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ESL Tutor – Earn Money by Teaching English Online

As they say, English is the Universal Language. It is used by many for different purposes.

It is a need for travelers to go to other countries for them to communicate with the locals (especially when the travelers have no idea about the language of the natives).

Businessmen also need to learn the English language for them to globalize their business. And some students from other countries are required to take an English examination before they can go to college.

Whatever the reasons are, English is very important.

Today, people are willing to spend money to learn the English language. And that is where the ESL industry comes in.

Teaching English Online or English as a Second Language Jobs are gaining popularity nowadays. It is one of the most in-demand home-based jobs in the Philippines.

In fact, some of my friends are ESL Tutors while they are studying. And that’s when I learned about this online opportunity.

Table of Contents

  • what do ESL Tutors do;
  • who are the clients or students of ESL teachers;
  • how can I become an ESL tutor;
  • what are the requirements of this job;
  • questions and answers portion and;
  • conclusion.

What do ESL Tutors do?

Basically, tutors are the people who provide assistance or tutelage to one or more people on certain subject areas or skills. ESL Tutors, specifically, are people who teach English online or in a face-to-face setting.

Who are the Clients or Students of ESL Tutors?

Most students are Asians like Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese. But there are also companies that recruit students from Europe.

How can I become an ESL Tutor?

There are many companies such as Rarejob that hire teachers or tutors. These companies would be in charge of the recruitment of the students. So, your job is just to sign up on their website and open slots for students to book.

But there are also ESL tutors who would advertise their skills online and students would directly contact them. The challenge here is it is difficult to find students.

The cons of working for a company is that your compensation is a little lower compared to when you have direct students.

If you are new to this kind of job, I would suggest that you sign up for ESL companies. And if you have earned some ‘loyal’ students you can just ask them to refer their friends or family members.

Am I qualified to become an ESL teacher?

I believe that ESL Tutors could be anyone. Anyone who is excellent in the English Language. Anyone who has a passion to teach. Anyone who is willing to share his/her knowledge with young minds.

You have to note though that there are ESL companies that require their applicants to have a college degree and some would prefer tutors with prior experience related to teaching.

If you have those qualities I mentioned above, then you may be qualified to be an ESL teacher.

There are two types of ESL online teachers, office-based and home-based.

  1. Office-based tutors work in the office (obviously). These are people who would need to go out of their homes to work. Most of the equipment such as desktop and internet connection are provided by the company.
  2. On the other hand, home-based tutors work anywhere. They could stay in their homes or would go to the park (with an internet connection, of course) to teach. These tutors would need to buy their own equipment.
Related: ESL companies that offer Audio Classes

With that being said,

What are the needed equipment to get started as an ESL Tutor?

  • Desktop/laptop and/or smartphone

ESL companies specify their requirements on their websites. Most of the ESL companies I know requires a laptop or desktop and would also have specific minimum specification such as it should be at least Windows 7.

Don’t have a laptop? Fortunately, there are companies like Palfish that lets you teach using your smartphone.

  • Internet Connection

ESL companies also specified the minimum download and upload speed requirements. So far, Rarejob has the least minimum connectivity speed requirement that is 0.6 download speed and 0.3 upload speed.

Your internet connection should be stable and reliable – I mean, choose an internet provider that is responsible enough to help you when you have problems with your internet connection.

  • Headset

Almost all ESL companies require a headset with a noise-canceling feature and an external microphone. They won’t let you teach using earphones.

Noise-canceling headsets are pricey. But if you are committed and determined to become an ESL teacher, then consider it as an investment.

  • Webcam

If you will sign up on ESL companies that offer video lessons, you will need to buy a webcam. But if the company you work for only offers audio classes, then you don’t need to have a webcam.

These are the main equipment that you should have before you apply as an ESL Tutor. However, you should read the requirements of each company you wish to apply for.

Related: Must-Have Equipment for Online Jobs

Now, let’s have a Q and A portion.

How much can I make as an ESL Tutor?

ESL companies usually pay from 80 pesos to 300 pesos per hour. So, I believe that your earnings depend on the time you spend and on the number of your students.

How can I receive my salary?

Again, it depends on what ESL company you work for. I read some companies that pay via bank accounts such as BPI and BDO while some pay via PayPal.

Do I have to be fluent in English?

Fluency is an advantage but not a requirement. There are companies that have beginner students. So, basically, what you will teach them are the basics of the English language.

Do I need to prepare my lessons?

This would depend on the company. Most companies will prepare the lessons and your main task is to execute the lesson.

Aside from the salary, what are other financial benefits?

There are companies that give bonuses to teachers for varied reasons. Such include perfect attendance bonus and sign up bonus.

Can I choose my teaching hours or time?

Again, it depends on the company. But according to tutors, part-timers are required to teach a minimum of 4 hours and full-time tutors should at least teach 8 hours a day.

Is it assured that my slots will be booked?

No, there are teachers who said that in their first week they would have a few or zero bookings.
I would suggest that you open slots during the peak hours, which are from 6 pm to 11 pm PHT.

Conclusion:

ESL tutoring is one of the top five jobs that Filipinos, especially fresh graduates, apply for. Clients and students are also becoming huge in number, so the need for teachers or tutors is also increasing.

Together with this, ESL companies are also booming. These companies offer different compensation and differ on their requirements and on the nationalities of the students.

It is therefore recommended that applicants should be keen on what company they apply for as there are companies that pay less but require more.

I guess this is it for today. You may want to check some of my posts about online opportunities. And you may also want to like and follow our FB page and be notified whenever there are new posts about making money online.