With new regulations limiting the ESL industry in China, more and more companies are looking for teachers from other countries to fill positions remotely. If you’re interested in finding a job teaching English as a second language online, this guide will provide you with options of online ESL companies not based in China.
With the new Chinese regulations on online tutoring, many online teachers have been left scrambling to find new online jobs. At the moment, it’s pretty risky to apply to another China-based company, so what are the alternatives? I’m going to give you a list of some online ESL companies not based in China. Some of the companies offer courses in more than just English, so there’s potential to teach multiple subjects if you have the qualifications.
Not all Chinese Companies were taken out by the new changes. VIPKID is still in operation and has set up a global platform with students from around the world.
Online ESL Companies and brief requirements descriptions
I know a lot of teachers are in a scramble to find new positions, so I’m just going to give some brief descriptions. The companies’ websites will provide any other information you need.
1. No certification or teaching experience required, teach various subjects, set your own prices Preply 2. No degree, certifications, or experience required Cambly 3. No formal teaching credentials needed, teach various subjects, create your own lessons, set your own prices Outschool 4. Professional teachers and community tutors, set your own prices italki 5. Degree or ESL Certification, teach various subjects Latinhire 6. Degree and ESL certification required Skylearn-Skytod 7. Currently not taking applications Verbling 8. Native English speakers, Degree or equivalent experience, ESL certification advantageous Live English 9. Submit the teacher inquiry form to be contacted by a recruiter English4.today 10. No specific requirements, teach any language Justlearn 11. Ability to speak English at an intermediate level Native Camp 12. See individual job postings for requirements The Really Great English Teacher Company 13. US Citizen, BA in any subject or substitute teaching certification or four years of experience Englishunt 14. Must have a bachelor’s degree in related field, or government issued teaching license, or specialized instructor qualification Skooli
If you found this list of online ESL companies not based in China helpful or you applied and got the job, let me know in the comments or send me a message.
The announcement came as a shock to myself and other teachers. It happened without warning. I was preparing for the next day’s lessons at about 11:00 pm on August 4th when I saw a popup on my screen. I leaned in to read the message. It said that the GOGOKID curriculum offered to Chinese students was being suspended as of August 5th. How nice. I rushed back home from my mom’s house to prepare for my classes and get to bed only to be laid off. See, things like this are why you should never put all your eggs in one basket. I’m thankful that I have other means of generating income, but my heart goes out to my fellow teachers whose sole income source was any of the companies affected by the new China regulations.
In a sweeping overhaul of its education technology sector, China took down its booming online TEFL industry. The country cracked down on all online companies offering for-profit tutoring of subjects taught in the public school curriculum. The Chinese government said that education technology companies had been hijacked by capital and that they should start operating like non-profits. The new regulations have brought the Chinese online TEFL industry to a screeching halt. The growth of the ed-tech sector is no longer being encouraged.
Well, a lot of damage has already been done. In an effort to restructure, Magic Ears and Palfish downsized their staff and at the moment, are allowing students to complete the lessons that they purchased. Palfish also reduced teachers’ pay from an hourly base pay of 50 RMB (approx. $15.50), not including bonuses, to 40 RMB (approx. $12.40). Other companies like GOGOKID have completely shut down. It’s expected that the remaining education companies will follow suit unless they can exploit some kind of loophole. We can only wait and hope those companies give students and teachers a heads up should they decide to close shop. In the meantime, teachers with no other income streams should start searching for companies that are not based in China, such as Cambly or Outschool.
What about the children?
I’m sure many of the children are overjoyed at not having to learn English. However, there are many that are absolutely devastated. Videos of some GOGOKID students crying uncontrollably circulated within TEFL teacher groups. The sudden cancellation of all classes and the inability to log into their accounts came as a surprise to them, too. We were not given the opportunity to say “Goodbye” to our kiddos. Now, teachers and students are trying to search for each other on WeChat. Some teachers and students have successfully reunited. Others are still working on it.
