Teach English Online | Top 20 Websites Hiring TEFL Tutors (2023)

If you want to Teach English Online, it may be one of the best choices to make money especially for those who want to work from home. The concept of online Tutoring has become extremely popular, after the covid pandemic and lockdowns.

If you are a Native English Speaker or have a great command of the language, you will get plenty of students across the globe wanting to learn English. The idea of teaching and learning online makes it more interesting and convenient.

Teach English Online

Learn How To Teach English Online?

How to Teach English Online?

If you are someone who says ‘I love Teaching’ and is passionate about what you do, you will be a great online tutor in the long run. When it comes to teaching English online or offline, there is no rocket science about it.

Everything about online tutoring is super simple in every way, as there are no large investments or office space required. Get a reliable internet connection with a recognized TEFL certificate or TESOL and you are good to go.

I personally believe Teaching English is the simplest and easiest thing that every average American or a Native English Speaker can do. What more is there to say, you are teaching a language that you speak every single day? Is there anything simpler than that?

To set yourself as an established online tutor might take some time, but initially, you just need a good computer and struggle a bit to get a recognized certificate to qualify.

If you are a beginner you too have a lot of options with many platforms out there. But make sure about a highly recognized certified online course.

Here are some steps that may help you to get started with your online tutoring career:

1. Get a TEFL or TESOL Certificate Online:

Let’s make this very short and simple, for you to understand if you are a beginner. If you want to become an online English Teacher you need to have at least 120 Hours of TEFL or TESOL Certification. TEFL stands for — Teach English as a Foreign Language & TESOL means Teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Both the certificates are quite similar, where TESOL is for teaching English to Non-English speaking citizens residing in an English-speaking country. TEFL is for teaching English by going abroad to Non-English speaking countries like China, South Korea, Vietnam, or Japan. When it comes to online Tutoring you can use both certificates but preferably TEFL.

In some countries like China and South Korea, a TEFL certification is a must and other countries might not have the same criteria. If you are looking to find the best Online English Teaching Jobs, get the FL certificate.

There are many companies that provide you TEFL certification programs, which can be done both online or offline. You can still do the certification 100% online, using your Laptop or a smartphone.

The 120 Hours course might include:

  • Teaching Methodology

  • Classroom Management

  • Lesson Planning

  • Student Evaluation

  • English Grammar

Some of the best platforms that provide Online TEFL Certification Courses are:

International TEFL Academy:

When it comes to online courses for English Teaching, the International TEFL Academy comes at the top of the list. The 11 weeks or 170 Hour course start from $1448 USD includes a 20 Hrs Practicum.

I-to-I:

I-to-I is probably one of the best UK-based companies providing English Teaching certification courses online. The Basic 120 hour TEFL course costs $139. They also have 180, 300, or 420-hour courses covering more courses and contents.

TEFLPros:

TEFLPros is a US-based company that offers you a 120 Hour digitals course, with a free trial, and later costs $349 USD.

MyTEFL:

If you are looking for an affordable online course with TEFL, MyTEFL is one of the reputable companies to opt for. The 120 hours professional Instructor level course costs you $299.

Vantage TEFL:

Vantage is especially for those people who want to teach English in countries like Thailand and China. The price starts at $1295 USD and upon completion, they also assist you in finding a job in your preferred location.

Other Honourable mentions are:

2. Set Up Your Tools:

To start your online classes, all you need are basic simple hardware and software, to communicate online with your students. After you have your computer and a reliable internet connection you will need some audio, video and few printing devices. There are no complicated tools required with this job. Some of the Tools are:

  • Good quality Headphones & Microphones

  • High-quality Web Cam

  • CD & DVD Drives

  • Video Conferencing Software with better features

  • Use a Cloud Account or Google Drive

You are not required to buy any expensive tools and most of the time your laptop, smartphones and a fast internet connection must be of good quality at least. So, try to invest your time and money in getting tools recommended by the online tutoring website you register with.

3. Have a Dedicated Space:

You may not require a lot of office space or workstation to conduct your online English classes however make sure it looks professional. Have proper lighting and decent background, as it will be part of your online screen appearances. Make sure you have a dedicated room that will avoid distractions from other family members like children, during your classes.

Sometimes a work-from-home environment is quite disturbing when you happen to live with more family members. So keeping all these things in mind, try to set up your workstation very neatly and in a quiet location of your house.

4. Choose the Best Tutoring Website:

Below we are providing you with the top 20 best websites to find jobs for teaching English online. It’s really important for you to select a great company based on your experiences and the quality of the service you provide.

Above all the reason why you want to start teaching English online is to make good money, part-time or full-time. The payout rates and the payment mode for each company are different from one another. So make sure to choose the best company to enroll yourself as an online tutor.

