Top 5 Reasons to Consider Online Teaching

With the growing popularity and accessibility of online education in recent years, English teachers now possess more opportunities than ever to teach students across the globe from the comfort of their homes.

Thanks to the internet and technology, English language education has transcended borders and made it possible for students all over the world to pursue language learning regardless of their location. This has resulted in an exponentially increasing demand for online English teachers and in turn a fast-growing job market in the ESL teaching industry.

If you are considering pursuing a career as an online English teacher, we’re happy to let you know that you are investing in the future of your profession. In this blog post, we will explore some of the top benefits of teaching English online and why it might be the perfect career path for you.

Flexibility

One of the most significant advantages of online English teaching is the flexibility it provides teachers. As long as you have an internet connection paired with a computer, laptop, or mobile device, you are able to pursue a career teaching English online.

This allows online English teachers the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. This is a fantastic benefit if you are combining travel and online teaching, which is a dream for many teachers.

With the freedom to choose which teaching markets to focus on, you are able to decide which time zones to teach in and in turn, be in charge of your availability and workload. This means that you can choose to work during the daytime or nighttime, whichever suits you best.

This flexibility is also particularly beneficial for individuals who have other commitments or responsibilities, such as parents, students who are pursuing a degree, or teachers that just wish to teach a bit extra on the side.

Job opportunities

As online English education is accessible to just about anyone with an internet connection and a computer or mobile device, it provides English teachers with a wide range of career opportunities.

Through online English teaching, you are able to reach a broader audience, including students in under-resourced regions who may not have access to traditional classroom-based English lessons due to various factors such as distance, time constraints, or cost.

If you are just starting out with your teaching career, this provides you with a great opportunity to gain some initial teaching experience and build up a resume.

For experienced teachers that are looking to branch out or transition from in-person teaching to online teaching, it can provide you with a variety of alternative paths to explore, including the possibility of starting your own online language school or tutoring business.

It’s also a fantastic way for you to work with students of different ages, levels, and cultural backgrounds, which enables you to gain experience teaching a diverse range of students.

Convenience of certification

If you are planning on pursuing a career as an online English teacher, then you are going to need the proper teaching qualification. This includes pursuing a 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certificate, which is an industry-standard requirement if you wish to teach English online.

To further boost your employability and earning potential, you are also able to pursue further teacher training and certification through specialist skills courses such as:

Pursuing specialist training after completing your foundational TESOL/TEFL course is a great way to make yourself stand out from the competition and boost your employability.

One of the main perks of online teacher training courses is the convenience they offer, as the training is conducted entirely online, which means you can complete it from anywhere in the world. The courses are also self-paced, which means you can work your way through them at your own pace and complete them within your schedule. This is a very popular choice for aspiring teachers that wish to combine their training with other responsibilities like work, family, and travel.

Upon completion of your course, you will also receive a teaching certificate that is recognized worldwide, which will help to further boost your employability and provide more career opportunities.

Cost-effective career

Like most work-from-home jobs, Online English teaching is cost-effective, both for the teacher and the student. As an online English teacher, you don’t need to spend money on renting a classroom, purchasing teaching materials or commuting to work. You can also save money on accommodation and food by working remotely.

As for the students, online English lessons are often cheaper than traditional classroom-based lessons, as the resources needed to conduct the lessons are fewer compared to in-person lessons. Students also have the freedom to change their tutors if they feel that they are not a good match. This allows both you and the student to create a learning environment where the student feels comfortable and motivated to learn.

In the long run, this will help save the student both time and money on their education, while also allowing you to retain students that are satisfied with your teaching.

Innovation

Online education has brought about a significant shift in the way people learn and teach English. The use of technology has enabled teachers to create innovative and interactive teaching methods that engage students and make learning more enjoyable and effective. For example, teachers can use videos, images, and other resources to supplement their lessons and make them more engaging for the student.

The use of online communication platforms such as Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet has also made it possible for teachers to deliver a variety of different types of lessons ranging from one-on-one lessons to small group lessons and even whole-class lessons from the comfort of their homes.

With the steady development of Virtual Reality, virtual learning environments are becoming increasingly common, offering teachers new and innovative methods to interact with and engage their students online.

By pursuing an online teaching career, you are able to stay tech-savvy and keep up with the times through your familiarity with the current go-to online communication tools. This is especially useful if you were to pursue a different career path beyond teaching at a later point.

Conclusion

The rise of online education has created enormous opportunities for English teachers to find and teach students across the world. The flexibility it provides in terms of location and schedule, job opportunities, the convenience of certification, and cost-effectiveness are some of the main reasons English teachers consider an online English teaching career. By pursuing a career teaching English online, you are investing in the future of your profession, and with the right teacher training and qualifications, you too have the opportunity to launch a successful career as an online English teacher.