Teaching English online without a degree

Do you want to make a ton of money, do something rewarding, fulfilling and easy and still have flexible hours?

Maybe you’re a stay at home Mom, maybe you want to travel the world, maybe you just like staying inside on your comfy couch.Whether you’re a student or a veteran teacher looking for a change of scene, or just looking for a job, as long as you speak English you can probably teach it.

Teaching English online is a massively growing market. It’s very lucrative and flexible. But – here comes the snag. All the programs require a degree!

Actually – no they don’t.

Your pay won’t be as high, but you will still earn on average between $15 – $20 (if anyone tries to pay you less, just look elsewhere, it’s so easy to earn decent rates). Plus, you’ll most likely be teaching conversational English rather than formal rules, reading and writing.

Let’s look at the three main ways to teach English online without a degree.

TEFL

Teaching English as a Foreign Language is the name of a certification that will earn you tons of brownie points. Many companies don’t require a degree but need or prefer a TEFL certification. TEFL is very easy to get, there are many courses on the internet and most of them are around £3-400. If it lands you a job with £20 pay, then you can make back your money in just 20 hours! It will be super helpful in building up your teaching skills, understanding how to teach language and structure lessons.

Having a TEFL gives you an edge even on platforms that do not require a degree at all. Plus, companies based in China can only hire teachers with at least a TEFL so it is pretty useful.

That said, you don’t even need a TEFL to teach online.

Teaching English online without a degree

There are several websites and apps that are looking for great teachers, degree or no degree. All you need is to be a native English speaker, over 18 or sometimes 20 and have a basic background in teaching or at least you should have teaching skills if not experience.

We’ve scoured the internet so you don’t have to. These companies will hire you without a degree.

  • Cambly
  • Palfish
  • Preply
  • Skyeng
  • Cafetalk
  • Golden Voice English
  • Lingoda
  • Amazing talker
  • IBestteacher
  • Tutlo
  • Italki
  • Lingoline

Which brings us to the third and final option.

Set up your own website

Get out your entrepreneurial spirit and set up your own website! It might seem daunting, but it’s not so hard to set up your own website. Sure it comes along with challenges, setting up secure transactions, building a client base, establishing a curriculum – but you can’t beat being your own boss. Best of all – no commission. Your work. Your money. Your way.

Tips for Teaching English Online without a Degree

  • Don’t disguise your accent. It’ll just be distracting for you and for your students.
  • Get a comfy chair. You’ll thank us for this one.
  • Capture your students’ interests. Conversational skills can best be practiced when the conversations are engaging and interesting to the student. Bring them media they can read and watch and will want to discuss. We learn best when we enjoy the subject matter.
  • The internet is chock-a-block full of amazing resources that can really enhance your lesson. Don’t spend time crafting what’s already out there. Find fantastic media and resources that can take your lessons to the next level.
  • Chat with your students.Apart from building rapport, this makes them the resources as you can find out what they’re struggling with and build the lesson around the conversation.
  • Message the students before the lesson to find out what they want to learn. Don’t waste time and effort only to throw away your prep and waste a session.
  • Keep tabs on your students. You will probably have lots and lots of students. Write quick notes on each one after every session to keep track of where they’re up to.
  • Find the tech that works for you.Google hangouts, collaborating on google drive to read and discuss an article, evernote, experiment to see what works for you.
  • Join online staff rooms! Chatrooms and blogs will help you to share your experience and learn from others to bolster your own teaching.

TEFL courses can be completed very quickly or if you’re not interested, there are many youtube videos and blog posts that can help you get ready to teach.

It’s easy, it’s profitable, it’s rewarding. What are you waiting for?

If you enjoyed this blog on Teaching English online without a degree you might also like to read about how to teach English online to Japanese students and Teaching Online English – The Ultimate Guide.

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