5. Get Yourself Established:

Once you start your journey in the online tutoring venture, make sure to create a community on various social media platforms. Either you create a Facebook Fan Page, LinkedIn profile or start a blog, put out helpful content regularly.

Invite more like-minded students and also join groups related to your niche. If possible you can start a small YouTube channel giving out free tips about online tutoring. A long-term business or career success is about the trust and authority you build for yourself.

6. Follow the Privacy & Security Policies:

When you are dealing with a lot of students abroad especially in the US and Europe, you must be careful about data privacy. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the European countries has strict rules on data privacy for students. The teacher has to follow this rule and protect the students’ information carefully at all times.

Top 20 Websites offering Online English Teaching Jobs:

Teaching English online can be one of the coolest Jobs you can do with just a laptop while traveling anywhere in the world.

That’s why making money online offers perks and freedom that no other industry can offer.

After you have your TEFL certificate online, now is the time to choose the best companies offering online tutoring.

These are not per rankings but some of the best companies offering online tutor jobs for English teaching.

CAMBLY:

This is probably the #1 Most Interesting Platform to Make Money as an Online English Teacher. The reason why I called this #1 is that you get paid around $10 an hour Just for Video Chats with people around the world.

If you are a person who loves making new friends and earning money at the same time using just a laptop or a smartphone Cambly is the one to go for. Your teaching experience will be full of Fun and students from around the world will recognize you, making you famous pretty soon.

  • Eligibility: Cambly is one of the few Platforms that will not require you to have a TEFL certificate or any type of experience.

  • Pay: The pay is approximately $10 Per Hour, which might sound less but looking at all the advantages it gives for beginners, it’s the best out there.

VIPKid:

VIPKid is a quite popular website since 2013 for those seeking online teaching jobs, especially for North Americans. The platform allows teaching online for only Chinese students which are 1 on 1.

  • Eligibility: You must have at least a college degree; complete a mock class with an existing VIPKid Teacher & TEFL Certificate.

  • Pay: VIPKid Teacher earns around $15-$22/ Hr

English First:

EF is also known as English first is another company offering to teach English to Chinese students. The initial screening process is quite frustrating for applicants with lots of background checks and eligibilities. They also provide offline teaching to select cities in China and other countries.

Eligibility: You need to have a TEFL Certificate, a Bachelors degree, and should be a C2 level English speaker. Hires Teachers only from the US & UK.

Pay: English First Teachers are paid around $12-$20/Hour

Learnlight:

If you want to go for online teaching with more options for several countries, Learnlight is one of the companies to go for. You will also have the option to teach online or offline with an award-winning platform.

  • Eligibility: With Learnlight you need a TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, DAEFLE, FLE, ELE, DELE, DITALS, DaF, EPE certificate plus a minimum of 2 years experience in language teaching.

  • Pay: You will get paid approximately $15 an hour as a teacher.

SAY ABC:

Say ABC is another recognized online English Teaching website especially to young learners who are mostly 5–12 years old, in China. The company has a minimum 3 months renewable contract and offers 1–4 online classes.

  • Eligibility: With Say ABC You need a Bachelors's degree, at least 1-year teaching experience, and a TEFL Certificate.

  • Pay: Payout might be around $15-$20 per 40 minutes sessions.

QKIDS:

QKIDS is another online tutoring platform based in China that allows 1–4 students in one session which lasts for half an hour. They allow tutors only from North America, living in the US or Canada, to teach Chinese students online.

  • Eligibility: With Qkids you don’t need a college degree and just require minimum certifications.

  • Pay: Average pay with Qkids English teaching is about $20/Hour.

Tutoring:

Tutoring provides you with an opportunity to teach English to Korean Learners up to the age group of 60 Years. The website provides extremely convenient access for both the Tutors and students with one-click access.

Eligibility: Tutoring requires a college graduate with a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience.

Pay: An Average Pay from$15-$20 per hour.

Dada ABC:

Dada ABC is an English teaching platform based in China, for Chinese students and is good for tutors in any country in the world. You will be also teaching one on one sessions that will last half an hour.

  • Eligibility: A minimum TEFL certificate and a Bachelors's degree are required.

  • Pay: Up to $15-$25 an Hour

'Preply' English Teaching:

Preply is another great online teaching platform for English learners and teachers across the globe? This is preferred by 1000s of work from home moms earning money without leaving their house.

  • Eligibility: Preply is one of the few platforms where you need any special certifications to apply as a Tutor.

  • Pay: Similar Average pay of around $15-$20/Hour

MAGIC EARS:

This is another top choice for ESL Tutors especially from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa & New Zealand, which provides learning for Chinese Students. Most students are between the age of 4–12 years and you will be having 25-minute sessions.

  • Eligibility: Magic Ears requires a minimum of TEFL Certified and a Bachelors Degree required.