Maybe the online TEFL industry will be resurrected in the future. Only time will tell.
Sadly, there are people out there who take advantage of others who are simply looking for an online teaching position. For this reason, it’s important to know the red flags associated with TEFL scams so you don’t fall victim to online predators pretending to be recruiters. These red flags can apply to any online job as well as jobs abroad. However, I’m going to focus on online TEFL jobs for the time being.
Here is a short list of things to look out for during your search for online TEFL positions.
Online TEFL Scams
The company has no website.
If an online company has no website, that’s a bad sign. Just simply forget about that company and start looking into other companies. Do note that the websites for some foreign companies may be a little tricky to find online, especially if the companies are new or if there are other companies with a similar name. Use quotations around the search term to narrow down your search and make it easier to find what you’re looking for. To narrow it down, even more, try searching the company’s name followed by ‘login’ or ‘teacher portal’.
There’s no online information about the company
If you can’t find a digital footprint for the company, it’s probably a scam.
The email address isn’t professional.
You wouldn’t be wrong to expect an online company with a website to have a matching, professional email address. For example, when emailing a member of the staff at VIPKID, you can expect an email that ends with @vipkid.com.cn. A corporate company that uses a Gmail account is a bit suspicious.
The job posting or website is written in poor English.
An English language company that doesn’t practice what it preaches is pretty fishy don’t you think? A typo here or there is normal. Nobody’s perfect. However, if the advert, website, or teaching platform contains broken English and nonsensical sentences, the owners shouldn’t be offering English lessons. They should be enrolling in them.
You can’t find any company reviews.
If a simple Google search for reviews of the company turns up with no results, be wary. First, try searching for company reviews using job sites such as Simply Hired, Indeed, or Glassdoor. If you still can’t find anything, they probably have something to hide and you should move on to another potential employer. If you do find reviews, read through ALL of them. Some companies try to bury the real reviews under a large number of glowing, overly doting, fake reviews. Use your instincts and better judgment to help you decide whether or not the reviews are too good to be true.
The company has a ton of negative reviews.
If a company has a lot of negative reviews and low ratings, pay attention. Read the reviews. If multiple former and current workers are giving warnings to stay away and giving details of bad company practices, you should avoid the company.
You’re asked to pay a fee for the position.
It’s safe to assume you’re applying for the job because you want to be paid, not because you want to pay the company. Right? You shouldn’t have to pay anyone for a job position.
You give up control of your device.
So the company seems legit and you’ve made it to the interview stage. At some point in the interview, you’re asked to give the interviewer remote access to your computer. Why would the interviewer need access to your computer? Don’t do it! Even if the company is a legit company, don’t do it. I know of an instance where a teacher allowed a tech support member remote access to her computer after a classroom tech issue. The technician didn’t solve the issue but succeeded in deleting several important non-teaching related files from her computer. Don’t let that happen to you.
You’re expected to work for free.
If a company asks you to teach students’ first lessons without payment, they are trying to scam you. You could end up never making a dime. Such a company will often assign you only first-time students for the duration of your time with the company. That defeats the purpose of having the job unless you don’t mind volunteering.
The company levies heavy monetary penalties.
Penalties for mishaps like being late or missing a class are normal for online TEFL companies. A legitimate company might fine you around a dollar or so for being late or deduct 100% of a lesson’s pay for missing a class. However, a scam company has lots of unreasonable penalties that are almost impossible to avoid. Penalties for things like sneezing or your lighting not being considered bright enough should not result in hefty fines. If that’s the case, you should not waste your time with them. You will end up working for free most of the time.
Don’t let TEFL Scams Discourage You
Don’t let TEFL scams deter you from finding the right teaching position. Now that you know the red flags to watch for, you can feel more confident in your job search. If you aren’t sure where to start, visit Become A TEFL Teacher for some legitimate companies to which you can apply.
