks of this work is that you can teach from everywhere you want to. Even a different location every week! If you’ve always dreamed of that remote life and seeing the world, then teaching English online could be the perfect way for you to do that.

Teaching online doesn’t have to be your full-time job either. Lots of teachers do this part-time. Perhaps you have another job, in the classroom, and want to work some extra hours. Working online can be flexible enough that you can supplement your income in a way that you can control. You don’t have to dedicate a lot of time if you don’t want to – you can work a small amount of hours which might be just what you’re looking for.

What do you need to teach online?

To teach online, you’ll need a stable and speedy internet connection. This is perhaps the most important requirement. After this, a good camera and a microphone are essential tools for working online. If you’re planning on teaching online full-time or long-term, you need to invest in the right equipment. If you don’t have the right tools prepared for when you go to interview for the job, then you won’t get many offers.

From a CV point of view, you’ll need a TEFL qualification. The minimal requirement for teaching online is 120-hours. Any less than this then you run the risk of being rejected immediately. The 120-hour course will give you the TEFL fundamentals to get started. If you are aiming to teach online exclusively, then the Teaching English Online course will help you get up and running. This specialist course will give you the extra skills you need to be a confident online teacher.

What can you teach online?

If there is an area of TEFL that you really enjoy and have already specialised in, then you can transfer this across to the online TEFL world! If you like teaching business for companies or young learners, then you can also do this online. This might open up more opportunities for you to access these types of students worldwide. The more specialised your teaching area, the more money you can make. Market yourself as a teacher of a niche area of TEFL and you can build yourself a successful teaching business online.

How is teaching online different to teaching in the classroom?

While your core TEFL course can give you the essential skills which can be transferred to the classroom, there are extra skills and techniques involved when teaching virtually. This teaching context requires special considerations and solutions to be able to handle it successfully. If not, then the class can become chaotic and your students won’t learn anything. Students expect their teachers to be knowledgeable and know how to conduct an online lesson. 

-Students can be more nervous in the virtual classroom

This is especially true for students who have never learnt in this way before. This is a whole new experience for them and they might not know exactly to expect. It can be harder for them to know when and how to interact with their classmates and you via a learning platform such as Zoom. Teaching online means you need to find ways to get these students to open up to you and use activities that encourage this. There is also the chance that they are not tech-savvy, which opens up another mix of problems!

-Technological issues

This may be the obvious one but it can be one of the biggest challenges in the online environment. Both you and your students may experience a range of tech issues that need troubleshooting. Although you are not expected to fix the students’ laptop problems, you need to know how to deal with them and not let them interrupt the rest of the class. Furthermore, you might need to think on your feet and think of alternative ways of teaching or letting the students participate in your lessons.

-Classroom management 

This is a big pedagogical difference between traditional face-to-face classes and teaching English online classes. In the classroom, a teacher can move students around, move themselves around to monitor and change the layout of the classroom to suit them. This isn’t as straightforward online but there are ways around this. The use of breakout rooms has become the teacher’s biggest pedagogical tool. Use this tool effectively and your class will be under control in no time. Teachers need to manage their classrooms efficiently, or your students won’t come back!

-Engagement 

The lack of visual feedback is a big factor for students when taking online lessons. Your students can easily not pay attention or be distracted by something in their room. Although they might have their video switched on, it’s hard to keep track of everyone. This is especially true if you are screensharing and can’t see everyone’s videos clearly. Learning how to keep your students engaged and have them actively participate is a different skill set which comes with teaching any subject online. 

Why should I study this specialist course?

Studying the Teaching English Online course can give you and your CV a confidence boost. If you don’t have a lot of experience, then teaching online can be daunting. It doesn’t have to be like this! Taking the time to get more specialist knowledge can help you feel less nervous and know that you have the necessary skills to tackle the online teaching world. Even if you have lots of TEFL experience, this course can complement what you have learnt already.

From an employer’s point of view, if you have this qualification on your CV when you apply for an online teaching job, you can show them that you have undertaken the necessary training. This also shows you have decided to invest the time to further your professional development. They will feel that you have the techniques needed to teach online and be more confident in your TEFL skills. Your application will head to the top of the pile!

What will you learn on the Teaching English Online course?

-Activities and techniques 

You’ll soon learn that your trusted bag of classroom activities might not all work the same way online. This could mean that you’ll end up with lessons that are falling a little flat. Not all classroom activities can be transferred. This is especially true for writing and reading activities. You’ll need to shake things up a bit and adapt your lessons to work well online. This course will help you learn a variety of activities and techniques that work well online, and those that don’t and are best avoided!

-Classroom management 

As we’ve learned, classroom management needs a whole different approach online. This course will prepare you with the skills needed to manage your classes effectively and keep them enjoyable for your learners. You’ll learn how to use breakout rooms and what to do with those students that just won’t participate like you want them to! You’ll know how to handle classroom interactions and make the most out of your lessons.

-The teaching online business!

It’s important to understand what kind of market you’re entering into and how you fit into this and how you can benefit from this both professionally and benefit financially. Teaching online involves both group and one-to-one classes. These both come with their own set of advantages and challenges. You’ll learn about the online TEFL market and how to navigate these contexts so that you end up a happy online TEFL teacher! 

-Online lesson planning and materials 

You may be a master at lesson planning for the classroom but there are different elements to be incorporated when planning a lesson for the online classroom. Everything we’ve seen so far comes together here. There are different activities, materials, timings and tools to consider and adapt for your students. Doing this will make sure that your lessons go well and that your students benefit and enjoy them at the same time!

Teaching English online can be a rewarding TEFL path and open up flexibility and choices for your career that you never knew you needed. It’s a good option for teachers at any stage of their career and both full-time and part-time jobs. In order to become more successful in this area, ensure you take the time to learn more about teaching online and what it takes to become a successful online teacher. This way, you can excel more in your online English career and have your students coming back for more lessons.

Taking a specialised Teaching English Online course will enhance your TEFL knowledge. Adding this to your CV will make your application stand out to online English companies and get those interviews. When interviewing, you can impress your potential employers with your know-how of teaching students in the virtual environment.  Register for the Teaching English Online course today and learn more about how to take your teaching online! You, and your CV, won’t regret it!