How to teach English online to Chinese students from your own home

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Teaching English as a second language has been a popular way to travel and work for many decades, but thanks to the internet, now you don’t need to leave your house to be able to teach ESL to students across the globe.

Teaching English online has always been a multi-billion dollar industry, but after COVID, the demand seemed to increase.

That is except for China.

China was once the biggest buyer of online English lessons, with more than 15 million kids signed up to online English classes back in 2019.

This all changed in 2021, when the Chinese government banned tutoring online because they believed it was giving some kids an unfair advantage.

Bye bye cushy remote online teaching job, right?

Wrong! You can still teach English online to Chinese students. And here’s how…

Can you teach English online to Chinese students in 2024?

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. Back in September 2021, China enforced a ban on tutors offering online lessons because the government felt that the industry was giving some children an unfair advantage.

They also felt that it was adding additional pressure to children academically, and also a financial burden on their parents.

However, the ban was focused on tutoring. The terms were a little unclear for companies who have their own curriculum, so many companies are still operating.

These companies were also allowed to honor their commitment to students who have already paid for classes – some parents had bought over a year’s worth of classes upfront – which meant some companies still operate.

This ban also extended to kids only, so you can still teach English online to adults without any restrictions.

The TLDR version is; yes, you can still teach English online to Chinese students. Most companies are not accepting tutors to teach children, but you can still teach to adults.

It’s still possible to teach English online to Chinese students but the landscape does look volatile.

What companies hire online English teachers to teach in China?

There are many online teaching companies you can work for that allow you to teach English to Chinese students, but the company you choose will largely depend on the age of your student, your qualifications, where you’re from, and your salary expectations.

Here are the major players in the industry…

VIPKid (and VIPTeacher)

VIPKid is the most famous an online English education platform in China. Back before the ban, it had 1,000,000 students enrolled and 40,000 teachers.

Today, VIP Teacher, a new enterprise by VIPKid, has 200,000 teachers employed, not just as teachers, but in curriculum development roles too.

Based in Beijing, they are widely considered the pioneers of online English education. VIPKid was originally designed for children (age 4-12) and required teachers from North America only (USA and Canada).

It has its own unique curriculum that combines EFL teaching best practices with the U.S. Common Core State Standards – fostering creativity, critical thinking, and curiosity for our hundreds of thousands of learners.

English classes are delivered online in a 1:1 environment from the comfort of their homes. Teachers can earn anywhere from $14-$22 per hour.

However, they have been impacted by the tutoring ban and had to cease tutoring Chinese students, though they are branching out into other countries, so the company still exists.

Preply and iTalki

Preply and iTalki are two companies that connect self-employed online English teachers to adults, where you can offer their 1:1 tutoring services.

You market yourself, create your own materials, and source your own students. You even set your own rate.

It’s great for those who already have some teaching experience, and want a platform to work under and find students.

However, for new teachers, it’s not ideal as there is no set curriculum.

Cambly

With Cambly, you have a lot of flexibility with who you teach. Cambly has two companies – Cambly, which is where you can teach adults, and Cambly Kids.

Cambly Kids pays more (about $12 USD an hour), though they do not have Chinese kids enrolled due to the ban.

However, you can still teach kids from around the world, from Japan, South Korea, South America and the Middle East. Cambly Kids is for ages 4-15, and you would be required to teach 1:1 classes.

Cambly is a 1:1 tutor platform for adults, where you are paid roughly $10.20 USD per hour.

The annoying thing about Cambly is you are paid by the minute, so if your student leaves 1 minute early, you lose $0.20. It may only be 20 cents, but if it happens every time, it adds up.

Who is best suited to teach English online to Chinese students?

Anyone can teach English online, as long as you meet the requirements that companies require to employ you.

If you’re wondering if teaching online is the right career move for you, here are a few people that it could benefit…

• Anyone who enjoys teaching and is looking for ways to earn money online providing a valuable service from the comfort of your own home.
• Stay-at-home moms looking for ways to earn money working from home around the hectic schedule of their parenting lifestyle.
• Expats already living abroad teaching English. I used to have to catch the bus into Siam Square every Saturday in busy, polluted Bangkok to get to my private language school and earn supplemental income. How nice it would have been to have this opportunity to not leave my home and do the same thing.
• Professionals wanting to earn extra money and save to travel.
• Current teachers looking to supplement wages that never match your worth!! I KNOW!
• Retired teachers wanting to stay connected to teaching and earn play money. I know so many retired teachers in the US trying to find odd teaching jobs to not only make money but have rewarding experiences teaching without classroom pressures.

Benefits of Teaching English Online

Ok, so you tick off one of the boxes above and you’re now wondering what benefits come with the job.

