5 Must Haves To Teach English Online

Teaching English online has become one of the most lucrative side hustles for many stay-at-home mums. In my last post I talked about the 5 pros and cons of teaching online, today I will talk about what you must have to teach English online. This will be brief, but with all the simpler details.

When I started teaching online, I had very little resources, so I just used what I already had. I owned a laptop with a webcam, (though not standard but could work with). I also had a headset with no noise cancellation had to use it until I purchased the most efficient one. All I’m saying is you can start with what you have as long as it doesn’t affect the quality and standard of your lesson delivery, then get the right equipment later on.

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What You Need To Teach English Online

1. Laptop

The first must have to teach English online is a laptop. You need to have a laptop with a good quality webcam, great memory, and a processor. These features will help you during lessons. The webcam is very useful during lessons when you are doing video-conferencing. I have noticed that during my lessons the camera plays a critical role. I have to be clear so that my student can see me and the gestures that I will be making. This builds confidence in the student they are not talking to a robot!

 

2. Reliable Internet  

Like I mentioned in my previous post, for one to teach English online you need a reliable and fast internet service provider. I use zol. There are many providers in my country, but zol has proved to be the best for me in terms of reliability and cost-effectiveness. You need to consider the best internet provider in your country, too.

To see how fast your internet speed you can check here. Most ESL companies require an internet upload speed of at least 3mbps

 3. Headset

Third, you need a headset with a microphone. This allows you to communicate with your students without using computer audio. Most companies that recruit online teachers have this as a prerequisite. I bought mine on Amazon for just $12.29  and I have enjoyed using it so far. There are many designs of the headset with a microphone so just look for something that has volume control and background noise cancellation/reduction and you will be ready to start.

4. Workstation

If you will take teaching online seriously as your full-time job, then you definitely need a small workstation. You need a desk and a comfortable chair. You will get busy as more and more students find you and you have to work more hours a day. This means you need a place to work from and a back supporting chair to sit on! Initially, I used my bedroom but had to grow out of it as I diversified into more jobs and needed a quieter and comfortable space to work from.

5. Classroom Management System

Teaching online requires a lot of interaction with the students, so you need to use a platform that supports video and voice at the same time. If you will teach kids you will realise, this is a very important aspect. You need a CMS that helps you have control of the lesson and at the same time, allowing for maximum interaction with your students.

I use zoom and Skype. If you want a detailed comparison of the two, you can read here.

 

After sharing what you need to teach English online, I am sure you now feel ready to start.  Grab yourself the Big List Of ESL Companies Hiring Now by signing up to our email list and start applying.

If you need more information on getting a credible TEFL Certificate read here. 

Do you want more information about Teaching English Online?  Put it in the comments I will be happy to respond.