Online English teachers are in high demand, especially nowadays. China has the greatest demand and their online institutions are willing to pay well. Online teaching is fun and rewarding. Here a some of the best benefits of teaching English online.
1. The top benefit of teaching English online: Freedom
Scheduling freedom
Freedom peaks the list of top benefits of teaching English online. Teaching English online is a great way to get out of the mundane 9-to-5 lifestyle. In this industry, you are your own boss. When and where you work is up to you to decide. You can choose to work full-time hours one week and part-time the next. If you only want to work a couple of hours in the mornings or a half-hour in the evening, you can. If you choose to take a week or a month off, just do it. It’s easy to burn out when you teach a lot of classes, so the ability to take long breaks or days off without asking for permission is a good thing.
Location independence
Besides the scheduling flexibility, there’s the freedom to work from anywhere. If you have a stable, reliable internet connection, whether it be a portable WiFi device, a phone that you can use as a hotspot, or a wired connection, you can work.
Choose who you work with
Choosing who you teach is a perk to teaching online. You can work with children or adults, or both. With the fun and games with the kids or the great conversations and laughs with the adults, you won’t feel like you’re working.
No work visa required
Another great thing about this freedom is that you don’t have to worry about getting a work visa. It’s illegal to work in a foreign country without one. However, since you’re working online, you don’t have to worry about getting a work visa.
Make a difference in other’s lives
As an online English teacher, you will meet people from all over the world. Most will be learning English because they have dreams of working or attending universities in English-speaking countries. You will be helping them reach their dreams. Other students may just need someone to talk to. You may occasionally find yourself being a sort of counselor or mentor.
2. No dressing up or uniforms
When you’re teaching online, unless your entire body needs to be visible, there’s no need to dress up. If only the top half of your body will be visible, you can easily put on a nice shirt or blouse while being in your pajamas from the waist down. Be sure that you are presentable and professional-looking.
Comfortable work attire at its finest!
3. Great Pay
Teaching English online can be lucrative. Teachers working with an online company usually make anywhere from $15-26 USD per hour. The pay can be substantially higher for teachers who teach private online lessons. China-based companies tend to pay higher salaries than most other online English companies. Some of the top China-based platforms are PalFish, Magic Ears, and Vipkid. With the contests, referral bonuses and other incentives offered by these companies, making $4,000 or more is possible.
4. Easy to start
Getting started with online English teaching is really easy. The application process typically involves submitting a video intro, attending online orientations or training, performing a mock lesson, and setting up your payment method. The process and timeline are different for each company.
Conclusion: Benefits of teaching English online
Teaching English online isn’t just a way to make money. It allows you to take control of your life and decide what’s best for you. There are people around the world who can benefit from your knowledge of English or, sometimes, just from your presence.
Do you teach English online? What are some other benefits of teaching English online?
Online English teachers are in high demand, especially nowadays. China has the greatest demand and their online institutions are willing to pay well.
Online teaching is fun and rewarding. There are several great benefits to teaching English online, but here are the top 4 in my opinion.
1. FREEDOM!!!
I believe freedom is the top benefit of teaching English online. I’ve been told that I’m a control freak. Maybe I am. I don’t know, but what I do know is that I love to be in control of my time. I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Simple. I quit my hospital job, a few years back, to enjoy the freedom that I have now.
Teaching English online is a great way to get out of the mundane 9 to 5 lifestyle. I can choose to work full-time hours one week and part-time the next. If I want to work a couple hours in the mornings or a half-hour in the evening, I can. If I choose to take a week or a month off, I just do it. It’s easy to burn out when you teach a lot of classes, so the ability to take long breaks or days off without asking for permission really floats my boat.