  • Pay: Payout may be in the range of $20-$26 an Hour.

ITALKI:

Italki is another different online tutoring platform for English teachers that allow you to set your own price tags. Not only English but if you are a native speaker of German, Russian or Japanese you will have an opportunity to become a teacher.

  • Eligibility: Not many criteria are required but having a TEFL doc and experience will make you more money

  • Pay: With Italki you Can Charge anywhere from $10-$25 an hour

Open English:

Open English provides an opportunity to become an Online English teacher for Native Americans with US accents. Every student is from the Latin American community which includes learners of all ages.

  • Eligibility: US residents with American Accents with a TEFL or TESOL certificate

  • Pay: Anywhere from $10-$15 per hour.

SKIMATALK:

SkimaTalk is another platform to Teach English Online, which is open to all applicants from most countries. It will allow you to have one on one classes with students from across the globe of all ages.

  • Eligibility: Skima Talk doesn’t require a certificate or experience for you to apply.

  • Pay: Payout will be around $10 per 25 Min session.

English2Go:

English2Go is a somewhat different platform that allows online English Tutors to teach business executives. Students are mostly from Latin America and Costa Rica, where sessions will be through online video conferencing.

  • Eligibility: For English2Go you need to be a Native English speaker and a TEFL certified tutor. A minimum of a Bachelor's degree or more is required, for you to apply.

  • Pay: $10-$15 per Hour.

Verbling:

Verbling is another online English language learning platform that connects students with qualified online tutors for private sessions using live video chat. They accept tutors with good command over English or C2 of that language you will teach apart from English.

  • Eligibility: You need to have at least certificates of previous experiences

  • Pay: $10-$20 per Hour

VerbalPlanet:

VerbalPlanet allows online ESL Tutors to teach students from across the globe using Skype. It is another place where you set your own price per session and classes are mostly 45 Minutes long.

  • Eligibility: If you are a beginner, this is one of the best places to get started with no qualification required.

  • Pay: $10-$15 based on your experience.

'PALFISH':

'Palfish' provides online English Tutoring which is one on one with Chinese students for 25-minute sessions. Initially, you will be offering your classes on a trial basis which allows students to check the qualities of your services.

  • Eligibility: You may require having a TEFL certificate.

  • Pay: Palfish Pays you anywhere from $15-$25 per Hour.

'iTutor':

'iTutor' is a big online teaching platform that provides not online teaching English but many other online courses too. Once selected you might have an opportunity for higher payouts every month.

  • Eligibility: You must have a Teaching Certification from any State in the US.

  • Pay: Rates start from $27 Per Hour and depend on the assignments you get.

English Hunt:

English hunt is another company providing online tutors to teach English to students living in South Korea, especially business students. Online classes are mostly just 10 to 20 minutes long which are one on one.

  • Eligibility: You need to be a Native English Speaker from the US with a TEFL certificate.

  • Pay: English Hunt pays you $10-$15 per hour.

Lingoda:

Last but not least, Lingoda is one of the best language schools out there which allows you to teach your Native Language to students who want to learn. Teach English, French, German or Spanish with one of the highly-rated language learning platforms.

  • Eligibility: A Certificate, a C2 or above for the language you will teach plus a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience.

  • Pay: Rates may vary due to the languages and your experience.

Pros & Cons of Teaching English Online:

There is always a good and bad side to everything you do online and teaching English online is one of them. Learn to do your best without worrying too much about it, if you want the best results. Just for your knowledge here are some Pros and Cons to being an Online Tutor:

Pros:

  • You can Work from Home or anywhere in your shorts or PJs

  • Making Money Online with a $10-$20 per hour opportunity is great

  • If you are a Native English speaker you have a great opportunity

  • You will set your own schedules most of the time.

  • The demand for online learning is never-ending

  • You can start with Minimal Investments, which is awesome

  • If you are a beginner, you still have plenty of options

  • Teaching Children is fun most of the time

  • Working Online beats the Corona Pandemic restrictions

  • The longer you work the more stable your job becomes

  • Qualified Teachers can start ASAP

  • Payouts are weekly or daily most of the time.

Cons:

  • You will need to struggle for a TEFL or TESOL Certificate.

  • Online Classes have huge competition.

  • Ready-made teaching materials are boring sometimes.

  • Initially, you are required to build your portfolio, which is frustrating.

  • Most companies treat you for temporary contracts.

  • Too much exposure to your personal info data is not safe sometimes.

  • You need to be consistent and be patient since there will be all kinds of people.

How to Teach English online? - Final words:

Even though these tips help you to find some good options to teach English Online, always check your passion and the reason why you will do it. If you are someone who loves teaching students, you might do very well in the future. In the end success in any field is not about the money, but about giving your best, because you love what you do. Teaching Online and making money with the internet is a great option during the pandemic.