Teaching English (TEFL)

Re: Online English Teacher Question

Kellyc — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:37:40 GMT

Hi,

It is possible and can be rewarding i currently teach online and although there are a lot of complications involved and competition with all the free offers available but any serious students that need to learn for specific purposes are there, like anything it takes time to work on but if you persist with it, it will pay off.

I started teaching privately and now once a week i have a group lesson so my students benefit with a group conversation and it works really well, i charge hourly and payment is made in advance ive never had any problems as yet touch wood with non payment as my students are really keen to learn and if they pay in advance they are more likely to not let you down.

You do get the computer based environment but for students that have work, family commitments etc this works great for them and for one to one teaching this is really benefitable.

Again everyone is different and you will find what works for you, if you keep with it, you will get there, there are also plenty of companies that already established who look for online teachers.

Good luck,

Kelly

Re: Online English Teacher Question

Wwwdotcom — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 18:28:09 GMT

I think it's hard to compete online with the free voice chat services out there like Skype, Yahoo, and Paltalk. I had one student ask if I could talk to him through Skype, but I wasn't sure how to charge him and collect payment. What I suggest is a mix, meet them once a month at least in person. You could collect your monthly payments this way.

If you can find an English school which handles online classes, then meeting in person may not be necessary. However, I just don't think it is good for either student or teacher to only communicate behind a computer. You really lose the sense of a classroom, and it has more of a "tech support" feel to it in my opinion.

With that said, I use a computer in the classroom to help explain words, and I can always email information the student wants.

Online English Teacher Question

Sharon M. — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 22:58:25 GMT

I am an English teacher and want to start teaching English online. My prices are very reasonable, but I am having difficulty connecting to an audience. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to find learners out there? I speak a little (basic level) Japanese in addition to my native English, but would welcome any learner. Thank you for any suggestions you may have.