Besides the scheduling flexibility, there’s the freedom to work from anywhere. If there’s a reliable internet connection at my place of lodging, I can work. If my phone data connection is strong, I can work. If neither of those is available, there’s the option of using a portable WiFi device. If neither of those is working for me, I don’t sweat it. When traveling, I never schedule lessons until I’ve personally tested the internet connection. If it’s no good, I don’t do any work until I get to a destination that allows it.
It’s illegal to work in a foreign country without a work visa. However, since I work online, I don’t have to worry about getting a work visa.
When I travel internationally, I often catch really great deals and end up spending more than I expected. When that happens, I work a few hours to replace those funds and carry on with my trip.
Yeah, I really love the freedom aspect of this work!
2. “Look, Mom! No pants!”
I wear pajamas or a nightie to almost every class. I usually teach early morning classes, so I sleep until 15 minutes before my first class. I wake up, wash my face, brush my teeth, wrap my hair or throw it in a ponytail, slap on some red lipstick, throw a polo shirt over my top, slide into my slippers, plop down on my chair and get ready to teach. My props are prepared the night before, and if my lesson happens to change overnight, no problem– anything I may need is within arm’s reach.
I could never wake up 15 minutes before my shift and work in my PJ’s at my former job. I’d be awfully late and severely under-dressed.
Comfortable work attire at its finest!
3. Great Pay
Teaching English online can be very lucrative. I work with several China-based companies and can say they pay pretty well. See my posts about PalFish, Magic Ears, and Vipkid to learn about their pay structures. I also teach for a new American company that pays $25/hr, but lessons are sparse for now. With the teaching bonuses, contests, referral bonuses and other incentives offered by these companies, making $4,000 or more is very attainable. Like I said before, I quit my hospital job to do this.
4. Easy to start
Getting started with online English teaching is really easy. Some companies make you go through a somewhat lengthy process—submitting video intros, attending online orientations and on-board training, performing mock lessons, etc— but, most make getting started pretty simple. Getting started with PalFish as a regular teacher took me about 24 hours, while Magic Ears just a few days. The process and time line are different for each company.
Okay, all done! Your turn! Do you teach English online? What do you think the top benefits are?
PalFish is an online English platform, based in Beijing, China, that gives teachers the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world using a smart device. It makes for a great side hustle or full-time job.
When registering to work with PalFish, you’ll need to use your smartphone. Since the platform is app-based, you’ll have to download the mobile app. Use my link to sign up and I’ll contact you directly through the app’s messaging feature once I receive notice of your signup. Once you’ve registered, you can download the app to your other iOS or Android devices to have them ready as backup devices. You can simply sign in using your phone number and password when you’re ready to use them. In cases of emergency, you can use your laptop or PC with a webcam to teach lessons, but be prepared to experience decreased functionality and funky glitches. Ideally, you’ll want to teach from your phone or tablet because PalFish is optimized to work from a mobile device.
That’s me up top inviting you to join me on the PalFish platform.Add your country code and phone number and hit ‘Apply Now” to get started.
What can I do with PalFish?
The PalFish platform is set up like a social media site. You can follow and be followed by other teachers and students. To promote yourself to students, gain followers, or just share some information, you can post moments just like on Facebook.
One of my favorite things about working with PalFish is that it offers different ways to generate income. Freetalk lessons, official courses, live streams, and dubbing children’s books are some ways that you can make money. As a PalFish teacher, you can work as either a regular teacher, an Official Kids Course (OKC) teacher, or both. When you register and are accepted on the platform, you are automatically a regular teacher and can begin teaching adult students right away. If you qualify as an OKC teacher and are accepted, you will be considered an Official Kids Course teacher, but you can still teach adults.
What are the requirements?
