Although most online English teaching companies want native speaking English teachers from the traditional English-speaking countries: The USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and sometimes South Africa, there’s also a huge market for non-native English speakers as well.
There are plenty of companies that will hire non-native English teachers (especially Indians) if they have native-like skills (C2 level). There is a certain demand for Indian teachers among business English teaching companies in Europe, as many European companies work with Indian companies.
Certification - A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate is required by most online companies. There is basically no difference between TEFL, TESL and TESOL certificates. For native and non-native speakers without certification, options are limited. Which is why Global Language Training offers 120, 150 and 240-hour TEFL/TESOL certifications as well as a 40 hour Teaching Online Specialist Certificate.
Experience – Some companies want teachers with a one or two years of online teaching experience, other companies want teachers who have taught children or business English. It really depends on the company, the companies with higher requirements usually pay more.
Training – All good companies provide some sort of training. The training focuses on how to use the company’s online platform and their teaching methods. European companies often have their own teaching methods stressing student talking time and positive reinforcement. It is important to note that almost all online teaching companies have their own platform and their own material, so teachers do not have to spend much time preparing lessons.
Tech Requirements – A fast internet connection is required to teach online as teachers will most often be teaching with video. Teachers may have to use Skype, Adobe Connect or other virtual classroom applications that allow the teacher and students to turn on their video and have a teleconference-like class. Some companies conduct lessons primarily over the phone with Skype, but you will still need a fast internet connection to call students. I have had to submit a internet speed test to several companies, the standard minimum speed seems to be 10Mps download and upload. You can check your internet speed here speedtest.
You will also need a good quality headset (microphone and headphones) as well as a good webcam. Companies do not seem too picky about these things.
Résumé and Interview – The last step before you start your online teaching job is preparing a proper resume/CV. You should also prepare for the interview process which often requires a mock class depending on what company you are apply with. I will add some links later of mock classes.
Global Language Training cannot only provide you with the tools to meet all the aforementioned requirements, but it can also help you find a job through its Jobs Department and provide you with the most comprehensive list of companies hiring teachers online around the world.
For further information, contact us or visit www.globaltefl.uk.com.