Here are just a few perks from this career path…

• You can work from anywhere.
• You get valuable experience teaching English as a foreign language.
• It’s flexible – you can create your own hours around your schedule.
• You can choose how many hours you work – part time or full time.
• All materials are provided by VIPKID. This is hugely important. As a previous teacher, I can tell you that sourcing your own materials, and lesson planning is very time-consuming. To have it ready for you will make your work (and the money you earn) so much easier and more rewarding. You can then focus on quality and enjoyable teaching.
• No grading. This is awesome! I can’t even begin to tell you how painful grading is for a teacher.
• No need to know Chinese. The best way to learn a language is through immersion, so it is better that you do not know Chinese.
• Lessons are only 25 minutes long.
• Cool bonuses and incentives to help you earn more and have a better ESL teaching experience.
• A supportive Facebook group for the English language teachers to share ideas and help each other.

Requirements for teaching English online

The good news is, the application process to teach english online to Chinese students is easy for most online English teaching companies.

First, you need to establish who you want to work for (see above) and then complete the online application form.

Most companies require you to have:

• A bachelor degree in any subject. They prefer a degree from an English speaking country such as USA, Canada, Australia or America, but some companies are flexible.
• A TEFL Certificate. Most companies require you to have a TEFL Certificate, usually 120 hours, from a reputable company. You can usually complete these TEFL courses online.
• At least 1-2 years of teaching experience. If you’ve never taught before, you might have issues being hired as an online teacher. Try to get some volunteer experience under your belt to give you some prior teaching experience put you in better stead with hiring managers.
• Be a native English speaker. Some companies require English to be your first language, though some companies are flexible with this. You are considered a Native English speakers if you are from the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
• Have access to fast and reliable internet connection and a laptop.
• Eligibility to work in USA, Canada, UK. Most companies have moved their offices outside of China and so for tax reasons you need to be able to work in USA, UK, or Canada.
• To perform a demo class. Most companies require you to record a 10-minute demo lesson, in which they will provide instructions for you before you begin. A top tip for providing your demo class – be happy! They love teachers who are enthusiastic.
• Be available on Beijing time. You may be working late at night or very early in the morning if you are working from the USA. This is something to consider.
• The right equipment. You will need a laptop with a webcam and microphone and fast reliable internet.
• Most companies require you to use a headset.
• Some companies require you to have some props.
• Paypal or an international bank account. Some companies will only pay you via PayPal, which is annoying as PayPal takes a fee. I recommend you sign up to Wise or another global bank so you can receive multiple currencies.

The hiring process for online ESL teachers

To break it down for you, here is what you can expect to happen when you apply for a teaching job online.

Most companies are pretty much the same, but there may be slight variations to this depending on who you apply for.

• Step one: you apply online.
• Step two: You are invited to participate in a 10-minute virtual interview/ teaching demo. This mock teaching experience is an excellent way to show that you have the skills and qualities of a teacher and it is an experience you’ll enjoy. You’ll also get feedback from the interviewer outlining your strengths and weaknesses, which is essential information for a teacher to have. Don’t be nervous about this. You’ll get a chance to prepare for the mock interview. Just give it your best and have fun with it.
• Step three: training begins! You will usually have to go through a training process, which may consist of watching some YouTube videos that explains their teaching methods, or you might have official training. It depends on the company. You will likely be given information on the dos and don’ts and general information about booking, how to use their platform, etc.
• Step four: Contracts are signed. Some require you to work for a period of time, some are flexible and allow you to set your own schedule if you prefer to work part-time.
• Step five: trial period. Most companies put new teachers on a trial period, of one or two classes. This is to ensure that you are comfortable teaching and are implementing best practices.
• Step six: Start teaching your Chinese students.

Tips to help get that online English teaching job

To help you nail the interview and get that online English tutor job, here are my top tips…

• Make sure you have all the qualifications. Most companies are vigorous about having the qualifications, and you might think it’s over exaggerating, but it’s usually because of visa-related or tax reasons that you need the right requirements. I know some teachers who have taught for 20 years and are fantastic, who haven’t been able to be employed because they don’t have a bachelor’s degree.
• Show up on time and be professional in your interview. It proves you will show up on time for your lessons.
• Practice with a friend. If you’ve never taught a virtual classroom before, it would be a good idea to practice your lesson with someone first so you can get used to what it would be like.
• Plan for a tech issue. Most online teaching platforms are simple and easy to use, and rarely do they break, but it’s a good idea to have an activity you can do with just the camera and some props in case there are any issues and you can’t access the platform. The interviewer will love this!
• Be prepared and have a few props, materials and learning resources with you that you can use for modeling.
• Have fun! Happy students + happy parents = more work
• Be positive, they love overly smiley teachers. You might feel like a performing monkey but they love that.

If you’re looking for job opportunities teaching abroad, have a look at Global Work and Travel.

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