Teacher requirements
To qualify for teaching adults, you will
be a fluent English speaker
have some English teaching experience
hold an English teaching certificate (TEFL/TESOL/CELTA)
be an excellent communicator
be fun, creative, and have excellent interpersonal skills
NO DEGREE REQUIRED
To qualify as an Official Kids Course (OKC) teacher you will
be a Native English speaker with a neutral accent
be from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland
have at least 10 hours per week of availability between 6-9 p.m. Beijing Time
be fun, creative, high energy
have a passion for working with children
Minimum hours requirements
As a PalFish teacher, you have the luxury of setting your own schedule. You can work as little or as much as you’d like. There’s no set time requirement for Official Kids Course teachers, but it is recommended that you have at least 10 hours of availability.
PalFish offers teachers the ability to take random calls during their free time with just the touch of a button. If a student purchases a lesson package from you, you can coordinate the date and time (in Beijing Time) with your student, or you can open time slots for students to book. If you plan to teach adults and kids, there’s an option to reserve time slots for kids only. However, there is no option to reserve for adults only. So, once you open your slots, any time slots you have available for your adult students may be taken. To avoid this, coordinate with your adult students through the chat feature and only open them once they’re ready to book.
Technical requirements
Computer equipment
To effectively use the PalFish platform, you will need a compatible smartphone or tablet (Android version 7.0 or higher / iOS version 9.0 or higher). If your device is not compatible, the application will let you know once you’ve signed in.
Internet
There isn’t a set internet speed requirement, but a fast, stable WiFi connection is important. Having an internet connection of at least 30 Mbps for upload and download is sufficient. If you’re unsure of your internet speed, you can check it here.
Lighting
Lighting is very important. You will want to have bright lighting so that you are clearly visible to the camera. Shadows are frowned upon, so try to reduce them as much as possible. I use a set of lamps when I’m at home and two small portable LED lamps (bought in Korea) and selfie ring lights when I travel.
Audio equipment
A headset with a noise-canceling microphone will help to reduce background noise during your lessons and make it easier for your students to hear your pronunciations clearly. The headphones set that may have come with your smart device can be used, but may cause audio issues for your student when the microphone brushes against your shirt. A Bluetooth headset may work well. I haven’t tried any, but I’ve heard from other teachers that they work fine (I’ll get hip one of these days 😀 ).
Downloads
Palfish is an app-based platform, so you’ll need to download the PalFish Teacher app for iOS or Android, and sign up or sign in if you already have an account. There’s also a student app, so make sure you choose the one that says ‘teacher’.
How much does Palfish pay?
As I mentioned before, there are multiple ways to earn with PalFish. Besides the previously mentioned ways of earning, there are bonuses for inviting teachers and students.
You’re an independent contractor
This is your own home-based business, so for tax purposes, you’ll be considered an independent contractor. With a little creativity and drive, you can make a great income. As a regular teacher, you set your own rates for calls and lesson packages. As an OKC teacher, you can expect to earn between $15 and $22 per hour for official lessons. The actual amount you receive varies depending on the conversion rate of CNY to your country’s currency.
Pay structure
PalFish pays using a tiered structure determined by a monthly credit score. The more classes you teach, the more money you’ll make per hour during the following month. As a new teacher, you will receive a new teacher’s bonus of approximately $15 USD. If a trial student purchases the Official Kids Course after having a trial lesson with you, you’ll earn a bonus of about $15 USD.
Payment methods
PalFish pays through Payoneer and Chinese bank transfers. Open your new account using this Payoneer link and receive $25 once you’ve earned $1000. Payment is held in your PalFish account until the 1st of the month when it is automatically withdrawn to your Payoneer account. The payment should reach your account by the 7th of the month.
You can find more information on the PalFish guidelines page and in the FAQs within the app. If you have any questions once you’re signed up, just shoot me a message through the PalFish app. I’ll be happy to help!
So… Are you ready to join PalFish?
By clicking the apply button below, you agree to be contacted and assisted by me via the PalFish app. If you’re not viewing this site from your phone or tablet, you can download the app to your smart device and enter my referral code: t08lXu (after 8, the letter is lowercase “L”). If you submit the wrong code, you’ll be assigned to someone else and I won’t know you signed up 🙁
