Who has taught English online? Experiences?

[JamesTeacher]

Hello.

I have recently considered to start teaching online and would like to here from other teachers that have done so. My main concerns about online teaching are, firstly, the fact that people might not get the best out of it. Secondly, how do I go around payment options? Is PayPal the no brainer?

Also, what programs do students prefer? I know Skype is king but I have also heard about Scribblar although this one doesn't include video, would this be an issue?

Any type of suggestions and such would be much appreciated.

Regards.

 

[emsr2d2]

I did a few Skype lessons when I lived in Madrid. It's OK but you have to be very sure that your connection (and that of your student) isn't going to drop out. I took payment by PayPal in advance and had a cancellation policy. I found it worked much better for conversation classes but I threw some grammar in. I can't quite put my finger on why I found grammar lessons easier in person but I did.

 

[Tdol]

The advantage of Skype is that most people have it, so it's probably a good way of getting going with them even if you wish to use something like Scribblar or Scriblink- the former requires Flash and the latter the Java plugin. I recently had an online meeting with someone and their company software required a Java, which I did not have as there was a security warning about it some time ago, so I had to download and install it. At least with Skype, you can get straight in touch with people as they will usually have it up and running.

 

[Jackson65]

I used to teach Skype online and I really like it. It is fun to do video calls because it feels almost like a private lesson. There are many sites which allow you set up your teacher profile and find new students. Wish you good luck!

 

[Learn English Online]

I am aware that I am a bit late here but I teach online everyday for a living and it has its pros and cons. Chiefly, like the others above said, you have to be sure about the internet connection but once you have that sorted, it is very similar to traditional face-to-face teaching. However, it does require that you explain everything slowly and very concisely. Being able to troubleshoot web programs and Skype also helps.

Skype is the main one but I think Google Hangouts is becoming more popular too. Personally, I prefer Google Hangouts but Skype is definitely more popular.

As far as getting paid, you have several options. As you mentioned most people just pay through Paypal but a lot of people also don't like Paypal or don't have a Paypal account. So it leaves you with the options of Stripe if you have an online checkout or just regular old bank account. Obviously, be careful what details to give for your bank account or even just make a separate bank account.

I hope some of what I said helps.

 

[g_michele]

I'm based in London, UK and know that the English language is in demand and a lot of people like to learn.

I already work as a Virtual Assistant from home with international clients, so I thought that I'd try to teach English to others.

I looked in the Skype community forum and more or less, I immediately had 2 students on my list. They were very eager to learn, so I took advantage of this.

I taught them via Skype and the telephone. I had 2 students within the Czech Republic and Armenia. They already knew some English, so they just wanted me to have general conversations with them so they could hear my pronunciation etc.

I also helped to correct them and encouraged them along the way. I helped one of them with his preparation for a job interview.

I'm not a qualified teacher, but due to English being my native language, it works to my advantage and the students were just happy that I took the time to help them.

You can use sites like Elance or oDesk. The have a ready-made payment system etc, so you can handle payments, invoicing and communication via those sites.

Tutoring is something worthwhile if you're a people person.

 

[jwsimpson]

I have been privately teaching students of all age groups and levels English full-time in Russia since 2008, with my own classroom. I am now planning to teach online, but I don't think that skype is the way to go for a full-time teacher seeking a respectable family income. I'm looking at teaching groups online using Moodle, which a free open source learning management system.

Are there any teachers here who are working full-time privately, and have the same interests as I have?