FAQ

Are there any online schools that we don't recommend?

Absolutely. Most of the 40+ online schools we’ve researched didn’t make it to our short list. Some of these are the most popular online schools out there.

Do I need to be a master of the English language to do this?

Nope. Most of the best online schools have young students, and usually, they are pretty basic learners. If you can spot simple grammar mistakes and can recognize when pronunciation needs improvement, you can help them.

I'm a non-native. Is there any hope for me?

Yes, there are online schools that don’t restrict teachers based on nationality. “Non-native” is a broad term and your difficulty level will depend on a number of factors. Additionally, there are other forms of teaching that you can investigate – Teaching or tutoring locally or abroad, or tutoring students online directly via Skype or Zoom.

I'm South African. What's the deal?

Although South Africa is a native English speaking country, currently most of the high paying online schools that hire native speakers do not hire South Africans. Several of them used to hire South Africans, but they stopped due to the load shedding and subsequent teacher absences.

There is one great platform that hires South Africans who are living abroad, have a bachelor’s degree or a degree in progress, and some teaching experience. aside from that, South Africans are eligible for roughly the same schools as non-natives. We believe that in time, there will be some great opportunities for South Africans.

I want to teach adults, not kids

This is an option, but you’ll be sacrificing booking consistency and hourly pay. You’ll also have fewer platforms available to you. In the online English industry, the vast majority of the demand is for teaching kids.

Are there any issues with getting paid?

Not with the companies we’re partnered with. These are huge companies and are not interested in losing teachers by stiffing them on their pay, nor do they want a bad reputation. Just make sure your payment information is submitted properly and you should be fine.