tutoring english onine

Tutoring English online guide

Online English teachers a.k.a ESL teachers (English as a Second Language) is the most common online tutoring or teaching job.  According to the British Council, an estimated 1.5 billion people across the globe are currently learning English. In most countries, even as a second language knowing English is highly prized.

 

Certifications to tutor English

 Many online English tutoring websites do not require college degrees. In fact, just being a native speaker might get your foot in the door.  

 However,  it is definitely recommended that you complete a TEFL course before you get started as many online teaching platforms require applicants to be TEFL certified.

The most common types of ESL certifications are:

  • TEFL– Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is the most commonly accepted certification for tutoring.  TEFL certification can be done in class or online and many can complete this in less than 2 months. 
  • TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is often interchanged with TEFL. The courses are similar but the TESOL might be more common in the US. TESOL certifications are considered more useful if you want to teach English to learners in an English speaking country.
  • CELTA – Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) is  a specific brand of TEFL certification that is awarded by the University of Cambridge. You can find this course at different institutions around the world and it is aimed at teaching English to adults.  
  • DELTA- Is a  brand of TEFL Certification that can be offered by the same instatutions that  offer CELTA.  DELTA is mainly for teachers who have had a year of teaching adults who are non-native English speaking. 

Premier TEFL

Which certification do I really need?

 The required certification might depend upon what country you plan to teach in or if you will be online. In most cases, it might not matter much which certification but it might matter where you got it. If you know where you want to teach, best to check in advance what they want you to have. Different schools and different countries will have different requirements. More important than which certification you have might be where you got it.

Course entry requirements

 There are no set requirements that are universal. If you are taking a course from a college or university there will probably be more prerequisites than a academy just set up for teaching TEFL ect. 

 Non-native speakers might have additional requirement before starting a course in any setting. If you are a native speaker of English, most academies have few prerequisites for in-person teaching and even fewer if you are doing the classes online.