Teach English to kids online

Now, more than ever, parents, guardians and schools know the value of English language learning around the world. It doesn’t matter where you are, the status of English as a lingua franca of business and a globally recognised parlance means that there’s inherent value to learning it. 

To teach English is a test of a teacher’s craft; from introductions and basic phrases to linguistic patterns, grammar, syntax and more. Teaching it to children, especially as a foreign language, will throw up all kinds of unique challenges, from keeping a student’s attention through to putting the finishing touches on an essay.

Whether you’re teaching English online to pre-schoolers or high school students, the opportunities online are vast. Worldwide, there are hundreds of high-quality online English teaching companies and platforms, with millions of potential students waiting to feel the benefit of your expertise.

Which are the best online teaching companies? Where are all the online English teaching jobs? What do you need to be able to teach English online to young learners? Wonder no more, and let our comprehensive guide answer all of your questions.

Requirements to teach kids English online

When hiring teachers, online teaching companies will have different safeguarding processes depending on the country they are based in. You may have to undergo a background check or a related process to prove your suitability for working with children. Suffice it to say, you will need to have a clear criminal record in order to teach English online to kids.

Beyond the immediate legal requirements, there are other specifications that online English teaching companies and platforms will have. We’ll break down the main requirements, though it’s worth remembering that each organisation for teaching English online will have its own standards.

Do I need to get TEFL certified to teach English online? 

Do you need a TEFL certificate to teach English online? We’d certainly recommend it. A TEFL certificate from a well-known and accredited TEFL course provider is extremely valuable. The industry standard is 120 hours of study, which will provide you with a foundational knowledge of English teaching methodology and practices. It’s a great way to get a job; over 80% of our TEFL course graduates, for example, find work within 2 months of graduating.

While 120 hours is the standard, a Level 5 Diploma is a great option, especially if you don’t have any teaching experience, or you’re a non-native English speaker. A Level 5 Diploma provides a deeper theoretical understanding of English teaching methodologies, and you can even pick elective modules, including Teaching English Online - perfect if you’re reading this article!

Advanced TEFL qualifications are also extremely helpful for setting yourself apart as you teach online. For the purposes of this article, we’d recommend Teaching Young Learners and Teaching English Online.

Degree/No degree 

It’s important to outline the distinction between teaching companies and teaching platforms. In the former, you’d be working as an employee of a teaching company, and students will be sent your way. Typically, teaching companies have stricter requirements for teachers. Platforms, meanwhile, are all about advertising your services as a teacher, and you will be self-employed (though platforms generally take a commission for letting you use their platform). As such, it’s a marketplace, and the requirements to teach are more lax. You can also work independently as a freelance tutor, and you don’t have to meet any job requirements at all

Online English teaching companies, in general, will want you to hold a bachelor’s degree, preferably in English, Education or a similar subject. This is either made very, very clear by online teaching companies.

Platforms, meanwhile, do not always demand a degree when you apply for a job teaching English online. There are countless teachers thriving online without a degree on their CV! However, you are perhaps more likely to attract more students if your credentials are all there; a bachelor's degree - or even a master's degree - in English, Education, English Literature or a related field, for example. 

So yes, you can teach English online without a degree, in a variety of circumstances. 

Experience 

Again, teaching experience is a requirement that some companies and platforms may ask for, and some may not, meaning that yes, you can teach English online with no experience to kids. 

In the case of platforms where it’s not a requirement, however, there are caveats.

For one thing, having teaching experience listed on your profile - on whatever platform you use - is a boost. Experience as an online English teacher, of lesson planning and working specifically with language learners, is valuable. Parents want to know they can trust the quality of your teaching and may prefer to choose a teacher with some teaching experience on their CV.

Native/non-native speaker

Not a native English speaker but you want to teach English online to young learners form anywhere in the world?

Strictly speaking, it’s the choice of an individual remote teaching company or platform whether they hire non-native English speakers to teach kids online. If you have taken an exam like IELTS or TOEFL, the online ESL world ought to be yours to explore, as many online teaching companies will accept these qualifications.